Where do all of the wildcat rifles go when owner die ?

[444ttd]

I have a 25/303 Sportco on a Lithgow SMLE action with a long skinny SMLE profile barrel. Amazingly accurate with a small muzzle blast suppressor mounted, with 87gr bullets. It was an 'official' production wildcat made by simply necking down a 303 Brit. That rifle and cartridge has more appeal to me than a modern 243 Winchester. Give me a 25/303 in a Handi rifle and I would over the moon!

A wildcat that interests me is a 303/30-40. Or simply, a long necked 303 Brit using a 30-40 case - for cast boolits (in a Handi rifle). Actually, make that a 35-40 and I'll call it good.

here in the US, go to JES Reboring. he has does a 35/40 krag. in NZ, i don't know.

i have a 35/30 (JES Reboring) in win m94 with a williams fp sight, that i just luv. 200gr rcbs fn gc with 20.0gr of 2400/dacron (1726fps) is my deer/black bear load.

i don't if it is a wildcat, but i have a 20 vartarg(221 rem fireball) in a tc encore with a 23" MGM barrel. a 32gr hornady vmax with 18.7gr of rel7 and it is a one hole group. .1 - .2" at 100 yards(5 shots/benched). nowadays its a 34gr(midsouth/midway) hp with 18.5gr of rel7 and while its not a 1 holer, it goes .3 -.5" at 100 yards(5 shots/benched). my 20vt is around a 300-350 yards rifle. in the areas i hunt, 200 yards is the maximum. its my groundhog, fox, 'yote, soda can, rock rifle.

the last picture i was fireforming my loads and it is a 200 yard target.

[JSH]

There are three shops fairly close to me. Up until about 15 years ago I would receive a call fairly often for wildcat rifles of various makes models and forms. I bought some pretty nice rifles for cheap, or I thought. All of the tinkering and figuring I would have to do on some of them it just wasn’t worth it anymore.

Looked at one a while ago. Was told it was a 224 Clark. Happened to have some fired brass from one. It wasn’t a Clark nor a 22TTH. No dies,notes,ammo or anything with it. Offer I made was basically for the action, fellow acted like I insulted him. His idea of custom and mine were miles apart.
Lol, I have enough projects.

[Good Cheer]

The other day was thinking again about a rifle re-do and dang it (must have been the influence of this thread) I thought about who it would be left to.

[lightman]

Custom rifles and wildcats are more valuable to the owners than to other shooters. Some of the value depends on the caliber. I only have 2 wildcats, a 22-250AI and a 357 Herrett. The 22-250AI is a Remington 700 with a custom barrel and the chamber was cut from the beginning to be AI. The Herrett is a Contender barrel so its a lesser value to deal with. The 22-250AI is marked and the Herrett barrel is factory and also is marked.

Wildcats are fun to play with, just don't expect to come out very well financially.

[fiberoptik]

"I have way too many guns already"

Must be a typo!

So how many IS too many??
When we moved, wifey & daughter were counting them & said,”You have 25 guns!!!” I thought to myself, ”you missed a few…!”


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[fiberoptik]

What an ugly stock!!

FuuuUgly!! Seen better 2x4’s


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[TRX]

A friend bought a very nice '98K Mauser sporter, with an aftermarket barrel marked "7mm". When it failed to accept a 7x57 he called me for help.

In the end, we determined that the "7mm" barrel was .25 caliber, but though the bolt would accept a .25-06, the bolt wouldn't close on it. We figured it was one of the inexpensive "Adams & Bennett" barrels Midway used to sell short-chambered. A few turns of a .25-06 reamer fixed it up.

[dtknowles]

I only really have one wildcat. It is a original Remington Hepburn action with a new barrel and stocks in 25 Krag AI.

With dies and brass, no big deal for any competent reloader.

Tim

[Outpost75]

My plan is to gift my wildcats to people who know what they are, so they will get the dies and kit which goes with them, and hopefully make plans do accomplish this before my eventual demise.

[Jedman]

My plan is to gift my wildcats to people who know what they are, so they will get the dies and kit which goes with them, and hopefully make plans do accomplish this before my eventual demise.

