Having read a couple of John Burger's books on cape buffalo hunting...

Two rifles he used most on a 1,000+ buffalo were the 318 Westley-Richards and the 404 Jeffery. The 318 WR was used most.

How does the 318 WR compare to an 8mm/06 if loaded with similar bullet weights/designs ?

Hammer

They are virtually indistiguishable. The .318 uses .330 diameter bullets as opposed to the .323 of the 8/06. When using comparable bullet weights, the 8/06, .318, and .338/06 are all in the same class and are excellant performers all out of proportion to their paper ballistics. The .318 Express made its name with its 250 gr. bullet @2400 fps which gave great penetration on heavy, tough African game. You make 318 brass out of 30/06 brass by passing it through the sizer die and trimming the neck back. I have used my 8/06 with 200 gr. partitions with great luck on black bears, never recovered one, even with kills over 200 yds, complete penetration. I will be taking my 318 this year to Africa for plains game, loaded with the trditional Woodleigh 250 gr. softs and solids. Hope this helps. Lee.

Thanks.

I can't help you on the technical comparison, but suffice to say that as a youngster i shot several buffalo with a .318 and it was a penetrator and killer beyond belief. I have lamented many times that the resurgence in old Brit calibres missed this beauty. An absolutely DEADLY round.

An addendum to the above, I always suspected that part of the .318 WR's lethality was the particularly long (FMJ) bullet, which had fantastic sectional density. I am thinking that the 8/06 will only perform similarly on game if the bullets themselves duplicate the .318WR. I stand to be corrected on the physics - but seeing is believing.

Would a 338/06 with 250+ grain bullets be comparable ?

There have been factory 338 bullets that weighed 300 grains.

Hammer

JTHunt. I have been thinking the exact same thing. It is the unusually long -for today's standards- bullet which makes the difference. I have some originals and they are very long. It is also similar to the 6.5 Swede fmj which also has a reputation as a killer.
I have recently picked up my second WR and would love to see your rifles if you could post photos.
Frank

Per "Cart's Of The World" The WR 318 Brass is a few thousanths less diameter at the base and about 1/10" shorter end to end, compared to 30-06 brass. So .323 or .330 or .338 bullets fired from the 30-06 have a tiny edge in theory.

The 318 Westley Richards is an absolutely fantastic cartridge, but it is not an option today, as it is illegal for Buffalo in every country in Africa! Too bad!

.

I have a very old Springfield 1903 rebored to 333OKH, hence the name. This gun basically uses the 318 WR bullets. Amazing gun. Ballistically the same as the 338-06, but it has history and nostalgia behind it. I would love to see a 318 WR come out gain with a selection of good bullets like the old 250-grain loads.

MacD37,I have no doubt that the 318 W&R and round simalar are very effective on DG and large PG. My Question is if they are verey effctive why are they illegal for Buffalo?
Dr B

Doesn't meet the power/caliber requirement for DG.

Tanks bulldog563, i understand that they don't meet the requirments, but if they are so effective why are the requiments placed so arbitrarily high.
Dr B

quote:

Originally posted by Dr B:
MacD37,I have no doubt that the 318 W&R and round simalar are very effective on DG and large PG. My Question is if they are verey effctive why are they illegal for Buffalo?
Dr B

Actually fpe, is not a good guide for determining killing power of a particular chambering. None the less, that is the rule we must live with! I see a lot of chamberings that do make the rules, that are not very good choices, as well! We have some rules in the USA ob chamberings that don't make sense either, but "rules, is rules" as the Judge says!

I have a small double rifle that I have dropped Elk, black bear, and Moose in their tracks with! It is an 8X57JR (.318 dia)popping a cap behind a 196 gr bullet at near 2500fps, but it is illegal for everything in the big five except Leopard. I say it would be a fine Lion rifle over bait, and with 220 gr nickel jacketed solids, I'd not hesitate to shoot a Buffalo with it, however the rules make me leave it in the USA!

I hunted on a ranch in the Davis Mountains of west Texas where the owner told me a 243Win rifle was not allowed on his place! I asked if I could shoot one of his Mauflon sheep with my 357 Mag single shot rolling block rifle, @1400 fps, and was told yes, but not with a 243 Win with a 100 gr Nosler Partition bullet at 3000 fps. It was his ranch, and his rule!

John Burger missed a golden oppotunity by not calling his book "Burger on Buffalo".

WDM Bell also recommended and used the .318 WR, and used it on elephants as well. His recommendation for the ideal battery, if I remember correctly, was a .318 BA and a .450 double.

.

Alf,

You are kidding, aren't you?

.

Our main tracker guide @ Dendro Park Zambia (Dixen) proberbly age 70 now, those who have been to Dendro Park before will know him well //// BTW he has (I believe) three wives and 17 children just as a side issue

Anyhow to cut a long story short ...

Dixen has an OLD bent up iron sight [.243 I think] or similar small caliber and he was a national parks guide way back in his past life COLONIAL times .... He has taken numerious cape buff and literally over a hundred ELEPHANT with that rifle over the years. Of cource he would have wounded some naturally, but that is normal even in (modern day pro hunting) with big boomers and scopes

Those were the days when men were men and WOMEN APPRECIATED us

Cheers Peter