Ever start reloading with a wildcat?

[dukedurham]

Just curious, has anyone ever learned to reload by starting with a wildcat? If you did, or started wildcatting quickly after learning to reload, please share your experience.

 

[357Mag]

Duke -

Howdy !

Yeh, I myself did. I started CF rifle re-loading on .22-250, then went-on to designing, case forming' and loading/re-loading my wildcat .22-35 Remington.

I wanted a hyper-accurate/ flat shooting anti-groundhog cartridge that could out-perform .22-250; and serve as a dual'role' varmint/target round. I also wanted ( IMHO ) ideal case capacity for shooting .22" cal 55gr varmint bullets... from a 24" 1-14 barrel.

.22-35 met and/or exceeded my goals & expectations. Fred Sinclair was my rifle smith, back then.

I shot the 24" 1-14 for 20+ yr, and it got me into the 500yd club... on a 510 yd groundhog kill.
I again chambered in .22-35, when I re-barreled the rifle w/ a 28" K & P 1-8.

The 28" 1-8 barrel and Hornady 75 "A"-Max made my .22-35 a valid 1,000yd varmint/target combo.
I never did get to try for that 1,000yd kill on a 'hog, before moving form NE Indiana Jul 2009.

Going into wildcatting fairly early-on IS do-able, fer sher; if you've studied-up on internal/external ballistics; and cartridge design.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[dukedurham]

Good deal mag. That's what I like hearing

 

[dukedurham]

I too am looking for "something more" than 22-250, but have to stay in 22cal by law. A couple years ago I got the bug to shoot long range and after a stint with a 308, started getting posts together for a 6.5cal build until that had to be mothballed for another day. Fast forward... A farmer employed me to dispatch some groundhogs that are doing some serious damage on his property. So I start thinking, what about using the components I have presently to hot rod and really kill two birds? Long range AND groundhog eradication. Hence the inquiry. Maybe more folks did the same. Let's hear from you....

 

[jr600yd]

I learned from my grandfather. He wanted a deer cartridge with a little more umph. He rebarreled his Rem 700 30/06 to 6.5/06. In those days 6.5's were not in vogue. That 6.5/06, my grandfather and I put a lot of venison in the freezer over the years. Yup I still got it.

 

[357Mag]

Duke -

We can take some of the discusion over to PM's.... if so desired.

Lot's to talk about.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[dukedurham]

I most certainly will hit you up after work. Thanks Mag. Respond at your leisure...

 

[jonbearman]

My first was 5.7 Johnson spitfire and graduated to the 6.5x257 Roberts in an old pre war arisaka, I still have another one but I sold both and am kicking myself because both were amazingly accurate and hot for the time period. You might try varmint als eclectic web pages. There is a ton of wildcat imfo over there to use or at least learn some ins and outs. If you have any questions you can Pm me also.

 

[dukedurham]

thanks jon- I will take you up on that for sure

 

[vlcakc]

Yes! I started with the 22/250. Hey, that's not a wildcat you say! Well it was when I started! My first centerfire was a really nice custom '98 Mauser with a varmint weight barrel, aftermarket trigger with side safety, Bishop stock, K-6 Weaver on a Redfield Jr mount. I bought it from the Washington Hardware Co, Tacoma, Wn. just before I was discharged from the Army at Ft. Lewis in 1959. I paid the princely sum of $55.00 for it (Washington's Birthday, big sale) without the scope and also bought some Norma 250 Savage brass, RCBS die set, IMR 4320 powder, Sisk 55 gr bullets and some Winchester primers. I later bought a C&H press, Ohaus scales (which I still use) and a Lyman 55 powder measure. The K-6 Weaver (which I also still have) cost $37.50. That old rifle would easily shoot under and inch at 100 yards (and quite often less) which was considered fine accuracy in those days. Sure wish I'd kept it! Vic

 

[dukedurham]

Vlc, thanks for that. If I remember correctly, was it you that did a 22 call version on the Creedmoor case? That's interesting to me as I think it would be just about right for what I'm looking to do. Outside chance of a 22x47 Lapua since it's pretty close too.