That's also my plan !

Jedman

[Rich/WIS]

Never been into wildcat cartridges, but lucked into a scoped Ruger #3 that had been rechambered from 30/40 to 30/40AI at a reasonable price. Since the only forming required was to shoot regular 30/40 to get brass I jumped on it as I had a good stash of brass for my Krag. I normally neck size only but decided to get a set of dies for when a full resize was needed. Dies were available from CH but had to send two fired cases as they had four drawings for the case. Surprise, mine did not match any of the drawings they had but they suggested dies for a round called 30/40 Lambert that would work if backed off .025 from the shell holder, $80 later had dies. Only bad on mine is the blowing out of the case also shortened the neck to about the same length as the neck on a 30/06, shorter than I would like for cast but still adequate for shorter bullets like the 311291. Still watch the various forum/auction sites for a take off 30/40 barrel but if one doesn't turn up can live with the rifle as is.

[jonp]

You know, I never thought about it. I just assumed they were sold at auction or gunshows or something but I can't remember ever seeing one in a wildcat caliber or conversion. I'm not talking about a 338-06 or 25-06, although I can't remember the last time I saw one of those, but something a person put together for a reason or just messing around. Huh...

[Shawlerbrook]

Even at 62, when I want a custom or wildcat rifle, the last thing I think about is what will happen to it when I’m gone.

[gnoahhh]

With no heirs (I'm the last of the bloodline) I hope to heck that I have a chance to see that all my odd ball stuff (which is mostly what I own) is gifted to deserving parties as well as the kit with which to manage them. Barring that, I guess I won't care because I'll be dead. I'll leave word to throw my doors open and advertise in the "oddball shooting community" to come and help yourselves. My way of guaranteeing that a lot of other poor slobs are entertained/vexed as thoroughly as I have been. (But y'all can't have my Winchester M54 .22 K-Hornet with Targetspot scope. I'm taking that one with me.)

[popper]

Just thinking and you guy have the experience, how about a 30/30 shortened to 300BO length with a 30/30 length neck? 9mm or 30 cal. sized? Anybody done anything like that?

[bruce drake]

With no heirs (I'm the last of the bloodline) I hope to heck that I have a chance to see that all my odd ball stuff (which is mostly what I own) is gifted to deserving parties as well as the kit with which to manage them. Barring that, I guess I won't care because I'll be dead. I'll leave word to throw my doors open and advertise in the "oddball shooting community" to come and help yourselves. My way of guaranteeing that a lot of other poor slobs are entertained/vexed as thoroughly as I have been. (But y'all can't have my Winchester M54 .22 K-Hornet with Targetspot scope. I'm taking that one with me.)

I'd adopt you as my 3rd dad...

[Good Cheer]

Just thinking and you guy have the experience, how about a 30/30 shortened to 300BO length with a 30/30 length neck? 9mm or 30 cal. sized? Anybody done anything like that?

Maybe like a .30 Herret wih the neck left a little longer?

Once upon a time I wanted to try a .375 (chopped off 30-30 cases) in a Ruger Security Six but let a gun smith talk me out of it.

[KCSO]

I have a fellow now who is 96 and getting out of shooting. We are selling his guns and unfortunately the wildcats are selling slow and cheap. A custom T/C in 321 Bull Schutzen with dies and cases and bullet mould. No Bids. A Browning 1885 in 40 82 Match with MVA sights 900 and no takers yet. If you are looking to leave money for the family a wildcat is not the way to go.

[popper]

Chopped the neck off and ran through a 9mm die - rimmed 358 straight wall pigmy with more case capacity (~75% of 30/30) than 350 legion. Actually as I didn't trim the mouth it went in the die crooked so barely a shoulder on one side only. Effectively same 'straight wall' as the legion. 358 or 357 barrel?

[willk]

Both XP-100’s. One in 7TCU (which was offered by Thompson Center) and a 300 Whisper Clone. (Now virtually identical to the 300 Blackout.). All of our other custom XP’s and the one Savage Striker were chambered in standard rounds though they often differed in barrel twists