P14 Sporter - Submitted For Your Approval

[Chuckindenver]

i have one bushnell scope, a cheap 3x9, it sits on my 1903A3 sporter that my dad built for me, same rules i give my kids, ill build a rifle, you buy a scope.
Arvada sporting goods had a sale in 1978 for the Bushnell Banner 3x9 hunting scope,,29.99 with scope covers!!!my buddy and I rushed down and spent our money,,my dad just gave me that you dumbass, look...for a kid hunting deer, it worked just fine, i wont ever change it as its my rifles history, i only hunted a few years with the rifle until i upgraded to a Remington 700.
and the rest is history...with optics,..you get what you pay for, and never ever let a counter sales guy tell you what a good scope is...likely the only time he,s ever carried a rifle in the woods was never.
ask real shooters, and experianced hunters..and see what works, and hold zero under hard use, cold weather, ect... Leupold, Burris, older Redfield, are the brands i would be looking at, most will give you a lifetime of great reliable service.
Pentax, Nikon, Simmons, Bushnell, Ncstar, Swift, are just ok scopes...but i say,,,if your going to keep the rifle, save the money and get the best scope you can for the money, you dont you think you deserve good stuff???i do.

[vintage hunter]

I have to agree with Chuck on this one, quality is everything when it comes to choosing a scope. Just as, if not more, important are the rings/mounts themselves. Theres a lot more to it than drilling holes and screwing them on. Misaligned rings/mounts stress the scope and performance will be poor, even with an expensive high quality one. I don't remember ever mounting a scope on an old military rifle without having to shim/shave the bases and lap the rings to get it right, especially Mausers. On the subject of Bushnell quality, a cousin asked me to mount and sight in a Bushnell Banner on his 30-06 Rem 742 once. The dual recoil forces beat it to pieces before I could get it zero'd. Just not a big fan of Bushnells, Tascos, Simmons and the likes. Anything under $300 is considered a cheap scope,IMO.

[trooper554877]

for value for money the leupold lineage of scopes is unbeatable. I have a couple at the moment that are reliable, hold a true zero in all weather conditions, unbeatable lifetime warranty, great range in fact a scope for every occasion and I am sure they will be around a long time.
Price here in Australia is fantastic at the moment, i just brought a VX1 3-9X40 with Long range duplex for under $300!! Can't beat that !
Cheers
Ned

[Chuckindenver]

best scope iv ever used, is an original Sheperd..wow, tough, great optics, US made...sold it and regret it..not the prettiest scope..but once you learn how to use it...its awesome.
fell down a rock cliff with that on a rifle, broke the stock and bent the barrel, though scratched..it never moved.

[daveboy]

Getting back to your feeding issue...are you using roundnose, softtip bullets? If so, try some surplus .303 which uses a pointed bullet. The first SMLE I ever owned did the same thing, the nose of the bullet just would not slide up into the chamber. It was because that ramp is not designed to guide soft lead, but rather hard copper jacket. Just a thought.

daveboy

[Sonny B]

How do you like my new scope?!?! It's a Celestron. Seriously though, I guess I've become a bit out of touch, as far as firearms optics are concerned. I'm now on a mission to check with all my Hunting Buddies, to see if I can find a better quality scope, or two. I don't like Tasco at all. The only Redfields I've ever handled were mostly in pieces. I agree that Leupold and/or Burris would be good. Thanks for the advice. I have Weaver rings and bases on the P14; I hope they will be compatible with what I end up with. I'll relegate my Swift (on P14), and my Simmons (on Rem 06) to lesser positions. I like the Banner on the Ruger 243, because it works. Sorry Chuck. Daveboy has got me thinking. I can't remember whether I've ever tried to chamber any other ammo than Rem 303 Brit, 180gr, rounded soft point. Tommorow, I will drive to a nearby safe location, and see how the P14 action likes some Rem Sierra, 180gr, with pointy soft point. I never would have thought that might be the reason for the feed problem. I hope I can find some pointy FMJ to try also. The area at the chamber entrance doesn't look very forgiving. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm excited! Can anyone tell me how I can figure out whether my mag box and follower are from a P14 or a 1917? Thanks to all of you for your comments and advice. PS: The Celestron isn't really my new scope. Sonny B., WV

[Sonny B]

HOO YAAH!!! It worked!! Prompted by Daveboy's suggestion, I went out today to see if the P14 action likes Sierra, 180gr, with pointy end bullets, and it did. I've had this gun since 1994, and this is the first time I've ever been able to load a round from the magazine by using the bolt. I was using bullets with the wrong end configuration. The Rem rounded "Soft Point" ammo was the only ammo I thought I needed; after all, it says right on the box "303 British", so what other prerequisites should there be? They would not chamber from the magazine. Thanks Daveboy, you did good. The minute I first found this MILSURPS.COM site, I could see right away that, with all the great info being passed around, there had to be at least a few FIREARMS EXPERTS who could help me solve all my problems, and they did. I'm grateful to you all. Don't even try to buy this P14, because the value just skyrocketed Ha Ha. Your Pal, Sonny B., WV

[harry mac]

HOO YAAH!!! It worked!! Prompted by Daveboy's suggestion, I went out today to see if the P14 action likes Sierra, 180gr, with pointy end bullets, and it did. I've had this gun since 1994, and this is the first time I've ever been able to load a round from the magazine by using the bolt. I was using bullets with the wrong end configuration. The Rem rounded "Soft Point" ammo was the only ammo I thought I needed; after all, it says right on the box "303 British", so what other prerequisites should there be? They would not chamber from the magazine. Thanks Daveboy, you did good. The minute I first found this MILSURPS.COM site, I could see right away that, with all the great info being passed around, there had to be at least a few FIREARMS EXPERTS who could help me solve all my problems, and they did. I'm grateful to you all. Don't even try to buy this P14, because the value just skyrocketed Ha Ha. Your Pal, Sonny B., WV

So, will it get pointed at a deer next Fall?