Wildcat Cartridges, What would you build?

[Iwillylike2shoot]

Would there be any place for a cartridge designed to scale the 6br up to a 7mm. I'm thinking taking a magnum case and shortening it up to make it look like a 6br but it's a 7mm.

The purpose would be to keep the short square powder charge characteristics of the BR case but give it a little more power for the 7mm or 30 cals.

Would that essentially be a wssm?

 

[spife7980]

Would there be any place for a cartridge designed to scale the 6br up to a 7mm. I'm thinking taking a magnum case and shortening it up to make it look like a 6br but it's a 7mm.

The purpose would be to keep the short square powder charge characteristics of the BR case but give it a little more power for the 7mm or 30 cals.

Would that essentially be a wssm?

I’ve read if you scale a 6br up you get pretty darn close to a 300 wsm

 

[Highbrass]

I gravitate towards the 7mm stuff myself.
Every time I brainstorm some new and awesome wildcat, after a bit of research I always find out someone else has done it or something close.
7-08 AI and 280 AI come to mind. As does 7mm SAUM and & 7mmWSM

 

[lariat]

338-06. This is where I want to go.

 

[Shooter McGavin]

Thinking about .277 wolverine, but I will probably hold off for a while. Tough to do new caliber in these times.

 

[iceng]

338-06. This is where I want to go.

You mean the 338 Sabi basically ?

 

[Steel head]

Sigh...now you've got me thinking about ways to wildcat .300NM

7mm Norma magnum?



338/375 Swiss P should be interesting.
I’m guessing it’s around 105ish grains of capacity.

 

[lariat]

You mean the 338 Sabi basically ?

No. 338-06 A-square.

 

[mahlv]

Just got done with a hunt using my new 7sst(sherman short tactical). I got a load worked up in a 22" barrel that's definitely on the hot side, but intent is for 1-3 shots at an animal as opposed to 10-12 shots in match situations. 175gr berger elite hunters going 2970fps, rl26 powder and mag primers. Have had great success with these bullets on elk and now this ram I harvested. I've always had a little affinity for the 7mm stuff, this build has exceeded my expectations in every way.

 

[Cookie1125]

Bought a .357AR barrel and it was delivered a month before the 350 legend was announced. Still glad I went with a .358 bore barrel though. Another round I am interested in is the .17VHA with CMMGs 5.7 conversion mags i think it would make this a for raccoon calling round in an AR15.

 

[OlsenG_360]

No. 338-06 A-square.

Someday down the road I'd like to have one spun up. Or a 35 Whelen

 

[Steel head]

Just got done with a hunt using my new 7sst(sherman short tactical). I got a load worked up in a 22" barrel that's definitely on the hot side, but intent is for 1-3 shots at an animal as opposed to 10-12 shots in match situations. 175gr berger elite hunters going 2970fps, rl26 powder and mag primers. Have had great success with these bullets on elk and now this ram I harvested. I've always had a little affinity for the 7mm stuff, this build has exceeded my expectations in every way.

R26 is magic in the 7mm short magnums.

 

[iceng]

6x47 lapua, formed from 243 ADI large primer brass. Works real well.

7mm SuperLR, also real nice, good velo with 168gr Hornady eld.

6mm Troll. 223rem necked up to 6mm, Ackley improved. Or a 6x45ai. Very similar to 6tcu I'm told.

358 Torana. Original prototype was 460wby, belt turned off, and somebody manipulation. I now have custom brass (sort of).

Big sucker is 577 Bunyip. 577-50bmg, AI. Yes, I have a custom reamer for this. 650gr @ 3000fps. It's amazing what customers will order.

Last pic is 308, 358, and Bunyip. Ignore the ring on top of the copper proj. Nothing to see here. Move along.

 

[ColinW]

I'd like to build and chamber another barrel in .22 Waldog. My grandfather Waldo(I called him Pop) developed this cartridge back in the 80's before I came around and it was a benchrest tack driver! My dad still has the original from when my pop passed away. But, i'd like to build another one for my son to keep his great grandfather's shooting memory alive.

