Best Walk About Shot Caliber To Build- WHat Should I Build?

[Ajohns]

Obscure
Well I adore my little Martini in 380 Long.
Cases are made from 38 Long Colt, .375-80 heeled bullets can be bought or made, 3.5grs of Trailboss somehow is my lucky ticket but the same of Titegroup or 4grs of Unique work too.
But, I don't think you'll be shooting that one 200yds. It's very quiet, and accurate. I've really only shot to 50yds for my walking area of forest.

[sukivel]

I do like some of these ideas. What options are out there as a necked down 357 mag? Thinking at least 257 or bigger? Also what is involved in forming herret brass? I do have a 30-30 and a 30-30improved so they would be duplicates but anecked down version could have possibilities. All good ideas keep them coming!

256 win mag sounds perfect!


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[Don McDowell]

You're saying even [I][U].357 magnum

edit: Nah, Duck Creek has Starline in stock.

The only Duck Crerk Zi know of is a femoral stream that has a tendency to dry up in the fall
As to Starline brass that’s probably good for folks that like it
I don’t happen to be in that bunch😃

[country gent]

Another that would be interesting but a lot more forming would be the 219 Donaldson wasp. Back in its hey day it racked up a lot of bench rest wins and records

[country gent]

Another that would be interesting but a lot more forming would be the 219 Donaldson wasp. Back in its hey day it racked up a lot of bench rest wins and records

[Eddie Southgate]

Another vote for 25-20 WCF. Or the .32 S&W long , even if it not obscure. Most of the others suggested are not obscure either. I have a Piper Martini I want to have converted to .32 S&W L so I can use the L and standard S&W . Very handy cartridge for small game , L up to Coyote size and the S for rabbits and squirrels. Could do one of the modern versions of the .32 and then use all of the other cases that can use the one chamber.

[P Flados]

I do like some of these ideas. What options are out there as a necked down 357 mag? Thinking at least 257 or bigger? Also what is involved in forming herret brass? I do have a 30-30 and a 30-30improved so they would be duplicates but anecked down version could have possibilities. All good ideas keep them coming!

I seem to enjoy my contender caliber betters when I can get / make my brass from stuff that I can pick up at the range. I also like cases that are no larger in diameter than the 38/357 family or the 223 family. In a Contender, it you push things with any of these you will flatten primers before you reach any gun limits. I have 30-30 & 30 Herrett barrels and just feel a little less secure when working up loads for these rounds.

A very practical round is the 30 Badger (https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...adger-30-Reece) It uses 38 Special brass, 30 luger dies and the easily obtained 30 cal bullet molds (that you probably already have). I am not sure anyone has worked on optimizing it to be effective at your stated max range, but it should not be hard. MGM will make you a Contender barrel to your liking. If the emphasis is for the smaller side of the small game spectrum, this one loaded using 32-20 load data sounds pretty ideal.

256 win mag is a necked down 357 and was somewhat popular in contenders long ago. The round would probably be a little better suited for your max stated range, but 25 is on the small side for some applications and 357 brass is not quite as easy to source as 38 brass. I am not sure how "cast friendly" this one is.

And then I will throw in a caliber between the two above. 7 TCU uses 223 brass and works great in a Contender (I love mine and shoot it a lot). This round will be more powerful than the two above, but less of an "overkill" for small game than stuff like the 30-30 or bigger. My gun loves the Lee 128 if you do not already have suitable a 7mm mold. This one is very close to the 30 Herrett in performance, but is a little easier to make.

If you like the idea of 30 cal and want more power than the 30 Badger, consider the 300 BO. I did a Quickload study and the 300 BO will give you the same or slightly better performance in a Contender than a 30 Herrett. Case capacity is a little less, but allowed pressure is higher. Again, I like the 223 based case (both from a cost standpoint and from a diameter standpoint). Dies are easier to find than any previously mentioned round.

For both the 7 TCU and the 300 BO, rimless should not worry you at all unless there is some special concern such as use in extreme cold or bad hands/fingers.

[uscra112]

The only Duck Crerk Zi know of is a femoral stream that has a tendency to dry up in the fall

https://www.duckcreeksportinggoods.com/

[barrabruce]

30 blk rimmed short
Made with 357 magnum cases and held back blk reamer.
Use a shortened blk dies.

Pretty cheap with easy to find stuff.
Only 42psi case so velocities are a bit slower but if you would like to lob pb cast bullets out there then it will do it.
From Lee soup can to 225 grains.

[LtFrankDrebbin]

303-25... It's an Aussie thing.

[rintinglen]

I will echo the 7mm TCU recommendation. The problem I see is trying to get both the powder puff and the 200 yard requirements to play nice together. Me, I'd get a 32-20 and call it good enough, though it would leave the woodchuck at 175 yards out of range from me.

[405grain]

A single shot in an obscure cartridge? How about a 8x33 Kutz. Can't get much more obscure than that, and it's the total opposite of what a single shot was designed for. Performance should check all the OP's boxes, and would probably work good with cast loads. Besides, you'd be the only kid on the block that owns one.

[Electrod47]

Awhile back I figured I needed a walkabout gun for Coyote, Hog etc. Decided to keep it simple and fast handling. Wanted a little more punch than my lever action .22 mag. Started with a H&R SB1 frame, had a .223 Bull barrel I got got stubbed to 16 1/2" countersunk crowned.
My fav load of 55gr ballistict tip at 2700fps is plenty accurate with the red dot you see at 100 yards
The rig snaps naturally to my shoulder with both eyes on target the red dot is right there with me. I keep a few 62gr green tip on the stock for hog work.

[barrabruce]

I had a 303-25 in a mk#4
It was a soft on the shoulder shooter.

[JDHasty]

I don’t know if anyone has put 7-30 Waters up for consideration yet. We have a barrel and it’s a good Contender round.

[Good Cheer]

cumminsnut76,
Look at running 30-30 brass full length into a set of 6.8 Remington SPC dies. Make the neck length to suit whatever cast boolits you want to use.

[JDHasty]

OK, if it’s obscure you seek, there was a gunsmith named G. B. Crandall who was very well respected in his day. His shop was in Woodstock Ontario. He had a number of 303 British based wildcats, of which I think the most popular was called the VarmintR. I’m not sure where all I have read about him, but do know he was a good friend of C. S. Landis and contributed to one or two of his books. I’m fairly certain the VarmintR would completely wreck a Contender in short order, but he also designed shorter cases based on the 303 British case. Crandall relined all sorts of rifles, I have even seen a photo of 20 gauge Greener shotgun that had been reined with a Parkerifled barrel liner and converted into a varmint rifle.

[Cheap Trick]

7 TCU is about perfect for a walk around rifle. I load up 130 grain cast, with a frugal amount of 2400, for my 10" pistol barrel and hit my 10" iron target at 200 yards just about every time. Accurate soft recoil with the cast bullets and you have the option of respectable velocity with hotter loads.

[jonp]

O.P. posted:

- the more obscure cartridge the better as I do reload as long as brass and bullets are available or can be cast for.

Hornets do not qualify.

True but he did say he needed brass to be available. I took that to mean off the shelf not made from other calibers. Considering the site I should have taken that as a given.

[rbuck351]

I didn't think obscure and available brass fit together unless he is thinking available parent brass for reforming.