234 Wildcat Family....ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Well, there was a "practical" reason of being able to hunt with a .23 cal rifle. But the "sheer cool factor" aspect (which I considered paramount in any case) still remains! Even if the Yukon will not permit hunting with a calibre smaller than .24, most of us shoot odd-ball cartridges most often at paper and other non-living targets like that ram silhouette that Doug was going to lay a beating on with these little screamers.........

Doug
 
You guys rag on anyone that wants to use a 22 centerfire for deer, now you want to make a 23 for hunting big game.
 
MiG25 said:
You guys rag on anyone that wants to use a 22 centerfire for deer, now you want to make a 23 for hunting big game.
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Not sure who "you guys" might be, but it's not me. I do know folks who use .223 for everything, for example............not my personal choice, but where it's legal, why not.

Doug
 
MiG25 said:
You guys rag on anyone that wants to use a 22 centerfire for deer, now you want to make a 23 for hunting big game.
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Pretty general statement there Mig.........I did express some negativity towards Tac870 for expressing an interest in using a hornet for deer, but these cartridges have very little in common with a hornet. I know there are many who, where legal, have used 22 CFs for deer etc, not my thing but if it's legal and you're up to it, have at 'er. I personally hate tracking.......
 
My interest in a .243 version of the .234 (dyslexic) would be for coyotes and wolves... It would be an almost ideal balance of trajectory, energy and terminal ballistics with a long for caliber bullet (100 grain"ish")... I personally wouldn't be considering deer sized game unless it made me a believer over an extended testing period... My personal bottom end for deer sized game is .243 currently.
 
hoytcanon said:
my interest in a .243 version of the .234 (dyslexic) would be for coyotes and wolves... It would be an almost ideal balance of trajectory, energy and terminal ballistics with a long for caliber bullet (100 grain"ish")... I personally wouldn't be considering deer sized game unless it made me a believer over an extended testing period... my personal bottom end for deer sized game is .243 currently.
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x2.
 
HuntNL said:
c-fbmi did you get the PM's.[/QUOT

PM'd back.......HNL

If one considers a 243 adequate then the 234 should also fit the bill with a 90-100 gn bullet having a better SD and being bonded. The 234 should out penetrate with equal bullet weight.........I would think it should be a light big game killing machine.......deer, antelope, caribou, maybe black bear, certainly coyote and wolf......sheep, goats even......
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So, my son was able to figure it out and kinda post this article here for all who wish to read..................This is believed to be the sum total of knowledge on the 23 bore as of 1987

 
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For all out there that don't know it, the bore to land differential in almost all calibers today is .008" or 8 thou, this gives .004 deep lands and is the industry standard for button rifled barrels. You can get whatever you want but shallower is of no advantage and deeper tends to cut jackets and is harder on equipment when making barrels. So a 234 bore or bullet dia. barrel would have a groove dimension of .226"

Got a call into Marshal and my favorite barrel guy to work up a budget for bullet dies, barrel drill, reamer and button, or possibly buttons....1-8"....and maybe 1-9". Will have to make up drawings for Dave @ PT&G for reamers, and Dave will also make sizing die reamers as well, so it solves the custom die problem. I'll also have to get a neck and throater or 4 from Dave as well. Probably go with 2 different neck thicknesses and two different throat lengths of each. Then like I said I'm good for cartridges based on the 250 Sav, 250 Sav AI, 243 Win, 284 Win, 204 Ruger and 22 K-hornet without additional cost. If anyone has any 22 cal based reamer with a removable pilot, I'll be able to make a 23 cal based on it 22-06, 22-6mm Rem (or X57), 22 X39mm, 22 BR etc. etc. etc..........

Just got off the phone with Marshal and good news is we can make flat base and rebated boattail bullets with the same dies, in any weight but the ogive will remain the same throughout. He's getting quotes and availability as I type and may have some info tomorrow. Both of these styles can be bonded as well so excellent for hunting. Ogive length I don't know enough about but I'm leaving that up to Marshal, I'm not a bullet designer. Anyway I'm thinking bonded 80, 90 and 100 gn to start off with, in a RBT design with likely a 10s ogive, don't want to go too long in the ogive so as to eliminate something in the 60 gn range. Anyone have any other thoughts as to bullet weight and design, speak up..........

Got another question for you guys as to preference of cases, I could easily make this with a .473 base as well for the Penguin design, then any 57 mm cartridge could be run down, trimmed and fireformed, 6mm Rem, 257 Rob, even 7X57 or with more work and neck thinning even 30-06 or 270 could be used.................what say you????

Gonna have to buy me a bunch of Lapua 6.5X55 brass..........
 
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As Marshall mentioned, it takes 1 and half years to make one. So it is good for me as I am hopeful to be better financed in a couple years. I will certainly buy bullets from Marshall and hopefully can buy this special rifle from Douglas if he has one for sale. Cool cartridge, low recoil, high speed,....

Keep it going, Douglas and Marshall
 
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