.300 Sherwood

The .300 Sherwood, also known as the .300 Extra Long and the .300 Westley, is an obsolete centerfire rifle cartridge developed by Westley Richards.

.300 Sherwood
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Production history
DesignerWestley Richards
Designed1901
Produced1901
Specifications
Case typeRimmed, straight
Bullet diameter.300 in (7.6 mm)
Neck diameter.318 in (8.1 mm)
Base diameter.320 in (8.1 mm)
Rim diameter.370 in (9.4 mm)
Case length1.54 in (39 mm)
Overall length2.02 in (51 mm)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
140 gr (9 g) 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s) 610 ft⋅lbf (830 J)
Source(s): Cartridges of the World.[1]

Design

The .300 Sherwood is a straight, rimmed cartridge that fires a 140 gr (9.1 g) bullet, driven by 8.5 gr (0.55 g) of cordite, at a listed speed of 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s). The bullet calibre is .300 in (7.6 mm) as opposed to the more common .308 in (7.8 mm).

The cartridge was available in both solid lead and the then revolutionary LT-capped[note 1] bullets were available.[1]

History

The .300 Sherwood was introduced by Westley Richards in 1901 in response to W.W. Greener's .310 Cadet cartridge.[1] The cartridge was created by lengthening the much milder .300 Rook.[3]

As expected, the first rifles chambered for it were made by Westley Richards both in a miniature Martini actioned single-shot rifle and the "Sherwood" target rifle,[4] a modified takedown Martini actioned rifle with an easily removable barrel and a detachable lock mechanism held in place by a thumb screw.[3]

Later other manufacturers produced rifles in the caliber including BSA, Vickers and Francotte, whilst high end double rifles were produced by Holland & Holland and Westley Richards. As recently as 2002, Westley Richards produced a double rifle in the .300 Sherwood.[4]

The .300 Sherwood was a notably accurate target round, but arrived at the point when miniature rifle shooting was moving towards the .22 Long Rifle, shorter ranges and more indoor competition.[5]

Use
A page from the 1936 Parker catalogue

Whilst a noted target round, the .300 Sherwood was also used for hunting, it was considered more suited for small deer than for small game.[5]

Henry Sharp, in his 1906 book Modern Sporting Gunnery, quotes hunters in British Columbia who used the .300 Sherwood to kill bears, bighorn sheep, and one verified caribou at 220 yd (200 m).[3]

Notes
  1. The LT-capped bullet was named after Leslie B Taylor (1863-1930) an engineer and lifelong employee at Westley Richards who, among many inventions, designs and patents, invented the ‘Capped Bullet’, a revolutionary bullet design that allowed for both maximum shock effect whilst ensuring maximum stability and accuracy.[2]
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See also

References
  1. Frank C. Barnes, Cartridges of the World, 15th ed, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2016, ISBN 978-1-4402-4642-5.
  2. Trigger, "Leslie B Taylor 'Capped Bullet' ", thexplora.com, retrieved 19 April 2017.
  3. Terry Wieland, "In praise of Rook Rifles", huntforever.org, retrieved 19 April 2017.
  4. Robert D. Sherwood, 300sherwood.net, retrieved 19 April 2017.
  5. Imperial War Museums, "7.62 x 39R : Kynoch ; .300 Sherwood", iwm.org.uk, retrieved 19 April 2017.
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