Are The Wildcat's Dead

[Boyd Brooks]

I shoot one wildcat (416Taylor) and have a box full of odd balls (308 and 358 Norma and 450 Marlin). Just wondering if I'm not alone in the world of obscure and different cartridge choices? Please share if you dare to be different?

 

[crs]

Though not wildcats, my Winchester .405 wcf and .45-90 are not common, but both do get the job done.

 

[Longwalker]

I like and use odd cartridges if they do something better than more popular or more current offerings. But so few fit that category. I like rimmed cartridges in hinge action rifles because they are functionally superior. So I shoot 7x57R and 9.3x74R, and 450-400 3" which are unusual cartridges in Canada. I like original designs that are so good that even though they are old, need no improvement, such as .222 Remington and 7x64. I like 16 ga sxs shotguns because their proportions are just right for a lively upland bird gun or drilling.
However, i think there are so many commercial cartridges offered for every conceivable niche that I don't see myself ever buying or building a "wildcat"

 

[Pheroze]

I admit to being drawn to odd cartridges (308 Norma and 400 H&H). For me, it is the quality of the design that grabs me. However, I don't think I would use a cartridge that did not have some element of standardization/popularity...for now anyways

 

[Bullthrower338]

Nope, you’re not the Lone Ranger, 338/06, 375 Whalen AI are two of my favorites!

 

[Boyd Brooks]

My buddy Steve has talked about the 400 Whelen, however the lack of shoulder to keep the brass from the barrel has kept him from building one. Don't know that he thought about a 375 Whelen, will give him a heads up!He does shot the 35 Whelen and loves it for Moose!

 

[AZDAVE]

416 Express, 40/60 Maynard in a lee Enfield, 3 different AI's of common rounds, and the 450Marlin, 22 K-hornet

 

[gillettehunter]

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

 

[Tam Dl]

"Don't know that he thought about a 375 Whelen, will give him a heads up!He does shot the 35 Whelen and loves it for Moose!"

That is the problem right there. Hard to beat the 9.3x62 in that role.

I wanted a 338-06, and while they are reasonably popular in this part of the world, they are pretty much all in Coopers, and other expensive brands. Then I came across the 9.3x62, which is available in barrelled actions on up starting at 200 dollars. Found a minty Zastava for 600 in flat stainless. Really in a pretty different category than a 338, but not really worse for my needs. And the options for ammo and guns are thick on the ground.

 

[Red Leg]

.318 Wesley Richards has long been a favorite - with the traditional 250 gr loading. Also love several Continental calibers such as the 6.5x57, 65x54 MS and the rimmed 8x57JR and 7x57R. And my 12 bore Paradox is a tad unusual.

 

[Tam Dl]

Wildcating is a pretty American activity, but in many ways it seems to me to have more life in other parts of the world. I'm not saying there is more of it, because the US has so many shooters and supplies are so easy to get, and cheap. But it seems practical in places that have a lot of weird rules to dodge, etc... There are now so many cartridges in fairly regular production, that there aren't many practical reasons to diverge from stanard offerings.

However, if you have controls on materials, you may start looking at oddball solutions that work because of the controls. Or they work due to cost. In trying to make up some low cost 500s the 50 Alaskan, and the 50-110 are good base cases for what I want to make. About 1/3rd the cost of anything else out there. All they need is a little reshaping on the lathe. As far as I can see, if you can grind your own reamers, there isn't a huge downside to this kind of approach as you can always use the barrel for a more standard option if that seems wise. Sometimes one has to snake an approach through the unavailability of almost any parts for a custom rifle, so having control over the cartridges frees up a lot of options. Still, you can just order existing rifles, so really it has to be something you want to do, and already have the tools for.

 

[Nosler guy]

My dad was a gun nut back in the 1940's - 50's and on. Ended up and still have some of his stuff.

We have a couple of 35 Whelens that were custom built on Husqvarna / mauser style actions back in the 1950's - way before Remington standardized the cartridge. One was built by P. O. Ackley and the other was done by Elwood Epps (a Canadian outfit that had there own version with a sharper shoulder) Both are different variations than todays standard, we blew out '06 brass and have an old Pacific die that we use for neck sizing. Used to be that the only bullet we could find for them was a 250 grain Hornady round nose. Sure is a pleasant change now, with a super selection of premium bullets available. We also have a 700 Remington classic in the standard chambering - it seems to get used more than the old boys ...

