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Common uses: Hunting, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 180gr Federal Power-Shok JSP |
| Muzzle velocity | 2460 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 2418 ft-lb |
| Stored G1 ballistic coefficient (source unresolved) | 0.328 |
| Case length | 56.4 mm |
| Overall length | 78.1 mm |
| Listed maximum pressure | 49000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:10" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2460 | 2418 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2202 | 1937 | 0 |
| 200 | 1960 | 1535 | -5.7 |
| 300 | 1735 | 1202 | -20.6 |
| 400 | 1530 | 936 | -47 |
| 500 | 1351 | 729 | -88.3 |
At 1,000 yards, .303 British (180gr at 2460 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 64.9 MOA / 18.9 MIL, retaining 905 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1735 | Supersonic | -20.5 | 6.5 | 1.90 |
| 400 | 1531 | Supersonic | -46.9 | 11.2 | 3.26 |
| 500 | 1351 | Supersonic | -88.3 | 16.9 | 4.90 |
| 600 | 1203 | Transonic | -148.7 | 23.7 | 6.88 |
| 700 | 1092 | Subsonic | -233.1 | 31.8 | 9.25 |
| 800 | 1013 | Subsonic | -346.7 | 41.4 | 12.04 |
| 900 | 954 | Subsonic | -494.1 | 52.4 | 15.25 |
| 1000 | 905 | Subsonic | -679.9 | 64.9 | 18.89 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Published BCs depend on a reference drag model and stated velocity conditions. A source review does not independently measure a BC. Understanding BC sources
Manufacturer item 303AS · Sources checked
Federal lists 180 gr jacketed soft point, 2,460 fps and 2,418 ft-lb. Its 2024 catalog gives a 24-inch test barrel. The published coefficient 0.328 has no explicit G1/G7 label in the reviewed sources.
Still unresolved: The stored coefficient model and sectional-density attribution remain unresolved. The reviewed Federal sources do not identify a Speer Hot-Cor component; the bullet-type label now uses the supported generic description.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
A rimmed cartridge with a long and storied military pedigree, the .303 British remains popular today as a capable medium- and large-game hunting round, particularly across the former Commonwealth. Firing bullets typically in the 150- to 215-grain range at moderate velocities, it delivers ample energy for deer, boar, and larger animals at ordinary hunting distances while producing manageable recoil. Its rimmed design, a product of its 19th-century origins, feeds well in bolt-action and lever-style rifles but is less suited to modern magazine-fed box designs. Enormous surplus rifle availability and decades of factory production have kept it in circulation, though its rainbow-like trajectory at longer ranges reflects its age compared with modern high-velocity cartridges. It is best regarded as a dependable, hard-hitting woods and brush cartridge rather than a long-range precision round.
Adopted by the British military in 1888, the .303 British began as a black-powder load for the Lee-Metford rifle before transitioning to cordite smokeless powder in the early 1890s. It became the standard service cartridge of Britain and the Commonwealth for both rifles and machine guns, famously chambered in the Lee-Enfield, and reached its definitive form with the pointed 174-grain Mark VII ball load introduced in 1910. It saw front-line use through both World Wars before being replaced by the 7.62x51mm NATO round in the 1950s.
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