Show us your wildcats!

[82nd airborne]

25 cal may be better, I would not argue that. I don't have, nor have ever owned a 25 caliber anything, so I could not rightly say. But, I was not intending to get into too heavy a range of boolits, so I chose the 6mm, and also because I have experience with, and own, one!

Couldnt be more right there. I went the route of, " Hey wife, this .257-223 and .243-223, are soooo much different, that I really need both. 6x45 is getting kind of popular, and you know a .250 sav was my first centerfire so....."
Of course she rolled her eyes and I ended up with both.
The difference in velocities of both are so minute that it doesnt really matter.

[Dannix]

The difference in velocities of both are so minute that it doesnt really matter.

Seems to be true for all the made-for-ar15 .223 wildcats based on what I've seen e.g. 6x45, 6.5PPC, 7x40 and 7.62x40.

I'm not enthusiastic about the various 30 caliber wildcats based on the 223 Rem or 5.56 NATO case. I think they need more shoulder to head space off of, and a longer neck (for cast boolit use, of course ). 6 to 7mm tops is the largest useful diameter, IMHO.

One thing I found was the 7mm jword arR15 options have a higher BC than the 7.62 ar15options, unsurprisingly. But based on my gander over at Midway, I was surprised to see the 7.62 ar15 options have a higher BC than the greater sectional density 6.8 SPC options. I guess the jword designers are still coming up with projectiles bespoke for the 6.8SPC.

Concerning the ar15 platform, the mag length seems to be really holding us back to a great extent. To the extent that I think if we were to replace the 5.56, we should also strongly consider moving to a platform with a greater mag length. If I unexpectedly found myself with copious amounts of dough, I'd be tempted put it to the development of an intermediate ar-like design somewhere between the ar-15 and ar-10. An ar-14 if you will.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I like to have (when using J-words) a wide selection of weights, but always seem to end up settling on a one single bullet for all around use that is near the top end of the weight range. I want SMACK DOWN included with the accuracy (my first demand).

With cast boolits, I want a cast with sufficiently long neck to hold that cast boolit properly, then I apply the other above standards to it. Got to start off on the right foot, IMHO.

The BC will depend on the bullet and the velocity at which it can be driven, given the case capacity and the powder used. Sectional density is about the only factor that can be taken from a reference and used directly to compare each bullet to give an indication of potential results, without actually doing the math or shooting.

For load development, I pick powders from the powder manufacturers lists recommended for that cartridge and bullet weight combination, that give highest velocity for the lowest pressures (based on the maximum charges allowed column) and develope my loads from the recommended starting weights, and go from there until accuracy is achieved. But based on that initial choice, I don't always settle on the highest value shown, usually it is the 2nd or sometimes 3rd powder down the list that works the best given my conditions, etc.

Now, with a wildcat that may not have data immmediately available, I choose the powder base on the parent cartridge case reccomendations, and extrapolate about the bullet weight, based on past reloading experience and the data present in front of me. I have also been using Wiljen's Reloaders Reference to compare my choices to calculated data recommendations, and just to see "what if" comparisons, etc. Love it- a great help to reloaders everywhere! (THANKS, Wiljen).

I suspect that the lack of difference in the various wildcats based on the 223 Rem. or 5.56mm NATO cartridges are because of the case capacity issue. With that limiting factor, I would choose the larger secitonal density bullets (depending on my intended application).

Again, I like the sound of the 25 and 6.5 choices, but I think I will stick with the 6mm variation, just because there IS little difference between all of them. Work with what you have available for the time being.

[mpkunz]

They have "grenade" rounds, etc. for 12 ga. that can do that, and MORE. They probably wouldn't have wanted to add another link to the supply line for yours anyway. Best thing is you got the fun of build a toy for your retirement- like making your own pocket watch that they used to give everyone who "made it".

I'm currently planning my next one. It will be a two stamp gun. One for the can, the other for the round itself - 50bmg case straightened into about a 70 something caliber, whatever the dimensions work out to. That one will be spendy though because about the only standard things going into it are the cases and the shell holder for the reloading press. But I'm guestimating it will be about an 1800 grain bullet. Gotta sell off the contents of a gun cabinet to fund this project.

[David LaPell]

This is the only wildcat I load, the .41 Special. The .41 Magnum is on the left and its shorter brother the .41 Special is on the right. Just trim it down to the length of the .44 Special and you're good to go.

[hansumtoad]

What would I do with a .300 Win Mag? Leave it alone and knock the fazzolies out of anything I wanted.

In 1986 was on a Safari in Zimbabwe when the opportunity came to crop a small herd of Cape Buffalo (they carry brucellosis and can't graze with cattle whose carcasses were being exported to Europe). Being buds with the PH, I got to shoot M'Bogo for a couple of days.

