View Full Version : 03A4 practice.
James River 03A4 repro with M73 2.5 x scope. Haven't had her out in some time. First target was using some 110 Sierra fb over 45 gn of 8208. Adding another pad to the LimbSaver before I head out for more punishment. Whatta Hobby!
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Got back out with some added padding and different ammo load. I loaded this ammo 9/19. Used the last 5 rnds in my range box to take down 5 AR-500 prairie dogs at 200yds. Whatta Hobby!
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My home range only goes out to 300 so I have no need for the heavier bullets anymore. Still have a ton of them on the shelf just in case I get the urge though.
Just came in from doing a test firing to show that 150 gn fb Bergers over 55 gn of IMR-4350, which I consider a full load, easily capable of 600 yd shooting do about the same scores at 100 as the lighter 110 gn bullets. The 150s give about 30 % more recoil and in a day of practicing a couple hundred rounds makes a huge difference in the toll on the body. Only shot 40 rnds this morning and I am headed to the loading bench for some recovery time. Whatta Hobby!
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Getting there. Thanks for the suggestions on making the scope upgrade. Changed out the M73 scope for an M82 last night. Much easier for these old eyes to set the post at 6 oclock than trying to guess where the target center is with the old 3 moa crosshairs. One click down and one click right for the next outing once my shoulder has a bit of recovery time. Whatta Hobby!
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What a difference a small scope change can make. Had the M73 on this rifle for over 10 years and it worked fine for my 200 yd prairie dogs but left a lot to be desired for bullseye. M82 works better for both. Who woulda thunk? Whatta Hobby!
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I had one of my No 4 T's out a few weeks ago
original T that hte No32 was replaced with a Weaver ,,
the weavers don't set right for me, hard to see thru them prone for whatever reason, but I was able to keep most shots kinda tight in a SR1 100
was shooting to do a postal match on another forum, but not happy with the results so I trashed the target before taking a pic,
next outing I will take it again, but will swap out the Weaver for real deal No 32 Mk III I picked up a few months ago,
Ihave another that I think I posted here in the Enfield section that is all righteous, but that scope was locked up, so that went off to Wheaty to get repaired, hopefully that will be back by the end of the summer,
I was so stuck on original issue everything for decades. Then, the awakening. I tried another's Hi-Lux reproduction scope on my range and the light came on. The newly engineered scopes leave the old, junkers, in the dust. Let the collectors have all the originals for their safe queens if that's what they want. I sure won't ever go down that trail and money pit again.
I was so stuck on original issue everything for decades. Then, the awakening. I tried another's Hi-Lux reproduction scope on my range and the light came on. The newly engineered scopes leave the old, junkers, in the dust. Let the collectors have all the originals for their safe queens if that's what they want. I sure won't ever go down that trail and money pit again.
I have a repro No32 as well (currenly have 3 4T's and an extra scope,
I have not taken the repro out, it is a No 4 Trials converted ,
Trying something different. Installed a EGW Picatinny rail on one of my James River 03A4 repros for the halibut. Now I can easily mount what I have for modern scopes and put the Redfield mount back on when I feel like it. Whatta Hobby!
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Embalmer
07-02-2023, 06:25
When came to shooting, used the scope fbi fitted to A4's in 70s (forget name as both are long gone). Was huge difference over the m73b1.
Agree, the M73s worked for their time, but the M82, for my shooting style worked much better. Experimenting with new scopes on the rail proved that the M82 works well enough so it is back to it's original Redfield mount with the M82.
Embalmer
07-03-2023, 01:12
Weaver 4x scope. Had gi split rings on original Redfield base when I got the rifle that came from the fbi. Had a m73b1 with gi rings in safe from a previous a4 that was on it for display. Miss those rifles, may have to try to trade for one soon.
I like the repro M73, M82 and M84 from Hi Lux. Optics are much better than my originals and the tubes are sealed. I couldn't ask for more.
Johnny P
07-04-2023, 03:09
I never liked the tapered post of the M82 as I grew up with standard crosshairs of the Weaver K series.
BlitzKrieg
08-10-2023, 07:03
When its a "repro" 03A4, no harm, no foul if you upgrade the scope for range work / chasing accuracy. Why go blind with the anemic "correct" 2.5 optics when its your range day to shoot as well as possible. The 03A3 scoped is an amazingly accurate rifle if it has a great barrel. The 03A4 as issued was sabotaged by substandard optics and that plagued its military use. I no longer shoot my Gibbs 03a4 clone/repro/replica at 1000 yd line at Quantico Vintage Sniper Match but when I did, I could hold 9 ring with my anemic Lyman Alaskan scope and drift some to 10 ring. Random Guy off M14 forum (CMP as well ) took that rifle , first time in his hands and with my 175 gr SMK load, shot two 10's and one 9 ring . Shot strange rifle 3x and darn good results. I no longer shoot this rifle beyond 600 yds because its too hard work for my old eyes to shoot the longer 800 / 1000 yd lines but younger eyes can do but ...still hard work with those 2.5 x optics , at least for "scores". Now if its nailing man size targets with a hit from 100 to 1000 yds, no problem at all but scores on a match target, it is tough work to hold 10 ring. The as issued 03A4 at 600 yds...you don't want to be the target if that rifle is in a good shooters hands, you will be in a world of hurt.
03A4 was a rifle neither the Army nor Marines took much notice of and dropped off their radar post WWII. Sad note for a rifle with so much potential but suspect the hit parade was a semi auto sniper rifle, not a bolt action in the post WWII era.
I still enjoy shooting AR-500 prairie dogs at 200 with my repro 03A4 and M82 2.5x scopes. No desires at all to shoot any further these days unless I am giving one of my precision rifles a work out. Whatta Hobby!
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BlitzKrieg
08-11-2023, 04:58
Shooting for fun. Sometimes serious shooters need to pause and do some shooting just for fun. There are times I don't shoot for tiny groups or to hit small clay skeet birds at 1000 yds, I just shoot that day at E Type Military silhouette targets just to put holes thru them. Yes, many a day I got my M1A on 1000 yd line and drilling North Vietnamese all day long. About got all of them erased off our ranges the last I looked and its time I went back and shot some more of them. We are doing a 300/500/600 yd day tomorrow , might as well take the Gibbs 03A4 clone/repro/replica out and have it underperform at such close range with hits on NVA.
Johnny P
08-11-2023, 11:10
Being raised with scopes with crosshairs, never liked the tapered post of the M82. Optics were much better than the Weaver M73B1.
Having been trained in the Marine Corps to place the top of the front sight at 6 on a bullseye target, the M82 post just feels right and has improved my scores by better than 20%. Loving it.
Johnny P
08-19-2023, 07:31
Shoots into 1 1/4" with my handloads, so just leave it at that as a very occasional shooter. Too original to start swapping parts.
https://i.postimg.cc/YSvZ48gB/03A4-2.jpg
Very nice. If it works , stick with it. Whatta Hobby!
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