I suppose part II of my question would be based on the supposition that it would be easier to find several 1000 rounds of say .303 or 7x57 and pack it into the bush that it would be to find the same amount of another larger cartridge.
Was looking at things from a logistics standpoint as a commercial venture.
What cheapest we can get away with, still have room for other stuff and make money.
Just throwing random thoughts out.
Getting ammo was no problem, this was the British Emire. One ordered ones ammo from Rigby and told them to deliver it to the wharf in Mombasa. That .318 WR stuff that didn't work well - he had six thousand rounds of it that he couldnt use for anything, which is why he was messing around shooting birds with it.
Bell had trouble with ammo in that it's quality was inconsistant.
He was very disparaging of English commercial ammunition, having had all kinds of failures with it, whereas the army .303 was excelletn stuff and he had no issues at all. The DMW military ammo 7x57 he used in his .275, was likewise excellent.
This seemed to have definately played a part in his firearms selection. he wanted to use the .318 Westey Richards earlier one, but the ammo was faulty. He wanted to conintue using the Mannlicher Schoenauer carbine in 6.5x57, but the Steyr ammo would split at the neck.
Brass commercial hunting ammo was really in its infancy compared with today, and problematic. Bell carried his preference for military ammo over into his firearms in the early days and deliberately settled on the military type rifle for their reliablility, the Lee Enfield in .303 and the Mauser in .275. He had no opportunity to test loads, - he was just stuck with the one military load, and hoped it would shoot well in the rifle.
Later on the ammo situation seems to have improved and he used the .318 Westley Richards more, as well as trying out the .350 Rigby Magnum, and also the .416 Rigby.
Just out of interest, from what I have found he started later with the .275 than what people think, I can't find where he registered anything other than a .303 in Kenya prior to 1906.)
