Reloading .318 Westley Richards

[Texas Star]

Not that I have one, but a stray thought prompts me to wonder if cases can be made from .30-06 brass.

Is the bullet diameter really .318, allowing some Mauser bullets to be used?

I need to move some stuff to get at Taylor's, "African Rifles and Cartridges".

Anyone here have a .318? How do you feed it?

 

[Frank237]

If I recall correctly; I think the .318 WR used a .330" bullet? Or was it a .333"?

I have a Poor Mans .318 WR, the .338-06 .

FN in MT

 

[Texas Star]

I think it was a .330 bullet. Might be impossible to find today.

Yeah, a .338/06 is very similar. Warren Page once called it a Brit version of the 8mm/06. But the bullet was a bit slimmer.

I suspect that the rifles are now relegated to collectors' items, unless reworked to fire a similar cartridge.

The other very popular light rifle of the day, the .275 Rigby, is really just a 7X57mm loaded with Rigby's patented bullets, so they're easy to feed.

 

[cowart]

Is the bullet diameter really .318?

No, it shows as .330 here
http://stevespages.com/britsportrifcart.html

Midway carries the bullets
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/697340/
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/707059/

And properly headstamped brass
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/142019/

 

[Roundsworth]

If it is, indeed, a .330" bullet, Hornady makes a 205 grain PSP for the 8x56R that might work.

Graf & Sons - HRN 8x56R (.330) 205gr SP BULLET SpirePt PER 100

 

[2152hq]

I just read an article in an old issue of Rifle or Handloader,,maybe it was GD,,anyway,,they made brass from 30-06.

I think Hornady or PrviPartisan makes a .329 for the 8x56R M95mannlicher. That might be a cheap substitute if the .001" difference in diameter still makes it usable.

Brits usually designate caliber by bore diameter instead of groove. So .318 makes sense. Same with .303 British.
But there are exceptions too, just like with the US 'system'.

>>Roundsworth found the bullet I was thinking of. It does indeed seem to be of .330dia. A spire instead of a RN which is what I think they originally loaded in the 318WR,,but who'd care but a purist if you just want to shoot the rifle.
You could most likely buy some very expensive projectiles from one of the smaller makers designated expressly for the 318 if it really mattered.

 

[Roundsworth]

Yes, I bet that someone like Woodleigh or Barnes could supply the 'real deal'! Good Luck.