A-Square Factory Ammo

[jpr9954]

A local auction has some .416 Taylor A-Square factory ammo up for bid. There is one box of 400 gr solids and two of 400 gr soft-points.

I don’t have a .416 Taylor nor will I be getting one. However, I thought if I could get it at a low enough price, I could offer it to someone on the AH forum at my cost. That or make a trade for ammo I could use.

is there a demand for this ammo? If so, what would you consider a good or fair price?

Thanks

 

[CoElkHunter]

I have a .416 Taylor. I would be interested in the soft points. I wouldn't pay more than $100/box. I'm sure since it's "A-Square" ammo, some dimwit will bid far more but I wouldn't.

 

[jpr9954]

Here are a couple of pictures of the soft point boxes. Given that nobody locally might know what it is, I'm hoping to get it for $25 or less.

 

[colorado]

I hear the Dead Toughs are very good, wouldn't want the Lion Loads

 

[Hunter-Habib]

@colorado is right. Their 300Gr Dead Tough bullets were excellent Cape buffalo medicine. Their Lion Load bullets were almost as bad as the beastly Winchester Silver Tip.

 

[jpr9954]

@colorado is right. Their 300Gr Dead Tough bullets were excellent Cape buffalo medicine. Their Lion Load bullets were almost as bad as the beastly Winchester Silver Tip.

How were their solids?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

How were their solids?

Their solids were unbanded and thus generated great pressure upon rifle barrels. This consequently accelerated the wear on the rifling.

Don Heath writes that barrel life of .458 Winchester Magnum and .30-06 Springfield rifles that were being used by the employees of the National Parks… Was under 500 rounds when used with A Square monolithic solids.

See below.

I’ve actually seen a National Parks issue Fabrique Nationale Mauser in .458 Winchester Magnum (the good, old pre ‘62 kind with the non rotating Mauser style claw extractor), which had it’s barrel rifling almost completely worn smooth. I’m told that this rifle was used during the elephant culls in Zimbabwe during the 1980s, with 465 Gr A Square monolithic solid factory loads.

Back in those days, Colonel Art Alphin (owner of A Square) was supplying the elephant cullers with .458 Winchester Magnum ammunition for the culling programs. In 1991, they ordered their last consignment from him.

 

[jpr9954]

Their solids were unbanded and thus generated great pressure upon rifle barrels. This consequently accelerated the wear on the rifling.

Don Heath writes that barrel life of .458 Winchester Magnum and .30-06 Springfield rifles that were being used by the employees of the National Parks… Was under 500 rounds when used with A Square monolithic solids.

See below.
View attachment 541253

I’ve actually seen a National Parks issue Fabrique Nationale Mauser in .458 Winchester Magnum (the good, old pre ‘62 kind with the non rotating Mauser style claw extractor), which had it’s barrel rifling almost completely worn smooth. I’m told that this rifle was used during the elephant culls in Zimbabwe during the 1980s, with 465 Gr A Square monolithic solid factory loads.

Back in those days, Colonel Art Alphin (owner of A Square) was supplying the elephant cullers with .458 Winchester Magnum ammunition for the culling programs. In 1991, they ordered their last consignment from him.

Good thing I have not bid on the solids!