303 Lee Enfield, the legendary bolt-action rifle. This magazine-fed rifle served as the main firearm in the British Empire. While MLE has been discontinued since 1926, the Short Magazine Lee Enfield is still in service to this day.
If you are here, I’m sure you have a Lee Enfield that you are dying to use. Before you take it out on a range date or hunting session, you might want to upgrade the gun a bit. What’s better than adding a brand-new scope on top of it?
In this article, I will try to breathe in a new life to your Lee Enfield. It’s kind of my duty to find you the best scope for 303 Lee Enfield. After all, that’s what we do the best. Without further ado, let’s jump straight into it.
Best 303 Lee Enfield Scope – [Editor’s Pick]
1. Leupold FX-3 6x42mm Fixed Power Riflescope
Leupold doesn’t need any introduction. Hailing from Beaverton Oregon, Leupold has left quite a bit of a mark in the scopes industry. Their FX series are affordable hunting riflescopes made for rifles like 303 Lee Enfield.
FX-3 is made out of aircraft-grade aluminum. Some of the most durable types of aluminum out there. Inside of the scope is purged with nitrogen to make it immune to moisture and fog. The outside is strong enough to withstand the recoil from 303 as well.
Besides having fully multi-coated lenses, Leupold has a light management system built into this scope. It’s called the Twilight Light Management System. It’s one of the best light management technology available on any riflescope. It makes the scope perform better under low light. The peak performance of the scope increases a lot by making it better at transmitting light.
How does it perform with a 303 Lee Enfield? After all, we are here to find the best scope for Lee Enfield. To answer shortly, it’s a perfect match. You don’t need to tweak much to make the scope fully compatible with the 303 Lee Enfield. But if you want to, you can adjust the scope to your heart’s content. The scope won’t reset automatically.
Does this scope come with mounting rings?
No, it doesn’t come with any kind of mounting ring.
Does it come with a lens cover or sunshade?
It comes with a neoprene scope cover. Not necessarily a sunshade or lens cover.
What kind of reticle does this scope use?
Wide Duplex.
2. Burris Fullfield II 3-9×40 Hunting Scope
The idea behind FullField II was to fulfill the dreams of having a premium scope on a tight budget. That’s exactly what Burris managed to do. It’s one of the cheapest medium to long-range riflescopes capable of hunting in this price bracket.
That’s a very neat accomplishment on Burris’s part. But they didn’t cheap out on the materials for the scope. The single-piece tube design is very durable and rugged. The tube is made out of aluminum. And it’s filled with nitrogen internally. Making the scope fogproof. It’s also waterproof and shockproof.
The lenses used here are very suitable for hunting. Color accuracy and vibrance with good light transmission capabilities make it useable under low light as well. They are scratch-resistant to some degree as well. The knobs to magnify is made out of metal. They are knurled for easy grip and a lifetime of use. With good tactile feedback on the knobs, you won’t over-tune your scope ever.
The best part about this scope is, it’s available in 3 different magnifications and sizes. If you want to pair your 303 Lee Enfield with a higher magnification scope, then you can do that without spending too much extra. Of course, extra magnification isn’t mandatory to enjoy hunting with the Lee Enfield.
All in all, from price to performance value alone, it’s one of the best Lee Enfield scopes you could buy at this moment.
Where is this scope made?
It was designed in Colorado and constructed in the Philippines.
Does this scope come with mounting rings?
No, it doesn’t come with mounting rings. You need to buy mounting rings according to your mounting rail.
What is the reticle of this scope?
It uses Ballistic Plex.
Read More Scope Blogs:- Ruger Mini 30 | Savage 220 | Scar 20S
3. Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 3-9×40 Riflescope
Dusk and Dawn by Bushnell is a recommended scope by hunters. As the name suggests, this scope is capable of hunting from dusk to dawn. That’s a feat not a lot of scope can claim they can do. Bushnell didn’t shy out on the materials of this scope.