 

[vlcakc]

I've mangled (er.. reformed) and fire formed a lot of brass over the years, 22/250 AI, 244 Rem AI, 6PPC, 6X47 L, 7JDJ#2, 307-5/8, 17 MIV, etc. and the latest the 17/204. I do have a 22X47 L, but have never messed with the Creedmoor case. A 22 Creedmoor sounds interesting though. I have done a 22 XC though, well kinda. I used Norma 6 XC cases to form 22/250 AI before Lapua made 22/250 brass. That was pretty easy and worked out well. Good shooting! Vic

 

[13red56]

I too jumped into the wildcat world fairly quick. I started with 243Win and 270Win about a yr after I started I acquired a 22-243 with and improved 35* shoulder. It's close to a 22-243 AI as far as case capacity. My experience has been fantastic with that cartridge. So much so I plan to have PTG make a dealer to match my chamber since I already have a set of dies that match it. My barrel is an 8 twist and I'm running the Berger &0.5's at 3620 with Retumbo.
I am a fan of the wildcat stuff I have since built a 243AI, 6 Creedmoor, 6-06, 223AI, and a 6.5 Creedmoor(which isn't technically a wildcat but it's a great cartridge and design). Feel free to PM me with any questions and maybe I could help.

 

[Brians356]

I started with 223 Rem and 270 Win, then had to have a wildcat - a quarter-bore, and an AI of some flavor. I read all I could find about Ackleys, including P.O. Ackley's book, of course. I determined the AI which yielded the highest percentage velocity increase (not counting the old rimmed 25-35 I think) was the 250/3000 AI, and in addition it was said to yield excellent accuracy as well (Sierra uses a 250 AI for all their 25-cal bullet testing) so I just had to have one. Every gunsmith I talked to about building me one tried to talk me into the 257 Roberts AI, but I wasn't having it. I'm glad I stuck to my guns, as the 250 AI is the cutest little overachiever cartridge, to my eye, and mine is very accurate.

 

[dukedurham]

I have never loaded a factory round in my life, and by that I mean 223, 308 etc. BUT, I'm bitten by this idea of a better mouse trap of a long range groundhog/fun rifle. So, starting with a wildcat REALLY is starting... Yikes. Am I dumb or what?

 

[GNERGY]

I owned a 22 rimfire and started reading about hunting groundhogs and shooting them at long distances. I bought a Mark X Mauser action, well I was 16 and my Mom signed for it. I ordered a McGowen barrel from the back of my NRA magazine in .25 cal. I took it to Pete at Cleveland Custom Gun and had him chamber it in .25-06. It was a 28 inch 1.250 dia barrel. It was a wildcat back in 1970. Then I ordered an Unertl 2 inch target scope in 24X and bought a piece walnut and took it into woodshop at school and made a stock ( heavy benchrest style ) all while I was working at Krogers packing bags making $2.15 an hour. I used once fired military brass that I had to get rid of the military crimp in the primers. The farthest I hit a groundhog at was in southern Ohio at 454 paces. That's how I got into reloading. My next rifle was a 7mm/300Wby to try and kill a grounghog at 1000 yds. Never got to do that though.
Tarey

 

[Brians356]

The farthest I hit a groundhog at was in southern Ohio at 454 paces. That's how I got into reloading. My next rifle was a 7mm/300Wby to try and kill a grounghog at 1000 yds. Never got to do that though.

I once read an article in Varmint Hunter (I think) about a guy building a rifle for 800-yard rockchucking. He used the RWS 8x68mm case and necked it down to 25 cal, and possibly even improved the body as well. With a long barrel it was several hundred fps faster than a 257 Weatherby. He did make a one-shot 800-yard kill in the Owyhee country of SE Idaho - not so impressive now as when he wrote about it, what with the improvements in long-range accuracy since then.

I think there's a wildcat in Ackley's book called 25 Gibbs which is pretty much the same.

Edit: Hmmm, the wildcat I'm thinking of might be the .257 Arch. The 25 Gibbs is an extremely improved 30-06 case.

[Biographical note: Gibbs lived in Viola, ID, not too far (out west, anyway) from Dr. Arch, who lived near Moses Lake, WA.]

 

[Richard Jones]

Would that be the 257 Banshee?

 

[Brians356]

Would that be the 257 Banshee?

Yes! Where did I read that article? [Ne'mind, it was Rich Kayser in P.S. magazine.)

That's much bigger/faster than 257 Arch, which is equivalent to the 257 Weatherby (I just found Arch data online.)

 

[CooperNV]

I started with 20VT, 22BR and 6BR.