Where can I find .303 Surplus ammo?

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NoobCannon

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My birthday is rounding the corner, and to celebrate, I'm getting my Enfield home. I'd like to find some cheap surplus ammo to run through it for plinking, but all the websites I find it one are sold out with no hopes of getting anymore.

Is there any surplus ammo left out there? Or did I miss the boat on that one? Is there any particularly cheap alternatives? The prospect of getting a box of .303 for $9 is very enticing, especially when a box of new ammo for this particular rifle is about $30.
 
A shop near me has 1909 Egyptian 303 for very cheap. Only problem is, I have shot up most of what they had and from what my friend that works there tells me the supply of 303 surplus is all but gone. Reloading may be your best bet. Short of that check out some of the online retailers like http://www.ammoman.com/index.htm

Ohhhh come to think of it, Prvi Partisan make inexpensive ammo for the 303.
Edit:
Prvi is what ammo man sells. Prvi is loaded closer to "normal" than some of the US ammo which tends to be downloaded a fair amount. What model Enfield do you have?
 
I don't know about surplus but Prvi Partizan is widely available on the Web and is generally considered good quality. It isn't $30 a box unless you just buy one and have it shipped. It runs from $14 - $17 or so before shipping.
 
It is Egyptian, 99.999% sure. My friend runs a military antiques store and makes a living on being accurate to a degree that the normal person would never need. But, you may very well be correct. I will have to check the head stamp when I get home. Would not be the first time I was wrong today ;)
 
I have a No.4, Mk.1, and she's coming home Tuesday. I was hoping to locate some ammo so I had a box or two on hand to put it through its paces, but My Wal-Mart doesn't stock it, and my LGS wants $35 a box. The way this economy is, I gotta try and save as much money as I can.

I'll check the Acadamy on my way into civilization to pick it up on Tuesday. I'm hoping to be able to get 2 or 3 boxes. The plan for this weapon is more of a target toy and hog hunter, since it's a big, slow, heavy, bolt-action, and very ill-suited for HD(I have a shotgun and a few pistols for that, anyways.)

Since I'm on the topic, I should probably ask, what's a good load for hog hunting in this particular caliber? I'm thinking FMJs may be needed if I happen to hit that thick plate of bone on the Hog's shoulder, but overpenetration may be a problem if I hit it anywhere else. So, maybe Soft Points? I don't know, hopefully you guys do.
 
I think to find real good quality surplus .303 you have to go back in time to the late 50s.
Although I believe I spotted some israeli and indian .303 in shotgun news a month or so back.
 
Stupid question but .303 British and not Savage, right? If so check Widener's, Ammunition to Go, and Graf and Sons.
 
I pretty much gave up on even looking for surplus .303s. I got the new production Prvi Partizan and dont have to worry about corrosive aftereffects. I got me the 180 gr SP and shoots very well in my Fazakerley No 4.
 
Jeremy2171,
I was wrong. I will let him know. It has the exact head stamp you mention. Dang and here I was all proud of shooting 102 year old ammo. Thanks for the info. I learn something new everyday.

I have a 1941 Lithgow No1 MkIII*
 
The good surplus .303 to keep an eye out for on the resale market is Greek and South African.
 
@Motega, yes, .303 British.

I'm not necessarily worried about corrosive ammunition, since I make it a habit to thoroughly clean my weapons after each time I fire them, no matter how little they get shot.
 
Greek HXP and South African are the best, but mostly long gone. Hot Shot, Sellier & Beloit, and Privi are good possibilities for less expensive ammo. Check Southern Ohio Guns (SOG), AIM Suplus, and Bentury International Arms. I have been reloading for about 8 years, as the good surplus has ben getting shorter each year.

Beware of POF and DAG, which will give you a good time with hang fires. Surplus stuff out there right now is 99.99% junk ammo.
 
looks like Prvi is doing modern new fresh ammo for relatively cheap. .50 centsa round on avergae from the sites I listed. Seems like that's the way to go.
 
NoobCannon said:
I have a No.4, Mk.1, and she's coming home Tuesday. I was hoping to locate some ammo so I had a box or two on hand to put it through its paces, but My Wal-Mart doesn't stock it, and my LGS wants $35 a box. The way this economy is, I gotta try and save as much money as I can.

I'll check the Acadamy on my way into civilization to pick it up on Tuesday. I'm hoping to be able to get 2 or 3 boxes. The plan for this weapon is more of a target toy and hog hunter, since it's a big, slow, heavy, bolt-action, and very ill-suited for HD(I have a shotgun and a few pistols for that, anyways.)

Since I'm on the topic, I should probably ask, what's a good load for hog hunting in this particular caliber? I'm thinking FMJs may be needed if I happen to hit that thick plate of bone on the Hog's shoulder, but overpenetration may be a problem if I hit it anywhere else. So, maybe Soft Points? I don't know, hopefully you guys do.
Click to expand...
Any soft point bullet will do better on hogs than FMJ. For a cartridge like the .303, hogs don't pose a problem to penetration. If you are going to use the issue military sights, pick a 174 to 180 grain bullet as that weight will most likely hit much closer to the point of aim than the 150 grainers seeing as how .303 issue ammo was 174 grains.
 
I recently traded a sporterized Arisaka 99 for 250 rounds of POF 7, 1962 & 1964 dated. Is that good ammo? .303 Brit of course. All I know for sure is it's not reloadable.
 
If you can find surplus which is not "click...bang" Pakistani (POF), it will probably be priced at about the same cost as new reloadable Prvi Partizan with Boxer primers.

Almost all surplus .303 was gone after Samco sold their last batch in May 2009. I bought one of their last cases, made in England in '43 (with cordite-very hot-can erode the chamber).
There was a short stretch about a year ago when two retailers (on-line) had a bit, but the price had doubled for corrosive POF which might not be reliable.

Even IF you know a private seller who is desperate for quick cash or wants to do you a favor at a price not seen for a few years, do you want surplus ammo with corrosive primers which might not fire the first time, or the round goes off when you are ready to eject an apparent 'dud' from the chamber?
You guys can have all of it.
 
Google it. Type in 303 Military Surplus Ammo. Some website should come up that has it.
 
Stay away from Pakistani stuff!

Last batch of 200 that I bought was about as unreliable as shooting black powder underwater. Not that most of it didn't go off but some of the hangfires were just plain scary. Nothing like one lasting as long as a minute.

Just as you're thinking about unlocking the bolt and tossing the round...
BOOM.

As for finding actual surplus on the cheap, unless you find someone who'd stashed quite a bit away on the cheap you're probably not going to find it. Sad but true. Honestly, PP is probably your best bet.
 
@Carlsako, I've been googling since Friday, with no success. I figured you guys would have better knowledge about the location of some if there was ANY left on the market. Looks like there isn't and it looks like Prvi Partisan may be the way to go.
 
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