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

[Duckiller]

Lots of wild cats end up on a gun store rack that everyone looks at but rarely buy. I have a 257 Roberts A.I. Have enough brass for sons to reasonably shoot it. They may decide that they don't need a 25 caliber rifle and try to sell it. probably get less than I paid for it used. While they are fine guns. Accurate . Most people don't want them. To have a wilcat or some really old calibers you have to be really dedicated to hunting. In addition to the wildcat I have a Model 14 in 30 Rem and a Model 71 in 348 Win. If I could find a Model 99 in 303 Savage I would probable buy it. Not sure if sons or daughter will appreciate it but it would be fun and kill deer just fine. Brass on the other hand may be a problem.

[Tom W.]

I have two, and I suspect that my sons will get them.

[Deadeye Bly]

I had one and sold it. I had a 5.6X61 Vom Hoffe Express take off barrel that I put on a 98 Mauser. The Vom hoffe case head is larger in diameter than American cases so I shortened the barrel from the back end to match the head diameter of American cases. it ended up being about 55 mm long so I called it a 5.5 x 55. I made up a loading die. I used 6mm Rem cases for the rounds. It shot 70 grain .227" or .228' diameter bullets with a full charge of 4831 for a velocity of 3400-3500 fps. It was a MOA rifle and was hell on groundhogs. Here in the Shenandoah valley coyotes moved in and ate the groundhogs and houses are popping up everywhere so shooting opportunities are limited. I listed it on Gunbroker and sold it with the dies and the remainder of the bullets and loading info to a guy in Wyoming. I hope he had room to shoot it and is still using it. I enjoyed shooting that thing.

[Rich/WIS]

I avoid the wildcats, most don't do anything that a standard caliber won't do and not interested in forming cases. Would rather spend my time shooting and casting. That said I do have a Ruger #3 in 30/40 that a previous owner converted to AI and restocked to look like a stalking rifle. Only reason I bought it was I liked the looks and making cases was simple (helped I had lots of 30/40 brass on hand). I reload and cast and didn't need the extra case capacity but it doesn't keep me from making it do what I want to do with it.

I am not condemning the practice or denigrating those who do. Many of yesterday's wildcats are the ancestors of many popular commercial cartridges, think 25/06, 280 Rem, 338/06 and many of the belted magnums. For someone who enjoys the process I say life is short so do what makes you happy. Who knows, some of today's wildcats may inspire tomorrow's commercial calibers.

[skeettx]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/845554003

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/848094809

[Harter66]

I got one from an estate thought it was a 280 AI variation ..... Turns out it was a 280 B square .

Just a .302 throat now it's a 7×57 . It's a good barrel if I cut the threads off and set it back that far I could get a 280AI back in it . I could do a rebore to 30 cal and chamber it in 06' AI or 30 Gibbs .

[Texas by God]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/845554003

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/848094809

People trying to recoup their investment but sadly probably won't.......

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[Drm50]

I've had 7 custom rifles built. In 60s had a 7mm mag built on RCBS specs, couple years later had it punched to 7mm Rem when it was standardized. The other six rifles were all standard cartridges.

I've found prices on Wildcats on both ends of the scale. You have guys who think they are going to recover the money they spent and so proud of gun even a tidy profit. A narrow market. First it's going to have to be a loader who is interested in that particular caliber. Second he is going to have to want it bad when price is leaning towards building a new one.

At actions I have seen many factory rifles punched or rebarrel to wildcats go for less than price of action. In fact I see beautiful customs sell cheap reguardless of cartridge.

I think a lot of them are gathering dust or have been rebarreled or punched to standard cartridges. When I was a kid the local varmit cult were buying 03s from DMC and having them barreled to 220 Swift. Barrels were stock unturned blanks and were left full diameter. A few years ago I decided to see if I could find one of these. I knew several of the owners and most had passed. Talked to several of the families and none still had the rifles. Most didn't even remember them. These rifles were built in early 50s and they just disappeared. My dad didn't have one, his 220 was a win 70. Our front porch was launching pad for evening groundhog safaris and I saw lots of these rifles the owners called Bull Guns.

[22cf45]

I inherited one from a friend which he dreamed up. He called it a 7mm A&T. Basically a 300 win mag case blown out a little in the body. I stripped the fine Marquart barrel off the receiver and barreled it up in a standard cartridge. According to his records, he only put around 40 rounds thru the barrel. It is really a shame since it is such a fine barrel, it needs to be used somehow. My gunsmith says there are several cartridges that will clean up the chamber to something more common. Maybe someone will come along who needs it.
Phil

[Three44s]

How about a 257 STW?

Does that count? LOL!

I have two nephews that are shooters and hunters. I have hopes that they get my love for guns as they are more hunter than shooter. I have some Savage bolt guns and a fair patch of barrels for them. Wildcats? Well that 257 STW plus a 338-06 and a 30 BR thrown in for laughs and giggles.

