Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

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Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by crys » 20 Oct 2013, 9:00 am

So I get the purpose of wildcat cartridgess is you can customize a cartridge to improve an area you think is lacking, or improve whatever it is you're aiming for.

In the past, fair enough...

With the amount of different calibres and cartridges available these days though... I'm surprised anyone is still doing this?

e.g. there are plenty of people getting good 1,000m results with standard cartridges, and without the hassle of making wildcats.

Just curious I guess?
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by on_one_wheel » 20 Oct 2013, 1:05 pm

Without shooters that invent wild cat loads we wouldnt have many of the calibers we take for graunted today. One of the latest is the .17 HMR
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by chacka » 20 Oct 2013, 3:00 pm

There's always something better. Whether or not you want to figure it out is another story.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by crys » 20 Oct 2013, 3:13 pm

on_one_wheel wrote:Without shooters that invent wild cat loads we wouldnt have many of the calibers we take for graunted today. One of the latest is the .17 HMR


Hmm, I see that was made in 2002.

Interesting... I had it in my head all the current cartridges were well older than that.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by on_one_wheel » 20 Oct 2013, 3:19 pm

2002 was like yesterday compared to when someone necked down a .308 to a .243 some time around 1955. There are some good books about catriges that are worth a read.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by inervate » 20 Oct 2013, 3:22 pm

That's the kind of stuff that makes be worry, when your blasting out something that was designed 60 years ago :mrgreen:
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by Rocker » 22 Oct 2013, 2:16 pm

on_one_wheel wrote:One of the latest is the .17 HMR


A winning cartridge. I like have a plink with rimfire now and then but .22 limited range and accuracy irk me a bit.

.17 HMR solves the problem though ;)
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by Igoe » 22 Oct 2013, 4:10 pm

inervate wrote:That's the kind of stuff that makes be worry, when your blasting out something that was designed 60 years ago :mrgreen:


Maybe you should worry a little less. If it has been around 60 years without problems, it's probably not going to suddenly start blowing up in your face now.

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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by inervate » 22 Oct 2013, 4:53 pm

Igoe wrote:Maybe you should worry a little less. If it has been around 60 years without problems, it's probably not going to suddenly start blowing up in your face now.


Yeah I know. Not really worried... Just interesting I suppose that most of these things are that old.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by mrwoospigs » 26 Oct 2013, 7:18 pm

I have 2 303/270 one of the aussie wildcats, love it as i love making own cases and loading them.
Adds that extra bit of romance and satisfaction to my shooting.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by crys » 26 Oct 2013, 8:47 pm

mrwoospigs wrote:Adds that extra bit of romance and satisfaction to my shooting.


It's subtracting fingers that would be more my concern :lol:
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by mrwoospigs » 27 Oct 2013, 7:40 pm

Have you eva been done for speeding, cause reloading wild cats and taking time to calculate pressures has less risk than speeding.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by Warrigul » 27 Oct 2013, 8:22 pm

mrwoospigs wrote:I have 2 303/270 one of the aussie wildcats, love it as i love making own cases and loading them.
Adds that extra bit of romance and satisfaction to my shooting.


Gotta love the .303 wildcats, born of necessity when we couldn't get anything else, aussie ingenuity at its best.

I did have a .303/22 but sold it as my .223 did everything just as well with factory loads available, I wish I had kept it.
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Re: Why wildcat cartridges with what's available today?

Post by VICHunter » 27 Oct 2013, 8:34 pm

Warrigul wrote:I did have a .303/22 but sold it as my .223 did everything just as well with factory loads available, I wish I had kept it.


Seems everyone regrets just about every rifle they ever sell :|
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