We also have a .25 Neidner built on a pre 64 Model 70 action, of about the same vintage (1950 something) - (of course that later became the 25-06) That one is close enough to the standardized cartridge that we could safely shoot factory 25-06 stuff through it - but we still have enough old .270 brass that we worked down, we still use it, and just neck size

Seems like we don't use these guns as much as we used to, but they are a great nostalgic link to the olden days and the past

 

[nztimb]

I have my own wildcat on the 6.5 grendel that I call the 6.5 Grendel-Max that adds considerable to the standard offering and it has been chambbered in another couple of rifles here by a professional shooter who has been really impressed by its performance. Then there is my 400 Lee Speed which is a very slightly shortened 405 Win case in a long lee action that I converted to single stack feed with 5+1 and stocked in the lee Speed styled stock.
Also run a 20VarTarg (Rem XR100), a 6.5x57 (1916 Erfurt SR) and a 303 Lee Speed stocked 1901 long Lee Enfield as well so I guess I may be interested in the less common but having said that I built a 404 , a 7x57 and a 25-06 over the years so it may just be the building of them that spun my wheels.

 

[Rob404]

I have a 35 Whelen a 338-06 and a 7-08. the 338-06 built on a Savage 110 action as is the 7-08 both are very accurate

 

[Dr Ray]

I shoot one wildcat (416Taylor) and have a box full of odd balls (308 and 358 Norma and 450 Marlin). Just wondering if I'm not alone in the world of obscure and different cartridge choices? Please share if you dare to be different?

Enjoy being different![emoji2]

 

[PaulT]

I remember when I first decided to adopt the .458 Lott I had to import a reamer from the U.S as there weren't any available here for my gunsmith to use !
Now the Lott is commonly available and very popular.

I have a .500 MDM Ultra mag. It provides a complete "platform/cartridge" combination that I need and want in a big game rifle and so the commitment to a wild-cat is worth it - to me !

I also have a 9.3 x 64mm which although it is not a wild-cat it takes some effort and time to source components such as cases, but it is still worth it - to me.

Sometimes a hunter's/shooter's location can dictate how popular, or accessible, a specific cartridge will be, just ask our members here on Ah that come from Zimbabwe to go down the street and by a packet of factory .35 Whelan.
We have several brands available in my local store.

As a handloader I do see it as a bit of a commitment to adopt a wild-cat, but then it if provides what you are looking for, or need, once you have dies and several hundred base cases, you are set for a lifetime of pride of ownership that makes this commitment worthwhile - at least it does to me.

 

[Ray B]

A 375RUM didn't start out as a wildcat, but it looks as if Remington is serious about making it one.

 

[PaulT]

A 375RUM didn't start out as a wildcat, but it looks as if Remington is serious about making it one.

My .500 MDM Ultra mag is based on the .375 RUM case !
Fortunately I bought 400 of them when they were available.
Getting at least 8 - 10 reloads per case means I should be set for a while of buffalo hunting.

 

[lwaters]

I have a 300 ruger compact mag. I seem to be drawn to cartridges that may become obsolete. I think it is the best short mag. case for the reloader no rebated rim.

 

[fourfive8]

Agreed about really no more ballistic niches available. Hasn't been any for a long, long time. Looking at some of the early works on the subject, there was a surge of wildcat activity in the 20s just after WWI and again after WWII. Then came the short fat surge. Then the super short fat. And the 17. And the beltless mags. And the AR rattle battle variants.... ad nauseam. The "need" for "different" is obviously a basic human trait so there will likely always be "wildcats". Just look at the Midway list of brass! Of course within a year or two much is on "special run", "out of stock" or "discontinued" status. About the time one tiny ballistic niche is filled with the latest greatest, it dies away only to be replaced by another. One downside of the "flash in the pan" is the limited market for and re-sale value of many of the rifles so chambered.

Had a table at a gun show recently and one of the commonly asked questions and/or complaints from the public was about non-existence of ammo or components for many of the obscure but fairly recent crop of "wildcats". The internet and various media create hype, the gullible with some spending cash run out and buy the latest and greatest, then later wonder what happened