Looking for a good Wildcat cartridge!
- Thread starter Boss Hogg
- Start date
Boss Hogg said:
Well, it's not a Wildcat, but it's a great cartridge. I have one built on a 700 action with a 26" gain twist barrel, shoots very, very well. 250 gr bullets at 2940 fps. This and my 8 Rem Mag are my two favourite LR elk cartridges ever. FWIW - dan
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
How about that 25-300WM that Richard Graves keeps talking about? Best part is that in a year or so you can use the action to build your second choice.
257Roberts
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Peterborough ON
All sugestions have their pros and cons. How about the 257 or 270 Weatherby.
Not the wildcat you are looking for but either would be fun to play with.
Or possibly the 300 H&H, again not a wildcat but wow. Or the 257 STW.or 338-300 Win Mag. or?? If only I were in your position, what a beautiful and confusing place to be.
Not the wildcat you are looking for but either would be fun to play with.
Or possibly the 300 H&H, again not a wildcat but wow. Or the 257 STW.or 338-300 Win Mag. or?? If only I were in your position, what a beautiful and confusing place to be.
Well, it's been decided, a 340 Weatherby it will be! I'm gonna use a 26" gain twist Chrome Moly barrel from Ron Smith in Innisfail and Dave Henry will do the fitting work out of Bentley.
Thanks to all those that chimed in.
Cheers
Thanks to all those that chimed in.
Cheers
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
A good barrelsmith and a good gunsmith , they should be able to put togehter a crazy accurate rig for you!
Cat
Cat
Boss Hogg said:
Just so you know, Brian, the sako mag is not long enough to accomodate 340 mag factory ammo. I have had two of them and had to seat the bullets just slightly below the cannelure to use the 225 gr Hornady spitzer.
Having said that the 340 is a great cartridge. It will fit a rem 700 magazine if you have one of them around.
Ted
Back to the drawing board!
Ted has suggested the 35-300 Win Mag, seems reasonable. I already have the 300 Win Mag brass.
Does anyone have any experience with this round? Is neck tension a problem with it if you don't crimp the bullet.
David Henry suggested 358 Shooting Times Alaskian as well as a 375 Improved. Any thoughts on these rounds.
My only requirements for this gun is that I can get 3000 fps from a 225 gr bullet and that it will fit in my Sako 300 Win Mag magazine.
Ted has suggested the 35-300 Win Mag, seems reasonable. I already have the 300 Win Mag brass.
Does anyone have any experience with this round? Is neck tension a problem with it if you don't crimp the bullet.
David Henry suggested 358 Shooting Times Alaskian as well as a 375 Improved. Any thoughts on these rounds.
My only requirements for this gun is that I can get 3000 fps from a 225 gr bullet and that it will fit in my Sako 300 Win Mag magazine.
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I would think the 35-300 Win Mag would achieve the velocity you want, or at least be close to it.
I received a letter from a fellow whom I barreled a Sako action for. I don't remember altering the magazine and it had been a 7mm Mag. I installed a Gaillard barrel at 26 inches in .340 Wby. He is loading 88 grains of RL-22 and a 225 grain Barnes X Triple Shock bullet. The overall length is 3.58 inches. These are working in the Sako magazine. It shoots consistently sub-moa. His best group was .662 inches at 200 yards. Average velocity through the 35P is 3035 f/s.
I received a letter from a fellow whom I barreled a Sako action for. I don't remember altering the magazine and it had been a 7mm Mag. I installed a Gaillard barrel at 26 inches in .340 Wby. He is loading 88 grains of RL-22 and a 225 grain Barnes X Triple Shock bullet. The overall length is 3.58 inches. These are working in the Sako magazine. It shoots consistently sub-moa. His best group was .662 inches at 200 yards. Average velocity through the 35P is 3035 f/s.
Again, I have no stake in this project at all, but the Sako magazine will not accomodate 340 Wby factory ammo. Been there and done that, twice! Just grab a box and try it! Having said that, you can handload to whatever length you want, so there would be no problem that way. The problem will come when you try to sell it and have to explain to the purchaser that he can't use factory ammo, w.o. cutting the tips off or seating the bullets deeper. 
I sold this exact rifle two years ago, and it was not a problem becuase the guy was a handloader. Of course, this is the case when you try to sell any wildcat.
Same goes for the 358 STA and the 375 Imp, just load to the correct length for the magzine. Rembo has a very fine Clymer 375 Wby reamer that he barrelled up a Model 700 with, but the 700 magazines are significantly longer than Sakos. You could, however, just seat the bullets to accomodate the magazine.
The 35-300 Win will get 225 gr bullets above 3000 with ease and neck tension has never been a problem. It gets 250 gr bullets there w.o. leaning on it too hard at all. This is not theory, but actual chronographed velocities from 24" barrel.
Here's a picture of the 35-300 Win loaded with a 250 Hornady spitzer and a 300 Win with a 180 gr SST for comparison. OAL of the 35-300 is 3.450 and easily fits the Sako mag.
The 375-300 Win will give 270 gr bullets over 3000, as well. There are two guys here in Whitehorse that I know who have them. Bob Nantel has the reamer for that one if you are interested.
Ted
I sold this exact rifle two years ago, and it was not a problem becuase the guy was a handloader. Of course, this is the case when you try to sell any wildcat.
Same goes for the 358 STA and the 375 Imp, just load to the correct length for the magzine. Rembo has a very fine Clymer 375 Wby reamer that he barrelled up a Model 700 with, but the 700 magazines are significantly longer than Sakos. You could, however, just seat the bullets to accomodate the magazine.
The 35-300 Win will get 225 gr bullets above 3000 with ease and neck tension has never been a problem. It gets 250 gr bullets there w.o. leaning on it too hard at all. This is not theory, but actual chronographed velocities from 24" barrel.
Here's a picture of the 35-300 Win loaded with a 250 Hornady spitzer and a 300 Win with a 180 gr SST for comparison. OAL of the 35-300 is 3.450 and easily fits the Sako mag.
The 375-300 Win will give 270 gr bullets over 3000, as well. There are two guys here in Whitehorse that I know who have them. Bob Nantel has the reamer for that one if you are interested.
Ted
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David Henry
CGN Regular
- Location
- West of the big road
35 300
Boss, It seems that there is not an issue of bullets being disturbed in the necks while being jarred in the magazine box so 35 300 Win sounds like an interesting option. I do not know if these other fellows are crimping on their canulure to hold bullets in place or not. Also that 8mm Lebel Ackley Improved idea BELONGS in your tree stand. I will buy the next $25 Lebel I see and be ready to pounce when the notion hits you. Regards David Henry.
Boss, It seems that there is not an issue of bullets being disturbed in the necks while being jarred in the magazine box so 35 300 Win sounds like an interesting option. I do not know if these other fellows are crimping on their canulure to hold bullets in place or not. Also that 8mm Lebel Ackley Improved idea BELONGS in your tree stand. I will buy the next $25 Lebel I see and be ready to pounce when the notion hits you. Regards David Henry.
Or get hold of a 375 length Sako magazine and chamber to whatever you want. - dan
Well, I like the looks of the 35-300 Ted and it meets my velocity requirements. Thanks very much for your help!
David, I'm sure you and I will have a few more discussions on the choices I have. Thanks to all of you that offered suggestions
David, I'm sure you and I will have a few more discussions on the choices I have. Thanks to all of you that offered suggestions