 

[Mike Casselton]

The Waldog is a fantastically accurate cartridge.
IIRC, basic forming is done with a shortened 22-250 FL die.
Cut case to length, run it through the die, fireform, and neck turn if you need it for your chamber.

Shoot tiny dots.

 

[ColinW]

The Waldog is a fantastically accurate cartridge.
IIRC, basic forming is done with a shortened 22-250 FL die.
Cut case to length, run it through the die, fireform, and neck turn if you need it for your chamber.

Shoot tiny dots.

I'd have to go dig into the family safe and gun room documents at my dad's to verify the cartridge dimensions. I think the cartridge is found in the book "Cartridges of the World" (which i dont have) From what I recall him telling me, the parent case of my pops case is a 220 Russian. I don't know the dimension differences between the 220 Russian case and the 22-250 off the top of my head.

 

[Mike Casselton]

220R is correct.
Most Waldogs were built -.200 shortened. Like anything else, there are variations.

The 22-250 die shortened, fit the taper of the unfired 220R very well and it was a cheap source for a form die, since most shooters at the time only neck sized.

I can't remember if the Waldog duplicates the 222 Rem or the 223, but I'm fairly certain it's the 222.

I have dies to make the Tall Dog which is a short 6-BR.
It duplicates the 6 PPC capacity...

 

[FuhQ]

I have/have had several wildcats over the years... Still have a few. A few of my favorites are the .25-06 AI 40º, .300 Ackley Improved Magnum 40º, .260 AI 40º, and the .280 AI 40º.

 

[Bradu]

I'd like to build a 6 saum and a 22 saum

 

[iceng]

6saum interests me. Just did a 6.5saum for a customer this week. 6 would be a barrel burner, but fun.

Theres another cartridge which is really taking my interest currently, however i will wait to shoot out my barrel before i gear up for it.

 

[calib]

6saum interests me. Just did a 6.5saum for a customer this week. 6 would be a barrel burner, but fun.

Theres another cartridge which is really taking my interest currently, however i will wait to shoot out my barrel before i gear up for it.

Ever do the 6 saum

 

[chevy_man]

I shoot a 6.5-06 and love it. 140gr. bullet at over 3000 fps. but I load it down some hoping for better barrel life.
I prefer 25-06 brass but also use 30-06 too so brass is not a problem.
I kind of wonder why it is not more popular but you do have to load your own for it. No factory shit for it.

The same reason most wildcats never get any popularity.

The average guy isn't going to make his own. It requires too much knowledge.

And now that the 6.5 prc exists, there's little reason to go through the trouble of making a 6.5-06.


There's some odd stuff out there that's cool like the 19 Calhoon. There's some forgotten stuff like the 221 Fireball. There's just so many cartridges to choose from that you can still buy factory ammo (this includes all AI chamberings) if you get in a bind.

I see little point in wildcatting anything now. There's some space in the larger cartridges, but they come with limited bullet selection.

25 Creed or 6mm brx is about as radical as I'll go now. They have some benefit while being super easy to make. I'm using 6 Creed brass run over a mandrel. Simple. 6brx just leave your 6br die up a bit. Simple. Now I'd just do a GT or Dasher, but I have so little to gain and would have to buy dies.

 

[iceng]

Ever do the 6 saum

Nah, never did 6saum. Mate has one tho. Didnt do it because entry was too high for me. Brass, dies, barrel.

 

[flatland1]

I've got reamers for 223AI, 22-250AI, 243AI, 250AI, & 280AI. Also reamers for 22 Grinch & 6RAT, along with 6.5-08 & 7-08 Improved 30*. Grinch & RAT are based on 6.5 Grendel; have done rifles for each on Howa Mini actions, along with another 22 Grinch on a Zermatt Origin that I'm liking quite a bit. After doing quite a bit of load development, I don't buy into the velocity claims I've seen for various improved 7-08 Improved wildcats, but still enjoy shooting mine with 168gr bullets at 1000yds. I don't have 6 HAGAR reamer, but would enjoy building bolt rifles for it and the 220 Thunderbolt, especially if Howa made Mini actions with correct boltface for them.

