Wildcats from the .450 Marlin

[Viral_SIGness]

I wonder if anyone has ever tried necking the .450 Marlin down to .375" ? Seems like that would be one awesome lever gun to have. Performance wise, it would be on par with the .376 Steyr, and using Hornady's 300 DGX would prevent problems in the mag tube.

 

[bruce moulds]

i know a guy that might like it necked down to 358 cal
bruce.

 

[Nevada Mike]

.348 Marlin?

 

[Boyd Brooks]

I will take one necked to 358 as well! Love the 35’s.
Having a 450 Marlin bolt rifle being built on a Commercial Mauser right now.
Never thought to wildcat it!

 

[Viral_SIGness]

I will take one necked to 358 as well! Love the 35’s.
Having a 450 Marlin bolt rifle being built on a Commercial Mauser right now.
Never thought to wildcat it!

I'm great at creating wildcat cartridges, but don't have the means to act on every one.

It would make you a heck of a .358. Call it the .357 SFM (stolen from Marlin)

 

[M McDindi]

Don't know about wildcats from this parent case but, I LOVE the round. Have a couple of Marlin levers in it and a custom Ruger 77 (tang safety) and a pre-64 Win 70 in 450M. The bolts I load a bit above published max's for the Marlin 1895M lever guns. 350gr TSX's and 325gr Cutting Edge Bullets brass solids at chrono'd 2300fps. Puts them just over 4000 ft/lbs at the muzzle. Primers still have just a little rounding at the shoulders.

Also have a couple of Marlin levers and 3x Siamese Mausers in 45-70, The 450 Marlins seem to cycle/feed easier and smoother than the 45-70s. I dearly wish the 450Marlin had been out when all those Siamese Mausers were flowing back to the US and being converted to 45-70. Would have given the 450M a really, really good life.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I’m just curious, but if building it on a bolt action, why not build the 458 win mag? That way you can load it all the way up if you want.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

I’m just curious, but if building it on a bolt action, why not build the 458 win mag? That way you can load it all the way up if you want.

Just to be different. I already own a few different rifles, 416 Taylor, 358 Norma and a 308 Norma.

 

[Viral_SIGness]

Just to be different. I already own a few different rifles, 416 Taylor, 358 Norma and a 308 Norma.

The .308 Norma, now that is a classy round.

 

[M McDindi]

In my case, I didn't build them, someone else did. The Ruger I picked up kind of by happenchance at a local gunshow. Has a fluted Shilen barrel and no iron sights. Stock had some water like stains in the finish and the bluing had some blemishes. $400 out the door. Shot MUCH better than I expected, fed very clean and smooth. Had my smith Cerakote it in matte. Little steel wool with Johnsons paste wax sorted out the stock issues just fine.

The Winchester I picked up off Gunbroker 10-12 years ago. Was listed for a long time at $750.00 and no takers. The day I decided to get it, it was gone - damn. A month or so later it was back. Decided to contact the seller. Turns out he was the G/S who built it. He had a client ask him to make it and specified the pre-64 action, blue printed, half octagon/half round barrel and laminate stock and Timney trigger. G/S told him he (client) would have to provide the action and put 1/2 the build $$ up front. Client did both. A number of months go by, G/S gets it done and tries to contact client. Phone disconnected, emails not returned and certified letters come back. G/S wait for 3-years for the client to contact him. Nothing. So he puts it up on GB just to try and get his money out of it Have to admit, it looks a bit odd in the pictures but once it came in it looks a LOT better in hand. Leupold VX-R 1.25-4 on it. Been to Africa with it a number of times with it and LOVE it. Sub-MOA with those 350 TSX's. Taken a dozen or so gemsbok and a kudu with it and have only recovered one bullet. Gemsbok, frontal chest and recovered just under the skin in a hind quarter.

Edited to add: In keeping somewhat in line with the OP's original question. It might be a stretch but maybe doing the 450M in a bolt action could be considered a bit of a "wildcat". Just have the benefit of not having to have custom dies made. Oh and IF you wanted to use it in Africa, the headstamps on the brass have to match the caliber engraved on the rifle too.

 

[M McDindi]

Here's a pic of the Win 70 with the kudu from NW Namibia in 2013. Longest horn field taped at 60 1/8" three times. After 30-days drying and measured by the taxidermist who is SCI and RW certified using the steel cable it was 59 7/8".

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I wonder if anyone has ever tried necking the .450 Marlin down to .375" ? Seems like that would be one awesome lever gun to have. Performance wise, it would be on par with the .376 Steyr, and using Hornady's 300 DGX would prevent problems in the mag tube.

@Viral_SIGness
Even a 35/450 marlin would be awesome
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I will take one necked to 358 as well! Love the 35’s.
Having a 450 Marlin bolt rifle being built on a Commercial Mauser right now.
Never thought to wildcat it!

@Boyd Brooks
I had the same thought my man. Great minds think alike. I know @bruce moulds thought I was the only mad one here, but I think the smart people own 35s and are willing to experiment and make good things better.
The only thing is will it be any better than the 350 Remington mag. The capacity of the rem mag is around 60 grains. What's the capacity of the 450? It would have to be 70+ grains to make it worthwhile.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I’m just curious, but if building it on a bolt action, why not build the 458 win mag? That way you can load it all the way up if you want.

@Wyatt Smith
Don't go ruining an interesting post on wildcating ideas mate. Why have a boring old 458 when you can have fun, as you will learn with your 25.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The .308 Norma, now that is a classy round.

@Viral_SIGness
The 358 Norma is very underrated as well. If it was marketed properly when it came out we might not have the 338. But alas it's another case of NIH ( Not Invented Here phobia).
Do you know the case capacity of the 450 marlin.
Bob

 

[bruce moulds]

@Boyd Brooks
I had the same thought my man. Great minds think alike. I know @bruce moulds thought I was the only mad one here, but I think the smart people own 35s and are willing to experiment and make good things better.
The only thing is will it be any better than the 350 Remington mag. The capacity of the rem mag is around 60 grains. What's the capacity of the 450? It would have to be 70+ grains to make it worthwhile.
Bob

bob, the big worry would be if i thought i was the only sane one here.
bruce.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Case cap is appox 77gr of water! Dare to be different! Great way to start conversation.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Neck it down to 30 and load it with 220 round noses. It would make a real good lever round.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Case cap is appox 77gr of water! Dare to be different! Great way to start conversation.

@Boyd Brooks
Sort of sits between the Whelen and the Norma so it only has the cool factor. A lot of work for not much gain. Me thinks I will just stoke the Whelen up and go and shoot stuff and have fun. I have 2 Wildcats so that will do me.
Good ideas tho for someone.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Neck it down to 30 and load it with 220 round noses. It would make a real good lever round.

@Wyatt Smith
Already been done by Browning in the BLR in 300 win mag and I think 300 WSM same results.
Bob.