Wildcat cartridge thread (please post about yours)

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R.W.Dale

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Lets see if I can fire up an interesting thread that might provide some good reading over the weekend.

If you own a rifle chambered for a "wildcat", proprietary round (JDJ, Grendel ect) or an extreme variation on a factory round (I.E. a 1-7" twist 22-250) please post about it. Tell us about the gun, the round itself and what it does. Pics would be great and will be appreciated.


I've done two recently both small capacity 30 caliber rounds.

My current is an AR15 upper chambered for a rimless version of 30Herrett formed on 6.8SPC cases called 30HerrettTacticalRimless. This cambering gives me the advantage over 7.62x39 in that I have magazines that feed well, a stronger bolt and better stronger brass selection. From my 20" white oak upper 125g Sierra spitzers hit mid 2600fps+ speeds and 150 rem RN bullets are right at 2300

30HRTJPG.jpg

The other (since sold and 100% my development) was an improved version of 7.62x39mm with the shoulder angle and body taper of a 6mmPPC
more herehttp://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=431995&highlight=largo

7.62x39 left, 30PPC Largo Right
HPIM2367.jpg
 
A good friend of mine just finished, and I mean just finished yesterday, is 6.5 Grendal Ar-15. At this moment he's got some factory ammo as far as I know and will be reusing the brass for his handloads. That's all I have on it this moment, sorry.

This seems like I cool idea for a thread. I'm new to firearms and have spent a boatload of time reading old threads all over this forum. One day I hope to handload and maybe even learn enough to venture into the wildcat realm.
 
I have a good friend that loves wildcats. He builds custom rifles with huge bull barrels and chambers them for ctgs. that most folks have never dreamed of. His latest project is the .257 hot tamale which is a 8mm rem. mag. necked down to .257. It shoots a 117 gr. bullet over 4,000 fps. Personally I like to keep things simple, but to each their own.
 
His latest project is the .257 hot tamale which is a 8mm rem. mag. necked down to .257. It shoots a 117 gr. bullet over 4,000 fps.
Click to expand...

He must be a member of the Barrel-a-Month Club. I'm sure that round is an absolute blow torch at full throttle. Can you say flat shooting?



NCsmitty
 
closest I have to wildcats are a 6mmXC and a 260rem AI
 
krochus said:
My current is an AR15 upper chambered for a rimless version of 30Herrett formed on 6.8SPC cases called 30HerrettTacticalRimless. This cambering gives me the advantage over 7.62x39 in that I have magazines that feed well, a stronger bolt and better stronger brass selection. From my 20" white oak upper 125g Sierra spitzers hit mid 2600fps+ speeds and 150 rem RN bullets are right at 2300
Click to expand...

Interesting, but what does this wildcat do for you that the 7.62x51mm in the AR platform doesn't? A moderate reduction in overall weight in addition to approximately 50% increase in magazine capacity come to mind but anything less obvious? I have a BM lower sitting around waiting for a new upper so I'm always looking for ideas.

:)
 
Probably the biggest (aside from size & weight that you mention) benifet is you get to stick with the AR15 pattern and therefore aftermarket. As you well know there is no AR10 standard and therefore your choices in parts to build with are going to be rather limited by comparison
 
right now i have several wildcats in the works, most of them are based on the 7.62x54r.
i have a 6.5vostock reamer(7.62x54r necked down to 6.5mm) & i al;so have a rifle in the works that will be chambered in 7mmx54r, i'll use my 6.5vosock reamer with a 7mm pilot to cut the chamber & a 7mm neck & throat reamer to finish it.

i'm also planning a .375 wildcat based on the 7.62x54r case.
there are a couple of ways that it could be done. you could set the headspace with the barrel shank the run a .375 h&h reamer in till its at .485 dia. you could use shortened .375 h&h dies to load it. or you could cut the chamber by putting a .375 pilot of a 7.62x54r reamer then use a .357 neck & throat reamer to finish the chamber.
 
Only have one as that was enough for me. Hideously costly cases and too much effort in forming and loading for my taste. Don't know what I was thinking.

Remington Model 30S rebuilt into a .460 G&A (.404 Jeffery opened up to .458 with the case blown out) although I had it stamped 460 Jeffery as I didn't share the designer's desire to commemorate the magazine he worked for at the time.

Beautiful rifle but I can't stand to shoot it due to the teeth rattling recoil.

Like I said, don't know what I was thinking at the time.


standard.jpg
 
The only wildcats that I have are a 22-250 AI 40 degree and a 260 AI 35 degree in a 26" in. 7" twist I had set up for 1K shooting. Both are build on savage actions with Benchmark barrels. They are both tack drivers but the 22-250 is a ear splitter if you are anywhere near it without ear protection.
 
Beautiful rifle but I can't stand to shoot it due to the teeth rattling recoil.

Like I said, don't know what I was thinking at the time.
Click to expand...
what kind of velocity were you getting & what does the gun weigh? once you get those big heavy bullets past about 2400fps recoil becomes nasty.
how is that bolt handle working out for you? many people , including myself cant shoot one of those doglegs without getting bit.
if i ever build on a 1917 action it will have to get straight bolt handle.
i've shot a lot of big bores and very few of them were uncomfortable from a standing position, but off the bench they would be brutal.
i had the triggergaurd on a 505 gibbs whack my finger so hard it was numb for 30 minutes but my shoulder was fine
 
I just got a note from McGowen saying my rifle should go out next week...

