Non-American ammo manufacturers that produce big bore ammo?

[DieJager]

In know the 375 but never saw anything bigger at least not in Europe but maybe it is different in the states.

 

[Northern Shooter]

Wow, the Kynoch website could use an update. Looks straight out of 1999.

 

[grand veneur]

RWS produce cartridges caliber 10,75x68 and 10,75x73/404 Jeffery in the past, but nowadays the biggest they have in their range is the 10,3x68 Magnum, as far as you can call it a big bore.

The cartridge 375 H&H Magnum is not a big bore cartridge.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

RWS produce cartridges caliber 10,75x68 and 10,75x73/404 Jeffery in the past, but nowadays the biggest they have in their range is the 10,3x68 Magnum, as far as you can call it a big bore.

The cartridge 375 H&H Magnum is not a big bore cartridge.

I had problems with their 404 brass. Very poor quality control. In my batch anyway. Not a fan.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I had problems with their brass. Very poor quality control. In my batch anyway. Not a fan.

The FMJ solids which they made for the .404 Jeffery from 1973-1993 were also extremely weakly constructed. With very thin steel jackets.

Strangely enough, the FMJ solids which they made for the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum were of stronger construction. But their factory loaded ammunition for the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum was ridiculously overpressure. Rifle bolts would fail to open after just two or three shots.

Perhaps @grand veneur can shed some light on this.

 

[BeeMaa]

@BeeMaa

I knew that the Czech group was planning to buy Remington and Federal. But did the deal end up going through ?

It was blocked temporarily, but eventually did happen...unfortunately.

 

[PerH]

Sax is new to me, looks like they produce everything up to 600NE.

Not seeing any stock in country unfortunately.

Sax load much of the bullets Lutz Möller developed ,

I saw they had a couple of years ago a 230 grain copper hp expanding in 404 Jeffery , 940 ms for that one

And a 300 grain also they load and more

.404 Rim Jeffery KJG-BCS (14,9 g) | M0053

Die M0053 ist aus Kupfer hergestellt und sorgt für beste Ergebnisse bei der bleifreien Jagd. Die Munition besitzt eine hohe Präzision und Wirkungsstärke. Unsere Kunden sind von der bleifreien Alternative und dem sehr guten Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis über…

www.sax-munition.de

 

[grand veneur]

The FMJ solids which they made for the .404 Jeffery from 1973-1993 were also extremely weakly constructed. With very thin steel jackets.

Strangely enough, the FMJ solids which they made for the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum were of stronger construction. But their factory loaded ammunition for the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum was ridiculously overpressure. Rifle bolts would fail to open after just two or three shots.

Perhaps @grand veneur can shed some light on this.

I have never owned a rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum so that I don't know anything about the FMJ bullets used by RWS and about overpressure with this ammunition.

As far as the FMJ bullets are concerned, RWS certainly has loaded until the end the classic thin-walled bullets for the cartridges 10,75x68 and 404 Jeffery. So also the loading data in her manual. But when it comes to the FMJ bullets caliber 9,3mm, I noticed that they had a much thicker wall. The same will be the case for the FMJ bullets caliber .375 used for the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum. However, RWS currently does not have any bigger cartridges with FMJ bullets in its range.

RWS 9,3mm FMJ bullet 18,5g/286gr

 

[Northern Shooter]

Sako

Brenneke ( up to .375 )

Sako discontinued it's big bore offerings did they not? I know they used to produce 416 Rigby, 450 Rigby and 500 Jeffery but havent seen these listed for well over a year.

I lucked out and scooped up 200 rounds of their 416 Rigby (Swift A-Frame) loads last year.

 

[Nyati]

Prvi partizan, from Serbia

Fiocchi, Italy

Sellier Bellot, Czech Republic

 

[dlmac]

I have really been thinking about a small company making ammunitions for classic calibers, not the new whiz, sexy, got to have it crowd. In hunting dead is dead, can't be any more dead. So, what would it cost for a group like AH members to start a company for selected medium and large bore ammunition?

 

[Aaron N]

I have really been thinking about a small company making ammunitions for classic calibers, not the new whiz, sexy, got to have it crowd. In hunting dead is dead, can't be any more dead. So, what would it cost for a group like AH members to start a company for selected medium and large bore ammunition?

Taking a Quick Look, it seems like 7-8 separate machines are needed for just the brass production.

