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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting 318 Westley RichardsGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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one of us |
Thinking about a new project with large Plains Game and Leopard in mind: 318 Westley Richards. Built on a new true left handed Mauser CRF action, English rib, H&H moon sight, nice piece of French walnut with a silvers pad and buff horn fore end tip. H&H style detachable mounts with a Swarovski 1.5-6x42 scope. Reckon it will throw a 250 grain 0.330� soft or solid at 2400 fps with a bit of tinkering. Has anyone else got an opinion on the 318 WR? | ||
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| Moderator |
Sounds like a darn good bush rifle to me.  | |||
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Yes. My opinion is that you should build it on a right hand action and send it to me for very extensive testing  . This has traditionally been an extremely effective cartridge, and there is no reason to think that it will not work as well as it ever did. It is similar to the original 333 Jeffery that I am getting, with the exception that the Jeffery was loaded with 300 grain bullets as well as 250 grain bullets. If you are into traditional calibers as I am, then I think that you have chosen a winner !!!Good luck with your project, | |||
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I can only get 2350 out of mine using IMR 4350 powder. However, Ross Seyfield also has one and he reports that RL 15 is a better powder. I'll be getting some this week and begin to wring out a new load with it. I have found that when you run /06 cases through the die, you still need to fireform the cases. This is a bit expensive with Woodleighs so find a less costly way of doing this. Graham Greener states that there were many different types of peep sight used on their rifles during the '20's and 30's so if you really want to do the vintage thing you have a lot of options. My Greener has express sights right now but I'm having a Lyman 57M installed on it next month. This is in keeping with the original rifle but the quick-dismount feature still allows me to go back to the express for fast point-and-shoot circumstances, like leopard over hounds. Sarge | |||
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Deerdogs, Where are you getting a "a new true left handed Mauser CRF action"?????? Is it a Zastava? George ------------------ | |||
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quote: George - There is a guy in Germany makes them. I do not know his name but I can find out - or email Ron Wharton of bunduki.com. I was in Ron Wharton's workshop on Sunday and saw a couple of right hand actions by the same guy - double square bridge - perfect and SMOOTH. Beautiful actions - I wanted to take one home as a paper-weight. Now take a seat. They cost some. Around �3,000. But RW says they are miles better than a Dakota but not having handled a Dakota I can only take his word for it. And for us lefties Dakota is the only quality alternative I know of. Ols Sarge - Have you got any stories of effect on game? I think Hawk do a 200 gr bullet mbogo - I have a better idea. I'll test it and show you a picture of it. | |||
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Deerdogs, Hawk will also make up 250 gr. bullets if you want and there doesn't seem to be much of a minimum order. The 200 gr. are what I fireformed my cases with, in fact. Stories on game are pending a trip north for wild pig the 1st weekend in November. I haven't had the rifle through a season yet and my time has been limited to make use of it. However, this month it will go to my 'smith for the rear sights and that will give plenty of time to GunJuice the bore (which may give me all the extra velocity I want), sight her in and spend hours visualizing the warthog picture in The Perfect Shot. After all, piggies are piggies. I'm also going to take along a newly acquired M96 Swede to be rebored for 9.3x64. Two rifles, two pigs. Sounds fair to me. Sarge | |||
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Deerdogs, I think the .318 makes a lot of sense for plains game. It worked for years and years way back when and with todays amazing bullets it should work even better now. I have what I call a "poor mans .318 WR", the .338-06. I used 250 Swifts at 2440 fps out of mine last year in RSA and on everything from impala, hartebeest, wildebeest up to waterbuck and eland got one shot kills every time I pulled the trigger. Frank N. | |||
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| Moderator |
Deerdogs, The surveying business must be VERY good in the U.K. �3000 just for the action! Egads, man! I would think a Dumoulin would be cheaper, and just as nice. I'm sure it will turn out beatifully. Do you have to pay VAT on things like that? George ------------------ | |||
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quote: Yes of course I will... But I've got to get this one by the wife first... regards | |||
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The 318 is a nice caliber and I had one for awhile but never hunted with it. I'm curious why you didn't choose the 9.3x62 as it is just that much better for what you want and is big enough to work in an emergency in case you run into something nasty...Just my take on the situation, not trying to change your mind...I shoot a long throated 8x57 with a 250 gr. bullet at 2350 FPS, pretty close to the 318.. ------------------ | |||
