Wildcat Cartridge info needed

[Awsomepossum]

Hello,

There is a T/C Contender barrel for sale in a wildcat cartridge. The owner is deceased and left the information in the picture. I'm under the assumption that I would have to get custom dies made and maybe even a chamber cast from a gunsmith. Also my biggest worry is that this cartridge pressure is too close to the limits of the contender, even might be more than an g2 frame can handle. What are everyone thoughts on the limited information?

 

[hdwhit]

If this is something that excites you, then by all means I would advise you to pursue it.

I caught the 5.7mm Johnson bug in the 1980s and I'm still pursuing a load for it. If you're patient, careful, deliberate and don't mind working on your own, there can be a lot of satisfaction to loading a cartridge that you alone may be shooting.

Take it slow. Only ever change one thing at a time (so you know what the change did) and keep meticulous notes and it can be something that will keep you off the streets in retirement - very happily.

 

[Grumulkin]

There is a T/C Contender barrel for sale in a wildcat cartridge. The owner is deceased and left the information in the picture. I'm under the assumption that I would have to get custom dies made and maybe even a chamber cast from a gunsmith. Also my biggest worry is that this cartridge pressure is too close to the limits of the contender, even might be more than an g2 frame can handle. What are everyone thoughts on the limited information?

I would not do a load workup for a cartridge you knew nothing about and with no load data in a T/C Contender if I were you. If you wish to play with a wildcat cartridge for which you have to come up with your own data, the T/C Encore would be a much better choice as it will take much more pressure which can to some extent cover for your mistakes.

You may also find that the pleasure from the novelty of owning a gun chambered for a wildcat cartridge will grow thin after you discover that all the work you put in to making your cartridges doesn't give you any advantage over a readily available factory chambering. It will also require a bit of luck to find someone willing to buy your barrel if you ever decide to sell it.

 

[stringnut]

Hmm, could be an expensive proposition. If the person selling it could find the dies it might be fun. The reamers could be helpful if the dies cannot be found. Any way you look at it the monetary and time investment will be substantial before you ever pull the trigger. How much load development experience also figures in. There are ways to determine starting loads and pressures, but, you are strictly on your own. Also case forming may be more of a chore than planned on. It could involve sizing, annealing, neck turning or reaming, and fire forming just to get usable brass. If you have the time it could be a fun project and great learning experience. Having been a handloading for 41 years I have no desire to take on that project. I simply am too lazy!

 

[cfullgraf]

Over the years, I have worked with several wildcat and obsolete cartridges as well as building firearms for some of them. It is a worthwhile extension of the reloading and shooting hobby if you like to work with something a bit different from the hum drum of 9x19, 357 Magnum or 223 Remington, etc.

All of the wildcat cartridges that I use have fairly simple case forming procedures. Maybe a pass or two through some forming dies, trimming, and maybe the need to be fire formed. Some wildcat cartridges such as 30 Herrett have fairly complicated case forming procedures that also include a step or two of annealing and neck turning.

But, in this case for a first time wildcat project, without more information on the cartridge, I'd pass.

A quick search of the internet did not reveal hardly any information on the cartridge except an add for a two barrel Contender set that included a 30x40 Long neck barrel. JGS may still have information on the reamer they cut for the gentleman but the cartridge is not listed on their web site.

Posting questions about the cartridge on several different gun forums that cater to Contenders and/or handgun benchrest shooting might yield some good information.

 

[the Black Spot]

So basically its a .307 winchester with longer neck and shorter case length?
If it is, you could have the barrel reamed to take the .307 win case or ream it out to .30-30?

 

[Awsomepossum]

Thanks for the replies everyone.I have no idea what it can it can be reamed into but could probably be reamed out to take a contender wildcat based on the 444 marlin, like the 309 jdj. A 30-30ai would be pretty sweet, but I already have a 7-30 waters. In my opinion, barrel has too many unknowns for its price point.