They went for aluminum to make the single-tube design housing. It’s purged with nitrogen internally. Filling a tube with nitrogen makes it immune to any kind of moisture and fog. That’s why, this scope is useable in snowy weather as well. The housing is also durable and shockproof. It has a very subtle glowing black color finish to it. That looks very premium.
The lenses used here are fully multi-coated as well. Multi-coating turns regular glass into a much cleaner and brighter-looking one. Bushnell made sure the lenses of this scope were performing their best and providing the user utmost clarity. The lenses are scratch-resistant to some degree as well. The best part of the pair of lenses is the reticle setup. As the name states, Bushnell is using Multi-X reticle on this scope.
It’s one of the easiest-to-use reticles and goes perfectly well with a rifle like 303 Lee Enfield. You can shoot the heads of your prey while hunting with this setup. The accuracy of this scope is off the roof. And the adjustments are on point as well. As it’s a shockproof scope, the adjustments and reticle won’t move around.
Does this scope come with a sunshade?
No, it doesn’t. You will need to buy them separately.
Where is this scope made?
Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn is made in Korea.
Does this scope come with mounting rings?
It doesn’t. Bushnell is not taking the risk of making this scope compatible with only one mounting rail. You can buy dovetail rings or Picatinny rails. Depending on the rail of your rifle, of course.
Things To Keep in Mind Before Buying
Choosing a scope for any gun is quite a bit of a hassle. Finding a perfect match always takes some time and effort. You can save a lot of your time if you can narrow down your needs to begin with. Also, keep some pointers in mind while purchasing a scope for your gun.
Weight
One of the most important parts of a scope is weight and weight distribution. If the weight distribution of the scope is bad, then you will have a hard time using the gun to its full potential. Try to take a lightweight scope.
Build Quality
Always try to take a scope made out of metal. Whether it’s alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. Metal scopes are more durable and long-lasting compared to plastic scopes.
Lens Quality
Don’t take a plastic lens scope. They get scratched easily and their light transmission capability is very bad. Plastic lenses are quite a bad choice for guns like Lee Enfield. The recoil will end up cracking the lens. It will perform badly under low light as well.
Budget
You have a set budget in your head. While browsing for the scope, don’t forget about it. Stretching the budget depending on the scope is always a good idea. But don’t forget the budget you are working with. It will narrow down your choices by a lot.
Summary
if you made it this far, you already know which scope you are going for. All 3 mentioned scopes here are some of the best scopes for Lee Enfield 303. They are good at their task and they can handle the recoil your gun will put them through.
Don’t worry, just because you took the cheaper one from the list, doesn’t mean you took the worse one. Just spend how much you are willing to spend. With that said, it’s been a good write. I will see you guys on the next one.
Scopes:- 17 HMR | 17 WSM | 204 Ruger | 224 Valkyrie | 22 Magnum | 243 Winchester | 257 Weatherby | 270 Winchester | 3 Gun | 300 PRC | 338 Lapua | 350 Legend | 375 HH | 44 Magnum | 450 Bushmaster | 50 BMG | 6.5 Creedmoor | 6.5 Grendel | 6.8 SPC | 7.62.39 | Benjamin Marauder | Henry H001 | M1a | Marlin 336 | Marlin 795 | Marlin Model 60 | MK12 | Ruger Gunsite Scout | Ruger Mini 14 | Ruger Mini 30 | Savage 220 | Scar 20S | Sig 716
Scopes & Sights:- 11.5 SBR | 300 Blackout | M4 | MK18 | Ruger Charger | S&W M&P 15&22 | S&W M&P 15 Sport 2
Mounts: 30 MM | 34 MM | 45 Degree | Aimpoint Pro | Aimpoint T2 | ATN 4K Pro | Primary Arms 1-6 | TC Encore | Trijicon Mro | Vortex Razor | Vortex Viper PST
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
