.318 Westley Richards - It Begins

[abenson229]

Like probably 99% of the people on this board, I'm enamored of the old school hunting cartridges. Trolling around the web, I found an article in American Hunter by Phil Massaro in which he outlines a rifle he had built in .318 Westley Richards on an old military Mauser action. And I got to thinking, "hey...I have a Mauser barreled action in the safe..."

I bought it years ago intending to have a .338-06 built on it, but never did anything about it, largely due to finances. Being in a better position now, I figured it was time.

A quick email and follow up phone call with Nathan Chesney at Hillbilly Custom Rifles and the project is under way. I had a couple of chamberings in mind, but .318 has always been a romantic favorite of mine so that combined with the fact that bullets are relatively available from Woodleigh and Hawk and that cases can be easily made from .30-06 brass if need be made .318 the choice. Now the wait begins...

If anyone has any loads or other .318WR goodness to share, I'm all ears

 

[sestoppelman]

Have a source for the odd .330 diameter bullets?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Woodleigh or size down 338 are the two options I think.
If you want to take it Africa brass with a 318 head stamp may be problematic.

 

[abenson229]

Yes, Woodleigh makes 250gr solid and softpoint. Hornady makes a 205gr spire point for that 8x56R that is the right size and, in the US, Hawk Custom will make pretty much whatever you want. As Wyatt said, drawing down .338's is an option if needed. Robertson Cartridge Company and Bertram both produce properly headstamped brass, but it ain't cheap.

 

[Glenn Slaven]

Yes, Woodleigh makes 250gr solid and softpoint. Hornady makes a 205gr spire point for that 8x56R that is the right size and, in the US, Hawk Custom will make pretty much whatever you want. As Wyatt said, drawing down .338's is an option if needed. Robertson Cartridge Company and Bertram both produce properly headstamped brass, but it ain't cheap.

Let’s face it though, we have wrong hobby to worry about fiscal responsibility. Lol

 

[bruce moulds]

why not use a 338 barrel, and buy a chamber reamer to suit.
swaging down bullets seems a less than optimum thing to do for many reasons, not the least being potentially altering terminal performance.
also swaging down a barnes x might be interesting.
be wary of Bertram brass quality.
bruce.

 

[Certus]

why not use a 338 barrel, and buy a chamber reamer to suit.
swaging down bullets seems a less than optimum thing to do for many reasons, not the least being potentially altering terminal performance.
also swaging down a barnes x might be interesting.
be wary of Bertram brass quality.
bruce.

You mean just build a .338-06? Basically the same round, just a fraction bigger. Lacks the charm though

 

[Red Leg]

Yes, Woodleigh makes 250gr solid and softpoint. Hornady makes a 205gr spire point for that 8x56R that is the right size and, in the US, Hawk Custom will make pretty much whatever you want. As Wyatt said, drawing down .338's is an option if needed. Robertson Cartridge Company and Bertram both produce properly headstamped brass, but it ain't cheap.

An 8x56 is not the same diameter as a .318 WR. The .318 WR is designated by measuring land to land - a number of older British cartridges did that - it is actually .330 in dinameter.

The 250 gr Woodleigh SP and Solid are both accurate in my two period .318’s.

 

[Certus]

An 8x56 is not the same diameter as a .318 WR. The .318 WR is designated by measuring land to land - a number of older British cartridges did that - it is actually .330 in dinameter.

The 250 gr Woodleigh SP and Solid are both accurate in my two period .318’s.

8x56R is .330 as abensen229 said. It’s not an I or S bore. He didn’t say 8x56, as in the MS cartridge, rather that of the M95 straight pull.

 

[Red Leg]

8x56R is .330 as abensen229 said. It’s not an I or S bore. He didn’t say 8x56, as in the MS cartridge, rather that of the M95 straight pull.

Missed that. You are correct. I do not know anyone that has tried that bullet in a .318 WR. I suspect it would have stability issues at the traditional twist rate with such a light bullet. And of course, it was the 250 gr payload that made the rifle’s reputation.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

A 250 grain Woodleigh is the only projectile Hendershots loads in their .318 Westley Richards ammo.

https://hendershots.net/product/318-westley-richards-extreme-custom-ammo/

 

[rdog]

why not use a 338 barrel, and buy a chamber reamer to suit.
swaging down bullets seems a less than optimum thing to do for many reasons, not the least being potentially altering terminal performance.
also swaging down a barnes x might be interesting.
be wary of Bertram brass quality.
bruce.

That would just be a 338/06 ?

 

[BigGame]

@abenson229 - were you ever able to complete your .318 WR build? If so, send pictures. We'd like to see the finished product.

I ordered a barrel from Krieger and it took 9 months to get to me. I'll be swapping out the barrel on my custom Springfield 1903 when I get back around to that project. Why do I create all this work for myself?!?!?

 

[rdog]

Yes i ended up with a old but almost unused Parker Hale 30/06 Safari Delux . fitted a Timney trigger & low swing safety, welded on a Talley Oberdorf style bolt handle reshaped the bottom metal, the action is at Allan Swan Gunsmiths for a barrel, bought a set of CH4D dies, 250, 250 grain Woodleigh bullets & formed some brass out of 30/06, will eventually fit it to a Cameron Hatcher English classic style stock i will use the original stock in the mean time sold the 30/06 barrel for $110.

 

[Tom Leoni]

Glad you mention Hawk. They make excellent, US-made jacketed bullets of different jacket thickness and most diameters, including the .330 (specifically for the .318). With Woodleigh out of commission for a while, I have used them with maximum satisfaction.

PS.: don't let anyone talk you out of this cartridge. Yes, other calibers will be more practical in terms of availability, but with the .318 you have a legendary killer and a most-emblazoned cartridge from the good old days.

 

[rookhawk]

@Tom Leoni I've owned and loaded for the .318WR.

Can't find my load data handy but I'll do some digging. It was nothing too off the beaten path. It was either RL-15 or RL-19 that is used for the load.

Your urgent crisis is as follows:

Qual-Cart occasionally has brass. Buy all the headstamped brass you can find if it exists.

If it does not, using it in Africa is a problem. Best results occur with a specialty sizing die to size down .35 Whelen brass to .330". 30-06 brass sized up is not as easy.

Woodleigh is out of business. Buy ALL the softs and solids you can find from Huntingtons if they have any remaining. When its gone, its gone, and so too are your dreams of a solid 318 WR load. Hawk is hit or miss, I wouldn't rely on them as far as expansion, copper thickness, and lead hardness but that's a tale for another day.

Congrats, you'll love the gun and its moderate recoil. You will regret components availability long-term if you don't hoard and quickly.

 

[Rem700stw]

Finally ready to go after 2.5 years. Shoots as good as it looks! 1909 Argentine Mauser, Richards Microfit stock, Krieger Barrel, Leupold 1.5-5 VX III, Talley bases/rings.

 

[Excessexpress]

@Tom Leoni Woodleigh is out of business. Buy ALL the softs and solids you can find from Huntingtons if they have any remaining. When its gone, its gone, and so too are your dreams of a solid 318 WR load.

This didn't age well....

 

[Tintin]

congrats on getting the project completed

 

[rdog]

This didn't age well....

Woodleigh are rebuilding & there other bullet options .