318 Westley Richards in a Winchester 1895

[R eight]

I’ve got one in 30/06. It’s a great toy. But I could think of better rifles to hunt with.

I think the major issue that you may encounter would be getting reliable magazine feeding.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I’ve got one in 30/06. It’s a great toy. But I could think of better rifles to hunt with.

I think the major issue that you may encounter would be getting reliable magazine feeding.

If it feeds 7.62x63( euro version ) it wouldn’t take much to get it to feed 318 wr
Gumpy

 

[PerH]

Rhino make .318 WR bullets also 2 weights of them

 

[BlueFlyer]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but wouldn't the Browning BLR be a more capable doner rifle?

 

[odonata]

I have a Winchester/Miroku 1895 in 30/06...so I was thinking new calibre of 318 Westley Richards or maybe 9.3x62? any one have any ideas on this to add or advice?

If you haven't already seen this, here's a link to blog post of someone who took an 30-06 1895 & converted it to a 35 Whelen. I imagine a conversion to 9.3x62 would be similar. If you had questions, this person might be a good resource.

1895 Browning .35 Whelen beautification project.

An 1895 Winchester chambered in .35 Whelen has been one of my dream rifles for many years. I always watched for a good deal on a .30-06 1895 Browning to convert. A few months back, one showed up on…

762precision.com

It appears that you are contemplating the idea of putting an older (obsolete) cartridge in this rifle but the 318 WR component availability has some challenges. Since the 1895 is also chambered for the rimmed 30-40 Krag & the 405 Winchester, does the 333 Jeffery Flanged have any viability as an alternative? It looks like some components for it might be available:

333 Flanged Cases Bertram Formed Box of 20

www.buffaloarms.com

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Then sell them to the desperate folks that need to feed their beasts, why shoot bars of gold needlessly by making more 318s?

@rookhawk
Just encourage more people to buy guns they didn't know they needed, collect your commission then but more 318 components and stop complaining.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Show me.

I'd be grateful to see sources for available brass or 250gr SP bullets for the 318WR. To my knowledge, my facts are correct, but I'd be grateful if you prove me wrong.

@rookhawk
You wrong mate. NEVER.
Like me I'm never right but very rare for me to be wrong.
Bob

 

[HunterX]

Couldn’t we try to get @RAVEN ROCKS PRECISION to become the importer for .318 WR brass from Australia? They have a lot of other great obscure brass from Norma. I don’t know how many threads I have seen here with people begging for better access to the Woodleigh bullets and Betram/qualcart brass. Maybe with a big enough order they could get one of those companies to produce a batch of brass/250 grain bullets and ship here?? I have a .318 WR build in my future too.

 

[HunterX]

Also Hawk Bullets in the US will make the .330 bullets. I have preordered 150, for when they do their next run.

 

[PerH]

318 Solid Shank (25 Units) | Rhino Bullets

These are bond-core bullets with a drilled hole in the front part of the bullet and it features a solid copper shank at the rear, which is indestructible. The thick wall jackets attempt to keep petals intact, and expansion gets arrested where the drilled hole stops. The net result is that it...

www.rhinobullets.co.za

They make two models also for .318 also

 

[HunterX]

318 Solid Shank (25 Units) | Rhino Bullets

These are bond-core bullets with a drilled hole in the front part of the bullet and it features a solid copper shank at the rear, which is indestructible. The thick wall jackets attempt to keep petals intact, and expansion gets arrested where the drilled hole stops. The net result is that it...

www.rhinobullets.co.za

They make two models also for .318 also

I wonder if anyone could import these into the U.S.

 

[PerH]

There is talks about finding importers into the us , no idea on status right . Contact them and ask would be good .

 

[RAVEN ROCKS PRECISION]

I wonder if anyone could import these into the U.S.

Reached out to Rhino, never heard back.. always happy for connections.. some delays on other stuff, but still working towards solutions and better supply/availability. We appreciate our customers and will continue to try and bring both more obscure stuff as well as fairly priced common stuff to market.

