Are The Wildcat's Dead

[leslie hetrick]

my 444 marlin is in a winchester timber carbine(very light), i shoot a 265 gr bullet at 2000fps, it thumps on both ends.

 

[CoElkHunter]

i have been playing with this TC G1 in .375 JDJ, with 220 gr bullets, i have gotten to 2300 fps with out any pressure yet. i would like to get to 2500 fps, it should be a good deer killer. cases are made from 444 marlin cases, one easy pass thru the sizing die and they are ready to load and shoot. no fire forming needed.

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Nice cartridge!

 

[Graham Hunter]

So

It’s a 338 on a blown out 30-06 case, it is a standard cartridge in Germany but a wildcat in North America. It is similar to what a 338 Gibbs would have been if Rocky Gibbs had made one. Mine is the only one I’ve seen, I bought it used along with a 9.3x64 off of a fellow that I think needed some money, they where oddball enough that I was intrigued by them.

basically the same as my 338-06.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

my 444 marlin is in a winchester timber carbine(very light), i shoot a 265 gr bullet at 2000fps, it thumps on both ends.

@Leslie hetterick
My 444 Marlin weight 7.5 pounds with scope and 5 rounds
265 grain FTX or flat points 2,400 fps
280grain woodleigh RNSP 2,345 fps
Yes the No4 SMLE can be loaded a bit better than the marlin lever.
Yes the recoil is noticeable but it works.
Unfortunately I sold it due to a work related shoulder injury.
Bob

 

[SnowLeopard]

7 SAUM went to Africa with me 1 1/2 yrs ago. Have a 6.5 SS being built right now. Modified SAUM case that runs a 140 gr bullet at about 3200 FPS...
Bruce

My 7mm SAUM load is a 140 grain Partition over 62 grains of Hybrid 100V. (I weigh each charge to exactly 62 grains.) It is slightly compressed and I chrono 3200fps. It is a great cartridge.

 

[rookhawk]

For me, I shy away from wildcats because I don’t like the bother and generally speaking, wildcats are put into rather ugly, technologically oriented custom guns.

however, there is nothing new under the sun and some of the really nice custom rifles of elegant styling are made in some of the formidable European calibers that don’t get much traction over here, but are excellent. Others are in “gentleman’s calibers” that have been outdone by bigger/better/faster stuff at the expense of recoil and weight.

I buy the gun and suffer the caliber, rather than swear by the caliber and then search and suffer for an ugly Gun that chambers it.

Examples of calibers I like for which I’ve found no gun for which I want to own: 280AI and 257 Weatherby.

Examples of calibers I’ve owned because I really liked the gun and thus took no issue with the caliber: 7x57R, 7x64, 9.3x72r, etc.

There are more than a few best guns in 257 Robert’s, I’ll surely own one someday. A few 338/06 and 35 Whalen out there too.

 

[flatwater bill]

Bob.....since you were kind enough to ask.....I made the 264 EFH after wearing out a 264 Win Mag on culling ops. I wanted a longer neck for reloading, and went with a .545 case head diameter. Exactly 2.500 inches long and with a 30 degree shoulder. It was a bit ahead of its time, especially powder-wise. I used H870 and usually the cheap 140 grain Hornady Spire Point or the 142 Sierra MKHP. Now, Re-25 works a little better, and bullets are better too, but cost 10X as much. Despite its sizzling performance, It has never killed anything (yet) that a 260 Rem wouldn't have bagged.....................Bill

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

my 444 marlin is in a winchester timber carbine(very light), i shoot a 265 gr bullet at 2000fps, it thumps on both ends.

@Leslie hetterick
My 444 Marlin weight 7.5 pounds with scope and 5 rounds
265 grain FTX or flat points 2,400 fps
280grain woodleigh RNSP 2,345 fps
Yes the No4 SMLE can be loaded a bit better than the marlin lever.
Yes the recoil is noticeable but it works.
Unfortunately I sold it due to a work related shoulder injury.
BobView attachment 374161View attachment 374162

Bob.....since you were kind enough to ask.....I made the 264 EFH after wearing out a 264 Win Mag on culling ops. I wanted a longer neck for reloading, and went with a .545 case head diameter. Exactly 2.500 inches long and with a 30 degree shoulder. It was a bit ahead of its time, especially powder-wise. I used H870 and usually the cheap 140 grain Hornady Spire Point or the 142 Sierra MKHP. Now, Re-25 works a little better, and bullets are better too, but cost 10X as much. Despite its sizzling performance, It has never killed anything (yet) that a 260 Rem wouldn't have bagged.....................Bill

@flatwater bill
As you may have worked out I'm a wildcat nut. I know the feeling on cost of developing one of your own.
Yes there are cartridges around that will do a similar job and you can go into any gunshop and buy ammo for them.
The point is that you are using something that YOU created and developed and are taking game with that cartridge. Yes another could be used but you don't get the same feeling.
The game I hunt could be taken just as well with the 257 Roberts, 25/06 or the Weatherby but they aren't my design and built on the rifle platform I wanted. I do like my 25/303 Epps Newton improved.
When you get accuracy and velocities like this on a rifle and on cartridge y ou designed what more could you ask for.
Bob

 

[sambarhunter]

Boony made up a couple of .458 Alpine rifles about a dozen years ago here in Aus.

