Westley Richards .318

[miroflex]

Have any fellow members used this calibre in Africa recently? What has been their experience with it?

I ask because several of these rifles are for sale in India though mostly at very exhorbitant prices.

Regards.

 

[Red Leg]

I have a WR takedown in .318 which I love. It has a Griffin & Howe mount with modern scope. It likes the traditional 250 gr bullet with the unbelievable ballistic coefficient. It is a wonderful plains game round and were it legal, I would not hesitate to shoot a buff with it.

 

[miroflex]

I had read your earlier post about having bought a Westley Richards .318. It is heartening to note your satisfaction with it as a plains game round and your unhesitating endorsement of it for use on buffalo.

Regards.

 

[Code4]

One shooter near me has used a .318WR on lion in South Africa. It was a drive up, get out and shoot the lion. The rifle and calibre seemed to work ok. Projectiles were 250 Woodleighs.

Lothar Walther in Germany can supply special order pre-chambered and threaded barrels for Mauser '98 actions. I assume it would be a straight re-barrel.

The .318WR is slightly shorter than a .30-06 with a slightly smaller rim dia..

Brass is available from Bertram Brass in Australia and RCBS (?) can supply forming dies to form .30-06 cases to .318WR.

I believe 8x60 brass can also quite easily be substituted after a F/L Resize. (Reference required).

FWIW 'Karamojo' Bell liked the .318WR and said that when shooting elephants the unexplained misses he had with the 7x57 stopped. For some one who was a crack shot I've drawn my own conclusions .....

 

[Odinsraven]

Have 2 of them a BSW Shul double Boxlock and a 1907 turn bolt by Westley Richards ...trying to track down reloading dies if anyone can help ?

 

[ZG47]

Have you emailed either Bertram's or Woodleigh?

 

[Odinsraven]

Reloading dies sorted. .... David at Kynoch has sorted the ammo and will reload the brass . Bullet heads from pergerine if they will regulate ok.

So think it is sorted.

Unfortunately the 318 turn bolt os beyond economic repair as needs stcoked and re barreled.
However when. It arrives here I will see what can be done on the cheap.

It is chambered in 8x57 see how the old girl shoots before I decide.

Stephen

 

[ZG47]

Odinsraven
Ken Waters acquired a Westley Richards .318 bolt-action rifle in the 1960s, which had badly worn rifling. He had it rebored and rerifled to use .358 bullets. Read 'The Story of a Rifle', pp. 61-3 in Gun Digest 1985 (39th ed.) and you will see that it appeared to work out quite well.

 

[John A Flaws]

I have used a 318 W-R on a plains game hunt in South Africa many years ago. I have also killed a few wild pigs hunting in California. I think it is a wonderful little cartridge using on game as large as an Eland. I would have no problem using it again as a primary rifle on planes game.