 

[steve123]

A fun little one was a 17K Hornet Contender using 15gr Berger hollow point.
Also a 218 Bee AI in a Martini but it never shot well. Used gun and poor barrel.
Did a 20x47L but the 9 twist barrel would blow up the 55's at 3830 fps. Does okay with 40's at 4100 fps though???
My favorite little wildcat is 20-221FB AI. The little cartridge that could. 32's at 3760 fps in a 21" barrel with 19.1grs of 300blk.
6x47L is a great cartridge.
223AI was decent but I sold it and went to 6mmBR. Might do a 6mmBRA next???
6.5 Saum is kick ass using 140 hybrids at 3240 fps. Got 3/4 at 1987Y on a 18" plate one time.
Had a 375CT when it was still a wildcat.

 

[saddlerocker]

I have no experience with any of this, but I find myself wondering why there isnt something in-between 5.56 and 308.
The 6.8SPC seemed good to me visually, but I understand it had issues.
In my simple simple mind (simple), a 75-110gr .240-.250 bullet with similar shoulder angle and dimensions to .223 Rem that would feed well in semi autos. Just kinda magnify by 10%.
Maybe 25rd mags for semis.
Seems like it should work with similar barrel wear and velocities, a slightly heavier round than 5.56 without going to 30cal or a crazy necked-down case.
But, I am a smooth brain.

That 6mm MAX looks interesting.

 

[WindstormSCR]

I have no experience with any of this, but I find myself wondering why there isnt something in-between 5.56 and 308.
The 6.8SPC seemed good to me visually, but I understand it had issues.
In my simple simple mind (simple), a 75-110gr .240-.250 bullet with similar shoulder angle and dimensions to .223 Rem that would feed well in semi autos. Just kinda magnify by 10%.
Maybe 25rd mags for semis.
Seems like it should work with similar barrel wear and velocities, a slightly heavier round than 5.56 without going to 30cal or a crazy necked-down case.
But, I am a smooth brain.

That 6mm MAX looks interesting.

there is, 6ARC is basically taking the AR chamber dimensions and squeezing every last mathematical bit of efficiency out of it.

the only wildcat I really spent any time on is .375 Raptor, since it actually offers something compelling over the other ".308 case but big bore" options. better subsonic efficiency than 8.6Blk too

 

[steve123]

I have no experience with any of this, but I find myself wondering why there isnt something in-between 5.56 and 308.
The 6.8SPC seemed good to me visually, but I understand it had issues.
In my simple simple mind (simple), a 75-110gr .240-.250 bullet with similar shoulder angle and dimensions to .223 Rem that would feed well in semi autos. Just kinda magnify by 10%.
Maybe 25rd mags for semis.
Seems like it should work with similar barrel wear and velocities, a slightly heavier round than 5.56 without going to 30cal or a crazy necked-down case.
But, I am a smooth brain.

That 6mm MAX looks interesting.

I forgot to mention 6mmFatRat. Sends 95gr SMK at 2870 fps out of a 22" 8 twist barrel in my AR and darn near like my 6mmBR bolt gun with 107's at almost that identical velocity.

 

[FuhQ]

Building a 20” 1:7 twist .25 Creedmoor right now.

 

[45-90]

Built a 30 RAR on an AR 15 from used parts, at ad cost of $345.
Started with a used wore out 12 twist 26" police 308 barrel fluted barrel.
Cut to length of 20" and Profiled it to fit the AR 15. Threaded it for barrel extension, chamber, muzzle threaded, gas port journal machined...added gas port later.
Assembled it and shot it, now I have a 30 RAR shoots 150 gr bullets at 2500 fps or 155 gr match at 2415 fps very accurate. out of an AR 15.