Quintessential British Big Game Chamberings from the “Golden Age” - What Am I Missing?

[grand veneur]

You also have to count some BP cartridges not mentioned on the list below, such as the 577 Express, but also all the 4, 8, and 10 bore cartridges that were fired in various rifles with smooth bore, Paradox and Explora, or with rifled barrels. All this obsolete cartridges were still in use at the beginning of the 20th century. I fear that the list may never be complete.

Gun Digest 1960 14th Annual Edition

 

[grand veneur]

 

[Rigby375]

This will be a great project, my buddy has lots of of originals & a few modern/repo boards, I have only broken modern boards.

Couple of points & ideas.

Probably drop the .400 Purdy off, not that well used or common & I’m pretty sure only loaded at BP velocities.

Add in 256Ex = 6.5x53R a lot of early hunters used this & the 6.5x54MS

View attachment 700898

The .375NE 2 1/2in Flanged (also called 370) is not the H&H .400/375 Velopex, like saying 308 Springfield !

View attachment 700902

This is the H&H 400/375 Belted “Velopex”
With a .400 Purdy round, I wish it had been a full nitro cartridge I think it would be very good & be a hot, more powerful .405Win ?

View attachment 700903

Oh there are heaps of cool old Cartridges to add but the 450NE No2 is right up there with the 475NE No2 as some of the biggest longest/impressive cartridges of that time !

Here with .577NE & 600NE

View attachment 700904

Ah, I had understood that the 375 2/12” NE was also sometimes referred to as a “Velopex” - serves me right for blindly trusting Wikipedia I guess! Thank you for the correction.

It’s a cool and unusual round for sure - I have been lucky enough to take a red stag with one out of an early 1900s MacNaughton of Edinburgh double rifle.

This is a mock up of another frame I’m having made to commemorate that trip and hang under the antlers. John Dixon, who now own, MacNaughton, kindly supplied the case label and the sadly now closed Kynamco were very helpful with the box and dummy round.

 

[Rigby375]

You also have to count some BP cartridges not mentioned on the list below, such as the 577 Express, but also all the 4, 8, and 10 bore cartridges that were fired in various rifles with smooth bore, Paradox and Explora, or with rifled barrels. All this obsolete cartridges were still in use at the beginning of the 20th century. I fear that the list may never be complete.
View attachment 700942
Gun Digest 1960 14th Annual Edition

Thank you for taking the time to share these images. Very helpful.

My aim is not to compile a complete list as such (I agree, that could be a never ending task!) more a long list for the maker of the display to work with to see what he is actually able to source.

 

[Major Bonkers]

I second the following cartridges: .280 Ross - this was certainly used in Africa, and led to a celebrated lion mauling; 6.5x54 M-S; .303 British; and (noted by M. Grand Veneur, above) the .577/ .450 Martini Henry (Michael Caine presumably uses one to shoot his cheetah in 'Zulu' - apparently, in a continuity slip, it later turns into a leopard).

BP rounds would, if you wanted them, I suggest be .450, .500, .577, 8 bore, 4 bore, and 2 bore (Sir Samuel Baker's 'baby').

You could check out the Kynoch catalogue (oddly, the British website seems to have gone offline), or the indexes of Messrs. Pondoro and van der Walt to make sure that you have not missed anything.

 

[PerH]

Paradox and Explora cartridges also would be good , since they were liked in Africa and India for either Cape guns it Paradox guns ( shotgun like weapons but rifled the last 2-3 inches of muzzle, can used buck, bird , the bullet solid or expanding ammo )

 

[Sarg]

Ah, I had understood that the 375 2/12” NE was also sometimes referred to as a “Velopex” - serves me right for blindly trusting Wikipedia I guess! Thank you for the correction.

It’s a cool and unusual round for sure - I have been lucky enough to take a red stag with one out of an early 1900s MacNaughton of Edinburgh double rifle.

This is a mock up of another frame I’m having made to commemorate that trip and hang under the antlers. John Dixon, who now own, MacNaughton, kindly supplied the case label and the sadly now closed Kynamco were very helpful with the box and dummy round.

View attachment 701014

That is a very cool trophy & tribute to a fine hunt & cartridge.

I have a few rifles in .375Ex 2 1/2in & a couple more coming, cool old Cartridge & underrated one but not a DG round really other than leopard & maybe Lion but no one in this age would use for such ?

 

[Rigby375]

I second the following cartridges: .280 Ross - this was certainly used in Africa, and led to a celebrated lion mauling; 6.5x54 M-S; .303 British; and (noted by M. Grand Veneur, above) the .577/ .450 Martini Henry (Michael Caine presumably uses one to shoot his cheetah in 'Zulu' - apparently, in a continuity slip, it later turns into a leopard).

BP rounds would, if you wanted them, I suggest be .450, .500, .577, 8 bore, 4 bore, and 2 bore (Sir Samuel Baker's 'baby').

You could check out the Kynoch catalogue (oddly, the British website seems to have gone offline), or the indexes of Messrs. Pondoro and van der Walt to make sure that you have not missed anything.

I suspect Kynamco are sadly no more…I also noticed that the website was down so did a bit of googling. The company entered into insolvency proceedings at the end of May.

KYNAMCO LIMITED insolvency - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

KYNAMCO LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[Fatback]

I’m not any help on cartridge recommendations but this is one awesome project your undertaking and I look forward to seeing the finished project.

 

[alby]

.450 #2

 

[Luvthunt]

Interesting thread

 

[DmacD]

I'm not sure where in the U.K. you are located, but if you ever find yourself in Hereford, the Gun Room at Philip Morris has an excellent example board of British hunting cartridges. I make a point of stopping into the shop when we are in town visiting my in-laws. I always admire the cartridge board, I even inquired about purchasing it. I was met with a firm "No"!
Good luck with the project.

 

[Woodcarver]

I think the .256 Gibbs Magnum was actually the 6.5x55 Swede, slightly modified ?

No, the 256 Gibbs Magnum is a modified 6.5x57

 

[Rigby375]

Thank you all very much for the input on this. I’ve passed ‘the list’ on and hope to have the finished display by early September, at which point I’ll share photographs.