.300 Win Mag, Barnes original 250gr Solids, 78.5grs of 7828 over a Fed 215. Just devastating. Of course it was on our terms - none of the 20 yards in the Mopani thicket business - but except for one bull, one shot and one dead buff.

.300 Mags are about all a man needs.... notice I did not say 'want' and will never knock another man's caliber choice.

[midnight]

One of my wildcats isn't so wild. It's much like the 300 win mag. I had a Herters U9 (BSA Monarch) with a missing bolt. Couldn't find a 30-06 bolt but did find one with a magnum bolt face. I rechambered it to 30-338. Instant 300 Win Mag but cooler.
The other is a 219 Donaldson Wasp on a Martini action. That one will make you a better reloader cuz you have to perform almost every brass prep operation on it to make cases. Not too many Martini Wasps out there.

Bob

[MBTcustom]

I shoot a 300 winmag too. It is my favorite bolt gun. Useless with cast boolits but with J-words @ 3200 fps "that's with a 165 grain sierra boat." Its a dream. I killed a deer with it @ 300 yards last year, boolit dropped 6" and landed right in the heart. Now that's meat in the freezer! The rifle is a Remington 700 and it groups under an inch @ 200 yards "not bad for a sporter barrel imho". Its my "if I can see it I can hit it" rifle. Affectionately named Winifred Magnus.

Now since this is about wildcats, I'm in the process of making a 35 territorian or 35/303 however you say it. I'm giving detailed build pictures and info on the "military rifles" area. So far I have re-barreled the action of an smle no4mark1, and glass bedded it too. I'm only waiting on the $$$ to rent the reamers.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I'm currently planning my next one. It will be a two stamp gun. One for the can, the other for the round itself - 50bmg case straightened into about a 70 something caliber, whatever the dimensions work out to. That one will be spendy though because about the only standard things going into it are the cases and the shell holder for the reloading press. But I'm guestimating it will be about an 1800 grain bullet. Gotta sell off the contents of a gun cabinet to fund this project.

Selling off the contents...........THAT is going a bit too far in my book! I know this hobby does strange things to people, but you are having negative side efffects!

[mpkunz]

Selling off the contents...........THAT is going a bit too far in my book! I know this hobby does strange things to people, but you are having negative side efffects!

Oh, no. Don't misunderstand. Its a cabinet full of stuff I haven't looked at in years, much less fired. The stuff I shoot, I shoot - its stays !

[44Vaquero]

Left to Right: .32/.38 Special, .400 Corbon, .357/.44 B&D

Unfortunately I could not locate my only sample of the most significant Wild Cat ever produced on my bench! The .357/.38 pleated! The result of 3 things happening in the right order 1st my 10 year daughter sorting and filling the case collator on the Load-Master, 2nd not checking her work, 3rd and most importantly forgetting the cardinal rule of progressive reloading "Never push harder when meeting resistance on the loading lever!". LOL Perfect fold all the way around just below the boolit!!

When it turns up I will add it.

[jmorris]

These took care of the rabbits eating Mothers flowers.

[Jack Stanley]

jmorris , now that's really showing us the wildcats !!

Jack

[Arisaka99]

They are pretty!!!

[ASSASSIN]

My 243 WHITE EXPRESS -















This cartridge is based on the full length 444 Marlin case, necked down to 6mm, with minimum body taper and a 40 degree shoulder angle...

The gun shown weighs 29 lbs. and has a 30" barrel, 1.450" in diameter. The stock was factory weighted to ten pounds...

Accuracy wise, this gun will shoot 1/2" groups at 300 yds. and 1 1/2" or less at 600 yds...

Many deer and coyote have been "taken-out" with this gun....

ASSASSIN

[JIMinPHX]

Since the coyotes were eradicated from my neighborhood, we've been seeing an increase in wild cats. This one is the newest addition to the pack.

[Arisaka99]

Assassin, thats as much a Barrett 50cal!!!

[Longwood]

My entry.

[ASSASSIN]

Assassin, thats as much a Barrett 50cal!!!

Yes Sir it is ....

ASSASSIN

[turbo1889]

Yah, heavy guns with heavy bull barrels are really nice to shoot. Not so nice to pack though.

For a gun you intend to do a lot of packing with a compromise between the two, namely a 16 to 18 inch short carbine length bull barrel to keep the heavy barrel but ease up on the weight a little is a good plan. I've got a custom 7x57 built like that and it’s a tack driver and is still fairly easy to pack around. With a solidly fixed hooded front blade and a Korean era M-1G type rear iron peep sight with the protector ridges on each side so it is very difficult if not impossible to knock the rear sight out of adjustment, no scope, a SS barrel, and the synthetic stock I don't have to baby her at all and can still trust her to shoot straight in a pinch.

For a gun that I wasn't going to carry far from the truck I'd go with that long heavy bull barrel with a scope too, but not for packing.