The .300 Sherwood / 7.6×39mmR, also known as the .300 Extra Long and the .300 Westley, is an obsolete
intermediate centerfire
Two rounds of .357 Magnum, a centerfire cartridge; notice the circular primer in the center
A center-fire (or centerfire) is a type of metallic cartridge used in firearms, where the primer is located at the center of the base of its casing (i. ...
rifle
cartridge developed by
Westley Richards
Westley Richards is a British manufacturer of guns and rifles and also a well established gunsmith. The company was founded in 1812 by William Westley Richards, who was responsible for the early innovation of many rifles used in wars featuring t ...
.
Design
The .300 Sherwood is a straight,
rimmed
A rim is an external flange that is machined, cast, molded, stamped, or pressed around the bottom of a firearms cartridge. Thus, rimmed cartridges are sometimes called "flanged" cartridges. Almost all cartridges feature an extractor or headspaci ...
cartridge that fires a bullet, driven by of
cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in Britain since 1889 to replace black powder as a military firearm propellant. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burni ...
, at a listed speed of . The bullet calibre is as opposed to the more common .
The cartridge was available in both solid lead and the then revolutionary LT-capped bullets were available.
[
]
History
The .300 Sherwood was introduced by Westley Richards in 1901 in response to W.W. Greener's .310 Cadet cartridge.[ The cartridge was created by lengthening the much milder .300 Rook.][
As expected, the first rifles chambered for it were made by Westley Richards both in a miniature ]Martini
Martini may refer to:
* Martini (cocktail), a drink made with gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive or a lemon twist
* Martini (vermouth), a brand of vermouth
* Martini (surname), an Italian surname
* Martini (automobile company), a Swiss auto ...
actioned single-shot rifle and the "Sherwood" target rifle,[ a modified takedown Martini actioned rifle with an easily removable barrel and a detachable lock mechanism held in place by a thumb screw.][
Later other manufacturers produced rifles in the caliber including BSA, ]Vickers
Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
and Francotte, whilst high end double rifle
The double rifle, also known as a double-barreled rifle, is a rifle with two barrels mounted parallel to each other that can be fired simultaneously or sequentially in quick succession. Synonymous with big game hunting found primarily in Africa an ...
s were produced by Holland & Holland
Holland & Holland Limited is a British gunmaker and luxury clothing retailer based in London, England, which sells handmade sporting rifles and shotguns. The company holds two Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom), royal warrants.
His ...
and Westley Richards. As recently as 2002, Westley Richards produced a double rifle in the .300 Sherwood.[
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.][
]
Use
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.[
Henry Sharp, in his 1906 book ''Modern Sporting Gunnery'', quotes hunters in British Columbia who used the .300 Sherwood to kill ]bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...
s, bighorn sheep
The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of Ovis, sheep native to North America. It is named for its large Horn (anatomy), horns. A pair of horns may weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates th ...
, and one verified caribou
The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only represe ...
at .[
]
Notes
See also
*List of rifle cartridges
List of rifle cartridges, by primer type, Caliber, calibre and name.
File:Cartridge Sample 2.jpg, 350px, From left to right: 1 .17 Hornady Mach 2, 2 .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, 3 .22 Long Rifle, 4 .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, 5 .17/23 SMc, 6 5mm ...
*List of rimmed cartridges
Below is a list of rimmed cartridges (R). Although similar, rimmed cartridges differ from rimfire cartridges (list). A rimmed cartridge is a cartridge with a rim, whose primer is located in the center of the case head; the primer is detonated by ...
* 7 mm rifle cartridges
References
External links
Ammo-One, "300 Sherwood", ''ammo-one.com''
retrieved 19 April 2017.
Cartridgecollector, "300 Sherwood", ''cartridgecollector.net''
retrieved 19 April 2017.
, retrieved 19 April 2017.
{{DEFAULTSORT:300
Pistol and rifle cartridges
British firearm cartridges
Rimmed cartridges
Rook rifle cartridges
Westley Richards cartridges