 

[Velo Dog]

Fellow Hunters and Rifle Grumps,

Here in Alaska, I have seen more than one or two Model ‘95 rifles (Browning-Miroku), re-barreled to .35 Whelen and one in 9.3x62.

So, I agree with those who say the .318 WR caliber should be a simple re-barrel, for this model of rifle, provided one begins with the factory .30-06 version.

Being a rifle enthusiast and ambidextrous as well, various lever action rifles (single shots and doubles too) have been a lot of fun for me, over my longass loca vida.

And, if I was still crossing international borders with firearms, it seems like a Model 1895 in .405 Winchester, would be very satisfying to hunt many African species with, especially Eland.
Also a Model ‘95 rifle, chambered in .303 British seems like another classic, if not a perfect one, for hunting some of the less than huge Africa species, in certain foliage and geographic conditions.

However personally, I would not choose the .303 for Eland.
Again, the .405, with classic 300 grain flat nose JSP would be my preference for Eland (also for zebra, waterbuck and other largish, so called “plains game”), if hunting the Model 1895 Winchester.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[400Jeff]

Guys, this sounds more complicated than it actually is! 30/06 brass is easily length trimmed just a bit, then run through a .318 full length sizing die, annealed, and, Voila!, you have .318 WR brass. Fifteen years ago, I got lucky enough to buy 150 pieces of Quality Cartridge, properly head-stamped brass before my first safari, but the firearms check-in in TZ was more interested in collecting the one dollar per round fee than checking headstamps. I used 250 gr. woodleigh softs that worked quite well. I am patiently waiting for them to resume production as my stash is dwindling. Hawk is available and would be a good substitute. At one time, Hornady was making .330, 205 grain spitzers (Grafs) that would be a good deer bullet, but they will probably not reappear any time soon. I bought a swaging die from Lee, .329 I think, and resized a few .338 bullets succesfully, but never got around to shooting any. The 318 is a great cartridge and deserves to be revived, just like the 425 WR that I am building now, 318 components are a cakewalk compared to the .425! An 1895 in 318 would be a sure killer!

 

[400Jeff]

Hammer Bullets in Montana makes a 235 gr. mono in .330 for the .318 W.R. and a 400 gr. mono in .435 for the .425 WR. They have a great reputation. Lee

 

[fourfive8]

I’m with those who ask the question, “Why convert a 30-06 to the obsolete 318? Initial cost/hassle of rebarrel will not be small… plus headaches of finding ammo, finding components and finding a buyer if you decide to sell it! All adds up to royal PITA.

I’ve owned three original 1895s- a rifle in 405 Winchester, a rifle in 35 Winchester and a carbine in 30-40 Krag. At the time, 30 years ago, the 35 Winchester was the most difficult to find components for (namely brass). My favorite of the three was the 35 Winchester. In the field, none are easy to carry. Only advantages I could figure for the ‘95 lever gun design were that it handle some higher pressure, more modern cartridges than previous lever models and its box mag allowed for spire point bullets. IMO, if bound and determined to blow money on changing calibers of a 30-06 ‘95, either a 338-06 or 35 Whelen would make more sense.

 

[HunterX]

I think every thread on here about the .318 WR starts with hey this is cool old cartridge…then, you shouldn’t do it, it’s obscure, and involved to feed it and won’t be worth anything…and ends with…sometimes your heart wants what your heart wants. A cool classic old cartridge. Why not support the revival of the .318 WR? The more people buy custom or not, the more demand there will be for bullets and brass. Without demand there will never be supply. At some point in the next year or so I will build one too…because…it’s classic cool.

 

[HunterX]

And a .338-06 doesn’t have the same panache’. Same reason they don’t call it the .35-06….and instead the 35 Whelen.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

And a .338-06 doesn’t have the same panache’. Same reason they don’t call it the .35-06….and instead the 35 Whelen.

@HunterX
Yeh the 35 Whelen is just pure CLASS.
Bob