Wildcat appreciation thread

[Micky Duck]

still have a hankering for a .224 faster twist 22hp savage...... best of the old and the new....

[Grantn]

Purchased a 375WSM. 300WSM necked up to 375. Working up a load. Should end up with 250gn going about 2500fps out of a 17inch barrel.

[blip]

do you still get separation problems or is that more the action causing it

[akaroa1]

do you still get separation problems or is that more the action causing it

Never had separation problems
30-30 just lacks boiler room
I just wanted a little more horsepower

[Basenjiboy]

I have a 25-08 (or 25 Souper as it was called in some reloading books)

In all honesty, it performs just the same as 243/257 Rob/260/6.5 creed when the latter are loading light - but I just wanted to be different

[Friwi]

I have a reamer in 6.5-7mm weatherby aka 264 brooks. ( I might part with it if someone is interested. )
I also have a 7-30-30 AI, a 30 ppc, and a 458 socom among others…

There is a 7-307 AI reamer ,cheap, on pacific tool and gauge web site at the moment.

[Von Gruff Knives]

Seeing the 6.5's mentioned lets me include my own 6.5Grendel-max.
I Had a very real interest in the 6.5 Grendel but because it was developed for the AR platform had to be kept to pressure and length parrameters that worked for the AR but I felt there was enough left on the table with the cartridge to gain from a re design so got the reamer specs and drew up a case with the shoulder pushed .05 further forward and tightened up the chamber neck to BR clearances, lengthened the freebore for my desired cartridge OA length for the 123gn A Max and later the SST. I sent the print off to mansons and when it arrived I had a match barrel chambered for it. To do the loading I wanted to be able to use the standard Grendel dies and to do so all I had to do was epoxy a .05 spacer on the shell holder bump faces so it would hold the case that same .05 from full engagement with the sizing die. I expanded the necks of the grendel brass to 30 cal then added a .006 tempory spacer to the permanent .05 spacer to give me a crush value when chambering for the first fire-forming loads after which I neck sized only and loaded in a Wilson BR die using an Arbor press but my pest shooter friend who eventually bought the reamer and has chambered 3 barrels for it so far is simply using the Forster FLS die and load dies for very good results. My Grendel-Max gains over the standard Grendel with 2700fps for the 123gn bullet and 2950fps for the 100gn TTSX. I bought a mini mauser action and removed the mag holding screw so I could add length to get the 2.470 internal length to hold the2.405 OAL cartridge with the 123gn bullet seated out to that length. Changed the bolt handle to give a decent length to it and made a stock to hold it all and in testing with CFE223 giving me excellent accuracy I have used this little rifle that weighs in at 6 1/2 lb with sling, scope and ready for the hill where it has taken a great number of animals mostly goats but with the last one a big red at 235m early this year.
My reamer print.


This is the standard Grendel on the left with my Grendel-Max


New bolt handle and tempory mag extension to make sure it all worked before doing the final extension.


Rifle with a barrel weight to replace the much longer suppressor but I found I didn't need the suppressor or the weight so now the barrel is bare with thread protector only.


Testing loads and settled on the 32.6gn CFE223

[Mathias]

Been there and enjoyed the reloading & fun of development.
1x 257AI lovely work by Parker Ackley, he stated it was one of his best improvements based on increase in velocity per volume.
2x 260Imp 30 Deg Improved. Bought the reamer from JGS & custom dies from the developer Robert Whitley in the US. With RL26 it would run close to the 6.5PRC with about 10gr less powder. About the perfect bore to case capacity ratio for a 6.5mm.

[Micky Duck]

the 6mm-30/30 idea--concept is interesting one...we already have the 7mm walters a 30/30 necked down to 7mm and these days the smaller cased 6mm get a lot of praise sung thier way...maybe just maybe the smaller 30/30 case isnt as big of handicap as first thought???

[Marty Henry]

Blokes in sheds will always tinker around with things to make improvements even if sometimes the improvement is only in their eyes.
I consider the 22/250 still exemplifies one of the best ever wildcats. It was offered to Winchester as a candidate for a high velocity .22 in 1934. Ultimately they went sideways and the 220 swift came from the 6mm lee.
Undeterred Wotkyns persevered and in 1937 the 22 varminter was offered as a wildcat. It proved very popular with the gopher shooting fraternity amongst others, so much so that it became a commercial number in 1964

[Von Gruff Knives]

Another in the safe is a 20 Vartarg which is essentially the Rem 221 Fireball necked to 20 cal and it will run the 35gn Berger to 3735fps in the Rem XR100 BR single shot action and bull barrel. Shooting 1/4 inch was easy with the best ever being a .084. Best cold barrel shot was 350 meters on a rabbit.

[Friwi]

The vartag turbo, I think based of the 222, has a bit more of my interest ;-) because 221 fireball brass is hard to come by now days.

[Von Gruff Knives]

The vartag turbo, I think based of the 222, has a bit more of my interest ;-) because 221 fireball brass is hard to come by now days.

I made a lot from 222 brass starting with a 222 neck die then the 20 cal neck, shortened and turned to suit. Enjoyable few hours in the loading room.

[Von Gruff Knives]

Another I played with was what I called the 400 Lee Speed.
1900 BSA MLA sporting rifle action and bought in a barrel with short chambered 405 winchester chamber that I lengthened with chambering reamer till the 405 Win case shortened by .2 was a neat fit. Had a 320gn cast bullet mould made and cast up a pile of bullets then made a stock for the rifle in the Lee Speed style, changed the 10 shot mag into a single stack 6 shot and started the fun. 320 gn at 1900 fps was a great toy but it got your attention when taken up to 2100fps.

[-BW-]

Another I played with was what I called the 400 Lee Speed.
1900 BSA MLA sporting rifle action and bought in a barrel with short chambered 405 winchester chamber that I lengthened with chambering reamer till the 405 Win case shortened by .2 was a neat fit. Had a 320gn cast bullet mould made and cast up a pile of bullets then made a stock for the rifle in the Lee Speed style, changed the 10 shot mag into a single stack 6 shot and started the fun. 320 gn at 1900 fps was a great toy but it got your attention when taken up to 2100fps.

That, is flippin awesome