A .358 WSSM

The wildcat is a necked up .25 WSSM and trimmed to 1.620"

The purpose of the wildcat is to meet the defintion of Indiana deer hunting rifle catridges. Some are reporting .358 Winchester performance. Most are using bullets from 180 to 225 grains. Case Capacity is right at or just a bit lower than the .358 Win.

The rifle is built on a Savage WSM, has a 22" barrel with a 1:14 twist.

The only Indiana rifle cartridge I know of that will exceed the ballistics is the .358 Grant, which is based on the WSM case, has a bit shorter neck, and a steeper shoulder, but is a much more involved forming process.

I considered many different cartridges but eventually decided on the .358/.25 WSSM because Redding is doing "regular" production dies in the caliber in their custom line, and I got dies in two week instead of 16.
 
DJ- 500s run around 2300 FPS. Short of the threshold you establish but pkenty stiff to me.

Rifle is heavy. Never weighed it but it is heavy.

Never had any trouble with the bolt handle on a 1917 or a Model 30 including this one.
 
223 improved
6.5 Gibbs
358x444 marlin aka 358 jdj
375x444 marlin aka 375 jdj
30-378 wby improved aka 300 kong
7mm-8mm rem mag aka 7mmstw
6mm-284 win
6.5mm-284 win

some of these are now domesticated
 
wow some nice unique cartridges i think im planning on building a rem 700 action chambered in 6mm/06, should give me faster speeds than 25/06 with good selection of light bullets for prarie dog, pronghorn, long range deer hunts. Goal is a 1/2 moa rifle. i got years left of planning though.
 
I had a 338/378 made out of what was originally a 30/378 Accumark before the 338/378 was available. Not a wildcat anymore though.

Other than that, also have an 8mm/378 Wby built on a Brno 602 that was originally an 8x68S that was rechambered (by someone else). Gun was at a local gunshop and included dies. No one else would touch it due to sheer size of the round, expense to reload, etc. Talk about a shooter though, absolutely amazing. Shoots 200 gr. Partitions into ragged holes @ 3250 fps.
 
Wildcats

I had to have a Tight Neck Turkey some years ago,Had it smithed on a Ruger 77 w/tang safety,SS Hart Bl 1-9 twist 30in in 6.5 on a 280rem case blown out to 40 deg ackley .001-.0015 clearance in neck.Early Canjar trigger,bolt face trued,action trued,speed kit in fireing pin,alum bedding blocks in stock,and I need to bring it out and use it.
Load development is using 6.5 Gibbs loads,Weaver T-10 scope, 62 gr 5010 w/140mk is 2990 w/round primer.
Fire forming is done with 3031,4831-5010 is for loads.

There is a new kid in town! A Coyote Hunter,I will leave pvt,has had a Rifle built by Pacnor,6.5/7mm stw.Last I heard,He is pushing 130's at 3500,with deadly accuracy.Bl is 34in,We are guessing as to life of barrel.
I wonder how a 6.5 RUM would be
 
the only thing I have even close to a wildcat is a 7-30 waters I know that this is not a wild cat anymore but im getting 2200 fps with a 140 grn nosler BT out of a 15 in tube and 2370 with a 120 hornady Vmax. lots of fun shooting rockchucks off of the Snake River canyon.
 
Not really a "Wildcat" but, it doesn't exist so it's all mine I guess. I'm working on something to use up all the FN Five Seven brass that no one reloads for. The plan is to case trim the round back to .800 long (getting rid of the shoulder). It will use an 85 gr .270 bullet. The pistol platfor will be a CZ-52 (since the round fits and feeds well from it's magazine). I'm going to have dies made which shouldn't be horribly expensive because its basically a taper crimped straight case. I'm anticipating ballistics similar to .32 S&W
Not trying to light the world on fire or get rich or anything, just playing around.
 
I don't currently own any real wildcats, I tend to avoid them due to logistics...but I have decided to take one on. It is my own creation and has the side benefit of using available (but somewhat rare and costly) brass. It is a .45-120 loaded with smokeless to mimic the .450NE No. 2 big game cartridge, but at less expense and keeping it "American". Platform will be a Browning 1885 Highwall heavy octagon. I have decided to call my creation the .450 American Express, and the goal is to push 450-465gr. solids to about 2200-2400fps. Yeah, weight will be added to said rifle. ;)
 
In a previous life (younger and "less informed") I acquired a 6.5 Jap passed off as a 257 Roberts, came with ammo which needless to say rattled down the barrel before entering a target however it pleased. I was barely smart enough to take it to a gunsmith who pronounced it as something good enough to work with if chambered out to 6.5X257, or 6.5X57mm. Turned out OK, that was 1966. That led into reloading, learning about twist rates and long bullets, re-bluing and re-finishing, Timney trigger installation, some metal work, and after a few years I had a good shooter that looks good. I still use it, most everything that has gone through it has been 140gr Partitions that all go where they're aimed at just under 2600. Two of the kids broke in on it as their first centerfire, shooting Sierras ahead of SR4759 at around 1800 just to get used to the trigger with reduced recoil.

It's not my only firearm any more, but I'm satisfied with it as a learning (and expensive) experience. I've done a couple more since then, but I knew what they were before starting on them and what I wanted them to be when they were finished. I'll never know what kind of ammo I got with that Arisaka or how it chambered or headspaced! Hey, I said I was young and "less informed"!
 
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