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quote: Ray - It is a nostalgia thing... voices in my mind... "get a 318 WR, get a 318 WR" Age 35 I reckon I've enough time to get a 9.3x62/64 as well - all things being well. Regards | |||
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thats the best reason I know of to own any rifle.....good show! ------------------ | |||
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Deerdogs, Sounds very nice to me. You could also give Trevor Proctor a ring as he has made some very nice left handers indeed. �3500 or so all up for very nice stalking rifle and a bit more for sonething like a 375. Dare I say it are you not duplicating your 8x57 somewhat? 220gr .323 bullet vs 250gr .330(?) bullet at very similar velocities? As the owner of a 6.5x55 and 7x57 I appreciate that duplication is not necessarily a bad thing. I justify it on the basis of am and pm - the 6.5 goes out am and the 7mm pm! [This message has been edited by 1894 (edited 09-12-2001).] | |||
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quote:Gottfried Prechtl in Weinheim, I presume ? The actions are marketed via Johannsen, e.g. by the way, what became of your fine project ? Carcano [ 12-21-2002, 18:04: Message edited by: carcano91 ] | |||
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Now that this thread is back up again, I may as well report that the effect on hog was all that one could hope for. The exit hole is awesome. I also have my eye on a Jeffery Mannlicher at some future date. I think that a rack in my trophy room/studio holding a Parker Hale .404, a Greener .318 and that Jeffery will not only be just the perfect aesthetic touch but make a damned effective African battery. | |||
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Carcano, I have ordered one of the Johannsen actions and after 6 months it sould be ready soon. In fact I have decided to use this action for a 375H&H. I will get Ron Wharton (from Rigby) to build it. Still not sure about what to build the 318WR on. I may just buy an old right hander and enjoy it. Regards | |||
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Way way back, maybe 35-40 years, I had a Westley Richards double .318 boxlock ejector, don't recall whether or not it had droplocks, with of all things a zeiss Zeilacht 8x in claw mounts, lots of throat wear in both barrels but shot 4x4 into 2" at 100, never shot game with it, was bothered by the bore condition so sold it. Wonder where it is now. | |||
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Deerdogs. Hi, good to meet up with you the other day - and really nice to put a face to a familiar handle on this forum. BTW - I might just happen to know someone with a lefthanded .375hh that would be willing to let you realise your dream - and use that action as a paperweight after all!! ![[Wink]](images/icons/wink.gif){kind=icon} Keep well Bud - we will catch up soon. Rgds IanF | |||
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Deer dogs just check the folowing URL , ( in german langauage it's most complete ) you'll find the very best CRF left action . Daniel http://www.jagdgewehre.com/ger/gerframe.htm | |||
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500 Nitro, My own battery is completely excessive and will have to be pared down, but the .318 and the .404 go to Mozambique and then on to RSA this August, depending on how much scratch I can itch. nyone interested in a pre-64 .300 H&H with 6X Leupold? I hate to give up such a gem but I have other things in mind and the safe is full . . . and I ain't gonna buy another d****d safe! I've also got a REM 3200 trap model and a M70 pushfeed 22/250 for all you coyote callers. If interested, make offer by email. Thanx. | |||
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| <Telly> |
Where would one find a proper barrel for a .318? Telly | ||
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| <500 Nitro> |
Telly, The problem with 318 Barrels (..330") is two fold. Firstly, I haven't seen anyone making .330" diameter barrels (that's not to say that someone doesn't). The second problem is once you have a .330" barrel, is finding someone with a 318 WR Chamber reamer who can chamber the barrel. 500 Nitro | ||
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Someone must still make .330 barrels because Westley Richards still sells .318 rifles. I would suspect Lothar. As to reamers, well they might be hard to come by in Australia but here in California Rigby has one they will loan. Additinally, any good reamer company can make one up because the dimensions are standardized . . . unlike the .404. The only reason that more of them are not made and used is that the .338/06 is damned near a clone and a whole Hell of a lot easier to come by. You jes' gotta be a pith helmet 'n' moustache freak to insist on the original. I know! I are won! | |||
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| <Arthur Olds> |
For what it is worth, Krieger lists a 318 WR barrel...but I think a call would be prudent...they must have a reamer, too...Great barrel, good fitting, Oh, now I, too, have wants and needs, but I do think an original WR would be the best....Arthur | ||
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