indio Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 I'm probably posting this in the wrong section but, has anyone used in the past or is currently using a cartridge by the brand of Yellow Wizard? I remember my ol' Dad telling me that he had used them a long time ago and was wondering : 1/ are they still made ? 2/ what other people may think of them? kind regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Not seen them since the early 60s when they were the only alternative to Eley at the local ironmongers. Only6 ever had about a 100 of them used over decoys and seem to remember plent,'confetti' and smoke. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indio Posted January 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thanks for you reply. kind regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMcC Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 They were darn good cartridges, cardboard case and felt/card wad. I used 6's for pigeon shooting and BB for bigger stuff. I got mine from Higdons the ironmongers of Yeovil or Youngs of Misterton, they were distributed in UK by Frank Dyke at around 12/6d a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarepeg Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Used to swell when damp, had to peel a layer of to get them to fit but they still worked, shot a lot of stuff with them. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 They were the cheapest around iirc, 15 shillings for 25 (75p to you). Used them in 5# for everything in an AYA Cosmos single barrel.Which I still have, 51 years old it is!! A good cartridge, I rarely missed with them in those days. Pity I can't shoot like that now! GH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 (edited) And old keeper well old to me in his sixties told me they were the best carts he ever used, kicked like a mule but bowled them over like nothing else. I looked them up ages ago Shamrock was another or same company. Figgy Edited January 27, 2014 by figgy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMcC Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Shamrock was another good cartridge, they were pink. Snarepeg, all cartridges in those days swelled up if you got them wet, plastic cartridges weren't about then !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manton Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 Yellow Wizard from Frank Dyke were some of the best cartridges I have ever used. They were loaded with Coopal power if I remember correctly and shot great patterns without a lot of recoil. Unfortunately they have been obsolete for many years but are fondly remembered by lots of older shooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 yea I used to use a lot of them when I started shooting I had to save my school diner money up to buy them which were about 12/6 a box or 65 pence now ,no wonder I was always hungry when I got home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 Yellow Wizard were sold as the cheap alternative to Eley, along with Sellior&Bellot, Baikal and a few others. There were also quite a lot of "branded" cartridges about like Nulli Secundus and Red Rapid. I have used all of these cartridges to good effect, but in my early days I shot rabbit clearance cartridges, supplied by the Farmers. The rumour was that these were made by Eley, but I don't know how true that was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 They were darn good cartridges, cardboard case and felt/card wad. I used 6's for pigeon shooting and BB for bigger stuff. I got mine from Higdons the ironmongers of Yeovil or Youngs of Misterton, they were distributed in UK by Frank Dyke at around 12/6d a box. Well that takes me back dont remember the carts but remember the name Frank Dyke where were they? sorry to highjack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manton Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 From what I can gather Frank Dyke was based in London and sold cartridges imported from all over Europe as they never seem to have loaded any of their own which could explain the rather strange powder used in Yellow Wizard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMcC Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Manton, You are quite correct, one of their advertising plugs was the fact they were loaded with Coopal powder as if that was some new innovation at the time. No others makers/importers adverised the powder used, so it must have been something new, it certainly didn't belch flame and smoke like some of the other cartridges available at the time. I must have used quite a few during my early years and found nothing wrong with them. I do remember the case being just plain cardboard which went a bit 'fluffy' if left to rattle about in your pocket for too long whereas the Shamrock case was varnished and took a bit more rough and tumble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manton Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 EMcC, Strangely, Coopal Powder was not something new at the time .I have copied the following from The Gun and its Development by William Greener 1906 Coopals Powder consists of nitro- cellulose with or without other nitrates (Emerald Powder is a variety coloured with malachite green) As I read this I was wondering if this is where the Shamrock idea came from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMcC Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Manton, you are quite correct, Coopal powder wasn't something new, but was advertised as if it was. Most, if not all cartridges at the time just adverised their own brand as being Smokeless as that was not long after the transition period from Black powder. Then the words High Velocity were also bandied about each trying to get a hold of the market. I remember Sellior and Bellot cartidges being imported from the Czechoslovakia and being adverised as helping their economy as they had been through so much during the war. I don't think there were any Baikal cartridges about then as I don't think we were quite so friendly with them !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanky Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Would these be the cartridges you are talking about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derbyduck Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 thats just got me back on track ! I remembed the green shamrocks not the pink ones you where on about I used them in 410 ,I used the wizards in 1967 at clay shoot and they 5 shillings a pack of ten ..good old days there was an amnesty on that year and you didn't need a licence to by a gun ,there was loads of great guns handed in to the cops that went to be destroyed . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cartridge-collector2708195 Posted July 6, 2021 Report Share Posted July 6, 2021 On 29/01/2014 at 19:43, manton said: From what I can gather Frank Dyke was based in London and sold cartridges imported from all over Europe as they never seem to have loaded any of their own which could explain the rather strange powder used in Yellow Wizard. See image of an old Matchless box (16 bore) which clearly states "Loaded by Frank Dyke" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted July 6, 2021 Report Share Posted July 6, 2021 On 28/01/2014 at 16:34, Cranfield said: Yellow Wizard were sold as the cheap alternative to Eley, along with Sellior&Bellot, Baikal and a few others. There were also quite a lot of "branded" cartridges about like Nulli Secundus and Red Rapid. I have used all of these cartridges to good effect, but in my early days I shot rabbit clearance cartridges, supplied by the Farmers. The rumour was that these were made by Eley, but I don't know how true that was. remember yellow wizard...................i used to use Gallyons Hi-shot............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted July 6, 2021 Report Share Posted July 6, 2021 10 minutes ago, ditchman said: remember yellow wizard Yep, some of us really are that old now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted July 6, 2021 Report Share Posted July 6, 2021 19 minutes ago, London Best said: Yep, some of us really are that old now. i didnt use them....as a boy we used to pick them off the farm fields after the shoot......with farm cartridges...and all sorts of other makes....we all thought as they were bright yellow they must be good.........used to love the smell of a new box of Eley the smell of the varnish....aaaahhhhhhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted July 6, 2021 Report Share Posted July 6, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted July 7, 2021 Report Share Posted July 7, 2021 23 hours ago, Scully said: British hand loaded in a foreign made case.......disgraceful 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted July 7, 2021 Report Share Posted July 7, 2021 13 minutes ago, Rimfireboy said: British hand loaded in a foreign made case.......disgraceful 😂 A sign of things to come. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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