In an old book about hunting in Afrika I read about a rifle in 333 Jeffery cal.

Do you have any informations about this caliber. I couldn't find anything, my gunsmith too.


Burkhard

I saw a mint example at auction in London 3 years ago. It sold for �1200 to Roberts (Rifle makers) who rebarreled it in 300H&H and were selling it for around �4000!!

Woodleigh make the bullets and Kynamco sell the ammunition, as does Wolfgang Romey I think.

I only know what I read about it which is that is an excellent bushveld calibre and shoots long 250 and 300 bullets between around 2200 and 2400 fps.

A nice classic calibre.

It would be a slightly larger .318 WR and a bloody good killer. Boddington allows that a bullet of that sectional density should be just about impossible to stop inside the body of damned near any animal. I'd be inclined to agree. Dies are a bitch! Expensive? Whew! However, once you have the dies, brass can be formed from .404. Think of it as a .338 Win. with heavier bullets and lower pressure (and no silly belt!) See? Nothing new has been invented in the way of cartidges in the last 60 years . . . maybe 80.

.318 Westley Richards





.333 Jeffery Flanged





.333 Jeffery Rimless





The .318 Westley Richards actually used a bullet of .330" in diameter. The .333 Jeffery used a .333" bullet. These are the two classic British .33 caliber cartridges.



See http://www.kynochammunition.co.uk/ for ballistics.



-Bob F.

Not much I can add. The CIP pressure standard calls for 2900 bar as measured with crushers, about 45,000 psi true. Since this is rather low (and 10% below the .404), brass life ought to be excellent, which is good since Howell indicates annealing, forming, triming, reaming, and fire-forming will all be needed in converting .404 brass.



If you're after the flanged version, finding so thick a rim is a problem, unless you headspace off the shoulder. Otherwise, it's Bertram at about $3.50/case. Nonte suggests using .348 brass and living with the shorter neck. The .338-74 Keith wildcat would be less trouble for a single or a double.



I've heard of people using the now standard .338 groove barrels and bullets, but you'll need to watch neck diameter, or have the chamber neck opened a wee bit.

Burkhard

This will keep you happy for some time and your gunsmith will be able to understand too

http://home.snafu.de/l.moeller/333-Jeffrey.htm

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Gentlemen, thank you for the interessting informations.
Sounds like a great round.
I am often wondering why cartriges like the 333Jef die, and it makes me angry.
Maybe I talk with my gunsmith, after finishing my present rife projekt - a 9,3x70.(a very famos forgotten cartridge)
At the moment we discuss about the open sights WR or H&H.

Burkhard

If you were thinking of building such a rifle may I suggest a MUCH easier way. Build or Buy a 330 Dakota! It is a 404 jeffrey necked down to the currently standard .338 caliber. Factory brass and dies are available (though not inexpensive). You could load it to current pressures and have a 250gr bullet at 2800-2900fps or download it to 333. jeffrey velocities.
It will fit into most standard length actions if you can make the magazine box wide enough and open the bolt face.
I love mine. I think is a great round for between the 338 win Mag and 338 Lapua mag.
But I do concede that on an old british rifle the Jeffrey would have a little more panache......

Oldsage,

I agree with you 100%.

If I should decide for a 333 Jef it can cost 1 - 2 years, but together with my gunsmith we will create a rifle 100% similar to the "good old times" rifles.
No compromises - thats the kick.

Burkhard

The 318WR and the 333 Jeffery are great calibres. And to hunt with an original rifle would be fun. However you can get the same ballistic performance with HEAVY bullets in the 338/06, the 35 Whelen, or the 9,3x62. If I was having a NEW rifle made, even if it was going to duplicate an originsl, I would go with one of the newer cartridges. Much easier getting ammo and reloading componets. If I had an original rifle then I would definately keep it original and go through whatever problems were associated with making ammo.

Oh welllll, if you insist on being practical about all this . . . but what fun is that?

The last problem that I had with Panache involved a red Triumph Spitfire that was a great date car when it ran once a month. I think that the girl I was trying to impress started dating a guy with a chevy that ran all the time.

I'm not so sure that some Calibers aren't as hard to tune as that old spitfire so some decisions are in order as to whether the goal is the tuning or the running, the building or the shooting.............DJ