Case Manufacturing - D&M Holding Company

D&M: Provider of turnkey case manufacturing solutions utilizing cup and wire methods. Precise, proprietary case production equipment designed for your specific requirements, civilian or military.

www.dmholding.com

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have really been thinking about a small company making ammunitions for classic calibers, not the new whiz, sexy, got to have it crowd. In hunting dead is dead, can't be any more dead. So, what would it cost for a group like AH members to start a company for selected medium and large bore ammunition?

You would need to own an insurance company. Liability risk is just too high.

 

[dlmac]

What calibers would be in most demand? There are plenty 375 H&H out there.
1. 450/000
2. 470
3.?

 

[Northern Shooter]

What calibers would be in most demand? There are plenty 375 H&H out there.
1. 450/000
2. 470
3.?

For dangerous game? 375 HH, 416 REM, 458 WM and 470NE.

 

[grand veneur]

What calibers would be in most demand? There are plenty 375 H&H out there.
1. 450/000
2. 470
3.?

The thread is about big bores and not about cartridges caliber 9,3mm or the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum. Nonetheless, there are a lot of different big bore cartridges also in use nowadays so that it is difficult to say what is needed above all. In the past, the cartridge 458 Winchester Magnum clearly dominated the market, but somethings have changed since the nineties. There are certainly some big bores that are used more than others, but the list has become much longer in the meantime, so it is better to mention the big bore cartridges that are hardly or not used at all anymore. You also have to take into account that big bore ammunition is very expensive and rather than buying factory loads, owners of such rifles load their ammunition. At last not forget the customers of the big companies like H&H, Purdey, Westley Richards ...and so, whose ammunition is supplied with the rifle. A market for different cartridges that is also difficult to estimate.

 

[BlueFlyer]

One very smart man once told me never manufacture something that you can have done by someone else.

The frustration is that down here we have Bertram Brass, Woodleigh Projectiles and ADI propellant, so if there could be a reliable agent in the US we have all the components needed.
Bruce was looking at loading some "boutique" cartridges but it was not stacking up financially.

 

[Kevin375]

In France, we have 2 factories that load big bores.

The biggest one is Sologne.

Cartouches Sologne, pour le plus grand plaisir des chasseurs

Cartouches Sologne propose depuis plus de 15 ans des munitions de grande chasse rigoureusement précises et régulières fabriquées en France

www.cartouches-sologne.fr

https://www.cartouches-sologne.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/tarif-public-GLOBAL-2024.pdf

Back to 90's, Sologne introduced the GPA, a lead free bullet with bands, that works like the Cuting Edge Bullet Raptor. They also produce a Round nose Solid up to 620".
In addition, they also load bullets from many companies like Nosler, Barnes, Hornady, Sierra, Woodleigh and Degol.
On their website, they produce ammunitions up to the .500 Jeffery and the .505 Gibbs, but on request, they can load bigger calibers. For example, Sologne was the factory that load the 700 Nitro express ammunitions for Verney-Carron.
But my only little complain I have is the French powder they use. I don't like it because it might have big variations from lot to lot. Normally, every batch should be tested in the Saint-Etienne Proof house but once, I had a surpressure with their ammunition that stuck the bolt of my Merkel RX Helix and I know several people who had the same issue.

The other factory is Sauvestre.

Balles Flèche SAUVESTRE pour fusil et carabine

www.sauvestre.com

They have an interesting lead free bullet. I have only used the EXR in .375 H&H magnum, loaded by myself, and it worked great.

 

[PerH]

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of partnerships or contracts with existing customs case makers and the like. Many companies have private label products made for them. One very smart man once told me never manufacture something that you can have done by someone else. No labor issues, no storage and little inventory storage. That is why China has an economy. Insurance is necessary, but loads keep moderate and good quality control is there for a reason. It will not keep you from getting sued, but certainly helps you win. Yes, there will always be the occasional dog and pony show in a courtroom

Norma have made many private brands through the years , FN , Dakota and many more

 

[Oldwavy]

I've always been fascinated by big bore rifles, and over the years, I've discovered some amazing European and international manufacturers that offer top-notch ammo. Of course, Norma is a favorite among many, but I've also had great experiences with RWS from Germany, Sellier & Bellot from the Czech Republic, and Prvi Partizan from Serbia. They're doing some incredible work too! If you're as passionate about big bores as I am, I highly recommend exploring these brands.