.303 is one of the classic African cartridges and, I'd wager, one of the top-5 game-getters in the history of the Dark Continent, especially in the golden age of safaris. Bell even used it extensively on elephant. In my own small way, I will become part of the .303 safari fraternity next month, courtesy of an exquisite 1896 Watson Brothers Martini that a member of AH was gracious enough to sell me earlier this year. The rifle is a tack driver and I have no qualms using it with open sights out to 150 yards or so.
I just wish that more suppliers would offer *THE* bullet that made the .303's reputation as a surefire killer: the 215-grainer, which now only Hawk here in the US and the semi-defunct (and hopefully soon-to-resuscitate) Woodleigh manufacture. I'm sure the 180s traveling at about 2,300 fps will kill any plains game I shoot, but that long, parallel-sided, high-sectional-density 215-grainer would give me almost magical confidence.
Going forward in this seemingly-endless time of components shortage, there are two calibers for which I'll literally hoard: the .375 H&H Flanged and the .303. It's a hard choice for someone who owns several other rifles in fantastic chamberings, but these two stand out as possessing everything I'll ever look for: pairing with a gorgeous classic rifle, killing power, nostalgia and the pleasure of standing out from the crowd.
