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Legacy Member
There were and still are many 'wildcat' cartridges based on the 30-06 case shortened, necked up and down. The same with many other cartridges, such as the 8x57 [Germany], 303 [Australia and Canada], 7,62x54 [Finland], propriety British big game cartridges on which many well known commercial cartridges are based, etc.
Many 'brand new' cartridges can be traced back almost to 1900. The book 'Cartridges of the World' by Frank Barnes provides hours of enjoyment when you read the detail and compare the dimensions of cartridges. Fascinating to see your pet 'wildcat' that you are developing for a specific use already existed decades ago. You will be astounded how many cartridges share the basic head dimensions of the 8x57 Mauser cartridge family from 1888 and British H&H cartridges from about 1925.
A colleague of mine spent a lot of time on wildcatting a family of cartridges based on the 9,3 Brenneke; wasn't impressed when I showed him it had been done in Europe about 50 years before he started.
Some useless information:
The 8x57 line up - all commercial - starts with 6x57 and goes to 10,75x57.
30-06 starts with 25-06 and ends with 400 Whelen.
The 6,5x57 predates the 257 Roberts and they are basically the same.
Etc.
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11-03-2020 12:26 AM
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Legacy Member
Not disputing the status of any cartridge. You could say the 30-06 is a "wildcat" of the 30-03 as it has a shorter case length. If anything the 7.62x51/308 Winchester is a 'wildcat" of the 300 Savage, which is most likely a "wildcat" of the 30-06, at least the case head and rim are the same. For years "Magnums" had a belted case. This started due to the long low angle shoulder of the original 300 and 375 H&H magnums. They basically made a rimmed cartridge that would work in bolt action rifles without tricks and not have a real rim. When people started "wildcatting" these cases the belt just stuck around (7mm Rem, 300 Wby, etc.). Current Magnums and short Magnums have dispensed with the belt. Nothing new under the sun as they say. I believe that the 5.56x45 NATO/223 Remington were "wildcatted" from the 222 Remington Magnum. I love COTW. Great reading and more information than you can use in a lifetime.
Dave
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Contributing Member
So last weekend I made up 50 rounds of necksized once fired ggg cases, cci bench primers, 44grns N140, 150 gen SMK FMJ, with OAL 2.70”
I was zeroing a new sight to rifle and while I was at the range office I grabbed a few GGG 147grn. Down at the zero range I decide to dial it in with the GGG factory and then confirm where things were with my hand loads. The end point of the GGG was two rounds though a single hole (no great feat given the ~71’ range). Now for my confirmational shots with the hand loads, four holes a tad lower close but by no mains touching.
Rather disgusted I loaded a could more GGG and while the single hole enlarged or was still very much one round hole.
Upset I pulled out some 1980 144grn IMI, 4 rounds in a single hole a little lower and right.
So far when ever I've compared my 303 hand laods to PPU mine have very much proved superior. Is PPU 303 setting the bar for seasonal handlaoding low, is my 762 recipe way out, or do j really need to brush up my reloading game?
Any thoughts welcome!!!
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Legacy Member
I use 46 grains of RS50 over a 150grain SMK in my L42. I experimented with lesser charges but found the accuracy dropped off.
RS50 is almost identical in burn rate to N140. Might be worth trying a slightly higher charge.
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Contributing Member
Interest, I was also running a lee volume type.powder measure and the lee balance measure. I have just panic bought a second hand RCBS loadmaster lite, I'm in two minds as to whether it was a good idea but we will see.
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Legacy Member
Last time I looked at PPU .303 factory "ball" loads, they were using a 174gn BOAT-TAIL. This may have something to do with the results downrange. Because of the minimal contact with the "generous" dimensions of your average mil-spec .303 barrel, the bullets tend to "precess" a bit on launch.; describing an "orbit" around the nominal trajectory. This actually become proportionally smaller, the further down-range you get, because the spin rate stays pretty much the same whilst the bullet steadily loses forward speed.
Thus, it is not unknown for the groups at 300+ to be proportionally smaller than those shot at 50 or 100. Then there is "spin-drift" wherein the trajectory curves to the right or left of the anticipated flight-path. This stuff matters a LOT for those indulging in 1000 yard-plus shooting. My hunting rifle in .308 is zeroed to be "dead-on" at 200 yards with a 150gn bullet as hand-loaded. This means the bullet is roughly three inches high at 100 and about nine low at 300. In over fifty years of shooting, I have NEVER tried to take a shot at serious game at 300 yards with a .308 Win. If I can, I will happily walk as close as I can get before pulling the trigger. Sneaking up to rock-throwing distance on a hat-rack is at least as challenging as nailing one with a light field-piece at 400 yards.
In my wilder, younger, service days, I did my share of 600 to "zero" run-downs / 'fire and movement" shoots. On the trusty old L1A1, start with the rear-sight set for the first range to be fired and go with it. By the time you got to 300, the pace was picking up and thus, the rear-sight was pulled hard back to the 200 stop and hold-over / under applied as required for the rest of the ranges. Taking your eye off the targets popping up and down would lose valuable aiming time. The final rounds were snap-shots fired at briefly appearing "Hun's Head" and similar targets at ranges of under 25 yards. Not a relaxed day of bench-resting, by any means. KNOW YOUR RIFLE AND AMMO.
Last edited by Bruce_in_Oz; 04-14-2021 at 12:57 AM.
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