As Chris said "300gn projectiles at over 2780fps......"

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[leslie hetrick]

i could push the .444 marlin a little faster, but its scary accurtt at 2000 fps as is my ruger #3 and #1 with 300 gr bullets at 2000 fps. the ranges i get to shoot in the heavy woods is not much past 100 yards and most times its well under.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Boony made up a couple of .458 Alpine rifles about a dozen years ago here in Aus.

As Chris said "300gn projectiles at over 2780fps......"

Account Suspended

A shortened.300 WSM case necked up to .458. Interesting concept?

 

[Spooksar]

So

basically the same as my 338-06.

The shoulder is moved forward about .190 of a inch and the case is not as tapered. Like I say close to what a Gibbs cartridge is. It’s faster then a 338-06 which I also have, by about 200 fps

 

[CoElkHunter]

The shoulder is moved forward about .190 of a inch and the case is not as tapered. Like I say close to what a Gibbs cartridge is. It’s faster then a 338-06 which I also have, by about 200 fps

Here are the .30 Gibbs.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Factory ammo is now available for the .416 Chatfield-Taylor (it's quite popular these days.) 'Have one and love it. I always remark that I pity the idiot that steals my guns, as most have no available factory ammo. For those in the know, many Wildcats shine. Some owned were eventually SAAMI'ed (.338-06, .338 A-Sq now .338-378 Wby) and many were not, but I handload, so it's really no big deal. You must really be into guns to own wildcats. The .280 AI seems to be a fav now, but you can buy factory ammo for it anywhere. Nothing in the .30-06 case is "magic," but many are interesting...Love my 257 AI and 757 AI (oh, and the .264-300 WSM created by me!) Have a book on wildcats larger than the biggest city telephone directory...it's fantastic! 'Still working out the bugs on the .458-22 WRM (feeding issues?)

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Here are the .30 Gibbs.

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@CoElkHunter
That's why I chose a rimmed case for my wild cat. No headspace issues. Form case to caliber, pull trigger and case forms with no problems.
Bob

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter
That's why I chose a rimmed case for my wild cat. No headspace issues. Form case to caliber, pull trigger and case forms with no problems.
Bob

That’s also why belted cases are liked for wildcat cartridges, as they headspace on the belt so less of a headspace issue.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

That’s also why belted cases are liked for wildcat cartridges, as they headspace on the belt so less of a headspace issue.

@CoElkHunter
That's fine as long as the same brand of cartridge is used all the time. I know it should be standard but belt position can and do vary despite what people think. That's why it's advisable to size magnums on the datum line to avoid case separations.
Bob

 

[Spooksar]

Factory ammo is now available for the .416 Chatfield-Taylor (it's quite popular these days.) 'Have one and love it. I always remark that I pity the idiot that steals my guns, as most have no available factory ammo. For those in the know, many Wildcats shine. Some owned were eventually SAAMI'ed (.338-06, .338 A-Sq now .338-378 Wby) and many were not, but I handload, so it's really no big deal. You must really be into guns to own wildcats. The .280 AI seems to be a fav now, but you can buy factory ammo for it anywhere. Nothing in the .30-06 case is "magic," but many are interesting...Love my 257 AI and 757 AI (oh, and the .264-300 WSM created by me!) Have a book on wildcats larger than the biggest city telephone directory...it's fantastic! 'Still working out the bugs on the .458-22 WRM (feeding issues?)

I beg to differ on your 264/300 WSM it was created by me as the 6.5/300 WSM. LOL in all seriousness the minute a new case comes out people like you and I will do all kinds of things to it to make it our own. Have fun Wildcatting

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter
That's fine as long as the same brand of cartridge is used all the time. I know it should be standard but belt position can and do vary despite what people think. That's why it's advisable to size magnums on the datum line to avoid case separations.
Bob

Very true. That’s why I use the same cases in the same rifle and neck size only as much as I can. As long as the cases stay the same length and/or trimmed a little to size, I should be able to extend the life of the cases a little?
CEH

 

[CoElkHunter]

BTW, there’s a rifle for sale on GB in .375-.350 Remington Magnum. I’m not looking to buy it, but it’s an interesting wildcat and it comes with the dies. FYI.