Hmmmm while I don't know that much about Bell never having read any of his books, come to think of it I have never come across any of his books!, but I do recall reading soem quotes from his book somewhere and one mentioned that he switched to the Mannlicher due to it's lighter ammunition weight. Important on a walking safari! for one of his 1898 trips. Now as the Schoenauer was not about them it had to be the earlier Mdl 1893 with it's rimmed cartridge yet everyone seems to assume because it was a Mannlicher it was a Schoenauer.

After the 2nd Boer war Bell of course used a 7mm Mauser and I wonder if it was because he not only acquired the rifle most likely for free but also I am assuming that he gathered a quantity of free ammunition with it. He was a Scot after all and we know that they're reknowned for being tight! The quotes I read also mentioned him shooting Cormorants on the wing with his rifle over the Loch near his home in Scotland. It seems he didn't get on with his neighbours who regarded him as a poacher! It seems that his small place had a wonderful deer crossing on it from which he took some excellent Stags much to his neighbours dismay and annoyance.