Three44s

[richhodg66]

Lots of wild cats end up on a gun store rack that everyone looks at but rarely buy. I have a 257 Roberts A.I. Have enough brass for sons to reasonably shoot it. They may decide that they don't need a 25 caliber rifle and try to sell it. probably get less than I paid for it used. While they are fine guns. Accurate . Most people don't want them. To have a wilcat or some really old calibers you have to be really dedicated to hunting. In addition to the wildcat I have a Model 14 in 30 Rem and a Model 71 in 348 Win. If I could find a Model 99 in 303 Savage I would probable buy it. Not sure if sons or daughter will appreciate it but it would be fun and kill deer just fine. Brass on the other hand may be a problem.

The .303s aren't that rare and brass is available now (PPU). After that, it loads just like anything else.

I highly doubt I'd ever build a wildcat rifle. I might buy one if it was a really cool rifle and the price was right, but I have to go along with the mind set that no wildcat could do anything a factory chambering can't do just as well.

[richhodg66]

Found this one poking around on gunbroker. Have to admit the .219 Wasp always intrigued me from a historical perspective, but I don't have the masochist tendencies to take it on.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/848629479

[Good Cheer]

These days my wilder kitties are muzzleloaders. There's so many "deer rifles" out there that with a little brain sweat you can make something fairly low cost that's fun to play with.

[KenT7021]

I never considered the 5.6x61 Vom Hofe to be a wildcat.It was a factory cartridge in Europe.I have one that I built years ago on a M98 action.I also have it's big brother,the 7x66 Vom Hofe.The only true wildcat I have is the 7x68 Askins.It's a necked down 8x68S case.

[country gent]

I think there is also a difference in cartridge terminology here that needs some defining. There are improved cartridges , a factory round can be loaded and fired in its chamber blowing the case out to the new shape. These are along the lines of the Ackley improved cartridges.

A lot of wildcats have a niche and have been made legitimate cartridges, 22-250, 7mm 08, 243 win, 25-06,338 /308, 30-378 and the likes a lot have been given legitimate status. Most were thought to improve accuracy, consistency, or velocity. Some were simply desighned to use a heavier bullet at the same velocities. Some were done to help improve case life ( 22 k hornet 218 mashburn bee) some to improve accuracy 6PPC 218 donaldson wasp. The 30-378 and 6.5.284 got their start on the 1000yd range's as long range rounds.

Then there are the obsolete cases that ammo and or cases arnt readily available but can be made from an existing case. The Donaldson wasp falls into this and the .222 rem is fast becoming.

One thing to remember with a wildcat is there may be several versions out there with the same basic name but slight differences in design. Most factory legitimized are slightly changed to aid production. When acquiring one of these rifles a chamber cast should be done to find the exact version,

[Bent Ramrod]

Finding and messing with wildcats stopped being fun when the cost of forming and loading dies went through the roof. Unless the seller can find a crank just like himself, they will never realize the costs involved. Performance has been more than covered by the plethora of factory cartridges out there (many even less rational and enduring than wildcats), so the latter have nothing to offer but more or less complicated operations to make and load the shells.

I would imagine that most of them are rechambered or rebarreled for factory cartridges. Greatbatch’s book on Pope barrels mentioned that there was a .28 caliber “Pope Special” cartridge that Harry had arrived at by necking the .32 Ideal down to 7mm caliber. It’s rare to find an original barrel now; most were rechambered to the .28-30 (many by Pope himself) to use the then more available factory shells.

I see a few single shots in things like .219 Zipper Improved and 6mm Ackley Krag that stay on the same Gun Show tables for a decade, at the same price.

[Texas by God]

I ran a 22-250 reamer into a 6.5 Jap so I wouldn't have to buy expensive brass. I wasn't satisfied with 2-1/2" groups at 100 yards so I rebarreled that 38 Arisaka to 8x57. The only wildcat I've ever had. I called it the 26- 250 lol.

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[firefly1957]

I have like others here seen a few for sale over the years some had real nice wood engraving ect. and were very high priced others never seemed to sell ? Above someone put it about right getting the right dies is all important and having new does made is expensive.

[wnc435]

As many as I can get into the gun safes. I think it is a lot of fun to work up loads, fire form brass. Another reason to cast and swage more bullets. Less time trimming or replacing brass. longer barrel life, get to use all that cheap surplus powder. When your out P-Dog hunting nobody ask to borrow ammo. Can still use std. ammo. Also leaves the ones that others aren't shooting, the looong shots. You know that you are having a successful hunt when it takes a 5 min walk to verify the hits. Can't see through the mounds yet. Just a lot of fun to play with them!

[richhodg66]

A few years ago, a guy I know who works at an LGS had a beautiful custom rifle from the 50s chambered in 7mm Gradle Express which is a 7mm wildcat made on .348 Winchester cases with the rims removed. Terrific piece of workmanship, even had a set of dies and a Balvar scope mounted up, price was around $600.

Brass would be easier now than it was when the rifle was made as it looked awfully close to the various Winchester Short Magnums and I'm pretty sure .300 WSM brass would have worked fine. Maybe I should have bought it, just couldn't see what it could do for me that other stuff I already have couldn't do as well.