I have seen this caliber mentioned and for some reason I want to say its called the 318 Westly Richards. I know the gents here will correct me if I am wrong. But what exactly is the 318 and what would it be used for?

I saw it referenced in the book by Capstick on Wally Johnson.

The .318 Westley Richards (aka .318 Rimless Nitro Express) is very similar to the .338-06. (Cases for the .318 can be made from .30-06 cases.) It was introduced in 1909 (some sources say 1908 or 1910). Despite its name, the .318 WR uses a .330" diameter bullet. The standard loadings by Kynoch were/are a 180 gr bullet at 2700 fps and a 250 gr bullet at 2400 fps. (Very similar ballistics to the .338-06.) Back in the "good old days" the .318 was one of the most common British medium bores in Africa.





http://www.kynochammunition.co.uk/
http://www.westleyrichards.com/

-Bob F.

.330dia. bullet. The 318 WR is quite similar to the .333 OKH. @ factory loadings 180 gr. bullet at 2700 fps. and a 250gr. bullet at 2400 fps. Don't have a clue as to why they called 318. roger

Looks like I posted a little late.roger

Thanks gents - I assume it has the same boltface and length as a 30-06? Can one be built off a 30-06 length action ans who makes a proper dia. barrel?

I don't have a cartridge drawing handy but I believe the .318 WR is the same basic .30-06/8x57 bolt face and head diameter. IIRC, the .318 case is just a little shorter in the neck resulting in a slightly shorter case length overall than the .30-06 but, again, I don't have the exact dimensions handy.

I have no idea who currently makes barrels for the .318. I believe any .30-06 length action would work just fine for the .318 WR. Hopefully some of our more knowledgeable forum members will chime in.

-Bob F.

BTW, here's how the .318 Westley Richards compares to some other classic cartridges.



-Bob F.

The .318 is nearly identical to the 8x60S, with exception of the larger diam. - .323 to .330. It is very easy to reform RWS-cases in 8x60S to the .318, only opening the case-neck, all other sizes are nearly the same!

FWIW, when I was hunting in Zimbabwe in 1978, the PHs were lamenting the "loss" of the .318WR as a hunting cartridge. They were of the opinion that the penetration, wound channel and light kick of the 318WR were superior to the newer 7mm and 30cal mags that many American hunters were bringing for plains game. I was hunting with a muzzle loader at the time. When I asked what they would recommend for a modern rifle to bring the next time I came, they said a 30-06 or 300H&H using a 200 or 220gn Partition. capt david

FYI; 318 dimensions; Bullet Dia= .330", Neck Dia= .358", Shoulder Dia= .445", Base Dia= .465", Rim Dia= .465", Case Length=2.39", )AL=3.40" roger

/

Lothar-Walther makes the barrel and I was recently informed that Krieger does. I used my Vickers .318 with Woodleigh 250 softs on pg when I went to TZ and had great results. Great classic old cartridge!

I got one, mine is a Coswell. the bore is ok. Its been shot some. I don't shoot mime much because I have had a hard time finding componets. Now I don't handload much at all and ammo is tough to come by. What little there is, cost around $ 100 dollars a box. At least that is what Kynoch costs here in the states.

We make a 165gr HV and a 200gr HP bullet for the 318WR.

I have just come across this thread and find all the information very interesting.
I am looking for information on values. I cannot seem to find much on recent sales or even rifles for sale within the past few years. Does anyone have or have seen WR rifles for sale recently and at what prices?
Thanks in advance.
Frank

Its a 338-06/8mm-06 for all practical purposes or a 30-06 on steroids with 220 gr. bullets...A nice round and very effective...

As much as I like the .318 I would opt for a 30-06 any day..In fact I would opt of an 06 under most any circumstances within reason, its just damn hard to beat any way you cut it...

With the wide availability of .338" diameter bullets, why build a rifle calling for a virtually unavailable bullet? Even Elmer Keith switched from his .333 OKH round! There's only .005" difference in bullet diameter!

Seems to me I have seen some rifles chambered in 318 "Accelerated." Is the 318 WR and the 318 Accelerated one and the same?

Thank you

quote:

Originally posted by 404WJJeffery:
Seems to me I have seen some rifles chambered in 318 "Accelerated." Is the 318 WR and the 318 Accelerated one and the same?

Yes. There was also a flanged version called the .322 Swift.
------------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Like most of the British medium bores, the .318 has been wildly outsold, if not entirely eclipsed, by its American cousins.

That is the course of history generally, not just in the realm of the rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by George Semel:
I got one, mine is a Coswell. the bore is ok. Its been shot some. I don't shoot mime much because I have had a hard time finding componets. Now I don't handload much at all and ammo is tough to come by. What little there is, cost around $ 100 dollars a box. At least that is what Kynoch costs here in the states.

George
I have 6 boxes with 50 rounds of Kynoch .318 rimless nitro express in the red & yellow boxes
(16) 250 grn soft rnd nose
(10) 250 grn solid rnd nose
(24) 250 pointed capped bullets
I would concider selling to someone who needed if they made me the right fair offer.

m4220

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
I have seen this caliber mentioned and for some reason I want to say its called the 318 Westly Richards. I know the gents here will correct me if I am wrong. But what exactly is the 318 and what would it be used for?

I saw it referenced in the book by Capstick on Wally Johnson.

Hi,
It was Harry Selbys all time medium bore favourite. very much thank´s to the heavy for the caliber 250gr bullets. Once he shot a black Rhino who was charging, the 250gr Kynoch FMJ penetrated the whole length of the Rhino.

The only problem with the .318 WR, Harrys consider is that the case capacity is on the margin, some times he had sticky extraction and that the case should have longer tapered neck, just like the .300 H&H Magnum giving better and more controlled feeding.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Its a 338-06/8mm-06 for all practical purposes or a 30-06 on steroids with 220 gr. bullets...A nice round and very effective...

As much as I like the .318 I would opt for a 30-06 any day..In fact I would opt of an 06 under most any circumstances within reason, its just damn hard to beat any way you cut it...

Yup...
Sad, but I agree. I have had a love affair with the .318 all my life, but it is to weird for practical use.
With the latest addition from Woodleigh, their 240 grs softnose made for the .30-06, it is closer than ever.

It's called a 318 because of the way that the British measure their bores. Distance between the lands, not the base of the rifling grooves. - dan

Just for the record, some .318s had groove diameters of .329". No big deal, just run of the mine tolerances for that day and age. I mention it because some rifles may handle the 205 grain bullets Graf was (is?) selling for the 8x56-R very well.

Though I once had a .318 Westley Richards make Mauser which I dearly loved, I can think of numerous cartridges with the same head size and killing power for which components are much more affordable today for us po' folk. I have in mind both the regular and Improved versions of the .30/06, 8m/06, .338/06, .35 Whelen, etc.

I do seem to recall that making the .318 cases from '06 brass required setting the shoulder back, expanding the neck, and trimming the overall case length. I do not recall for sure if that resulted in reduced case capacity compared to the '06 or not, but I think it did.

Still, as one does not need to do all that to get the same potential, it would be even more reason to go for a modern cartridge if building a new gun.

Of course, were I to come into owning another .318 WR, I'd go to all the work joyfully.....

I've never fired a .318 WR but HAVE killed quite a lot of large game with a .338-06 and 225 NP's or 250 A Frames. Recoil is very moderate, shoots flat enough to take an elk at 350+.

And THE observation that always comes to mind when I think of this cartridge......it seems to kill out of proportion to what it is. Having large game flop over so quickly.....yet I'm NOT getting beat to death by recoil or muzzle blast, doesn't seem right.

FN in MT