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My new calibers / cartridges

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  • Lonesome Dove

    A man of vision but with no mission.
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    3EA93D2E-5A5C-4D31-A146-B29480FFAF28.jpeg
    Left to right
    22 Hornet.
    30/30 parent case for 7/30 waters.
    30/30 ran through 7/30 die.
    Loaded and fire formed 7/30 waters.
    243 for comparison.
     

    hornetguy

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    Talk about opening a can of worms... the naming of cartridges can be the most confusing thing in the world. Usually the name of the cartridge tells you the diameter. Sometimes in inches, sometimes in millimeters. Then you have the odd ones like the 30-06. It's a 30 caliber that became the cartridge of the US military in 1906. Or, the 45-70, which is a 45 caliber that held 70 grains of black powder. Then you have the 7-08.... a 7mm (or .284 diameter) that used the 308 cartridge case as the "parent" case.
    It can get confusing, but it's fun to learn....
     

    satx78247

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    Talk about opening a can of worms... the naming of cartridges can be the most confusing thing in the world. Usually the name of the cartridge tells you the diameter. Sometimes in inches, sometimes in millimeters. Then you have the odd ones like the 30-06. It's a 30 caliber that became the cartridge of the US military in 1906. Or, the 45-70, which is a 45 caliber that held 70 grains of black powder. Then you have the 7-08.... a 7mm (or .284 diameter) that used the 308 cartridge case as the "parent" case.
    It can get confusing, but it's fun to learn....

    hornetguy,

    FYI, my favorite "small bore" is the 25-06, which is simply the .30-06 necked down to the same size as the .257 Roberts caliber.
    (I also handload the 9.3x62mm, which is the .30-06 case "fire-formed" to 9.3mm with no other change.)

    I use LAKE CITY M2 "once fired" cases, which I get FREE from a Garand match shooter (who does not reload) to make BOTH cartridges.

    yours, satx
     

    Axxe55

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    LOL! Actually it’s nothing more than a hot 25-06. It’s like all others it can be loaded up or down so it fits from 257 Bob to the 257 Weatherby.

    There was a humorous write-up in one of older reloading books about wildcat rounds, with pictures. One that was quite cute, was a 50 BMG case, necked down and loaded with a 22 caliber bullet!
     

    hornetguy

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    There was a humorous write-up in one of older reloading books about wildcat rounds, with pictures. One that was quite cute, was a 50 BMG case, necked down and loaded with a 22 caliber bullet!
    I think I saw that write-up. I think they may have mentioned that it was slightly over-bore.
    I didn't know they still made .284 brass. I always liked the concept of that cartridge, but never did have the occasion to try one.
     

    Axxe55

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    I think I saw that write-up. I think they may have mentioned that it was slightly over-bore.
    I didn't know they still made .284 brass. I always liked the concept of that cartridge, but never did have the occasion to try one.

    The 22-50BMG was a radical extreme of wildcatting cartridges! I think someone even did the same with a 17 caliber in a 50BMG case as well.

    The 284 case saw some success and popularity when Norma made it a SAAMI standard cartridge as the 6.6-284 Norma.
     

    gemihur

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    I dig the wildcats, to the extent of realizing their chamber pressure and breech thrust as I shoot a contender.
    Recently picked up a Reeder barrel in 30 Raptor. Trying to work up loads with heavy bullets (168 gr. HPBT).
     

    gemihur

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    Ruger Hawkeye was a single shot swing out cylinder Blackhawk chambered in the 256 win mag. Worth thousands today!
    TC contender gave resurgence to the 25 caliber necked 357 magnum case. I shoot it for fun but has relatively few sporting applications.
     

    satx78247

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    LOL! Actually it’s nothing more than a hot 25-06. It’s like all others it can be loaded up or down so it fits from 257 Bob to the 257 Weatherby.

    Lonesome Dove,

    You are 100% CORRECT.

    Fyi, because I get all the one-fired Lake City Garand brass that I want FREE, my "brother of the heart" & I generally load rifle calibers that can be easily made from those cases.= .25-06, .30-06, .35 Whelen, 9.3x62mm & (soon) .400 Brown-Whelen Improved. - "Little brother Ed" has several rifles in .35 Whelen & therefore loads/shoots a LOT of those "reformatted" 06 cases
    (I no longer load 8mm-06, as I no longer have any rifles that use that caliber, though that caliber is VERY adaptable. = I gave my all of my 8mm-06 reloading stuff to a friend in WV, who has/hunts with several "sporterized" Mauser M98 rifles. )

    Note: Because I have Model 760 PUMP-rifles in .300SAV & .30-06, Ed "dreamed up" a "small game load" for both calibers for me & that are CHEAP to load with 160 grain CB, "soft kicking", make little noise, damage little edible meat & are "PURE DEATH ON" animals that are smaller than WTs. = Those CB loads are about equivalent to the old-school "standard speed" .32-40 WCF.

    IF I was getting piles of FREE 7.62NATO cases, I would have likely started loading cases made from .308WCF.

    yours, satx
     
    Last edited:

    hornetguy

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    I have always liked the 338-06.
    I agree.... it was a toss-up between it and the 35 Whelen when I built my rifle. I went with the Whelen "just because".... 20/20 hindsight, I might have been better off with the 338, as there seems to be a bigger variety of bullets for it, although that could just be my imagination. The 35 has a lot going for it, as well, being a factory loaded cartridge. Ballistics-wise, they are very similar, I think. I doubt that an elk could tell the difference....
     

    satx78247

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    I agree.... it was a toss-up between it and the 35 Whelen when I built my rifle. I went with the Whelen "just because".... 20/20 hindsight, I might have been better off with the 338, as there seems to be a bigger variety of bullets for it, although that could just be my imagination. The 35 has a lot going for it, as well, being a factory loaded cartridge. Ballistics-wise, they are very similar, I think. I doubt that an elk could tell the difference....

    hornetgu,

    The .35 Whelen, loaded with heavy bullets has BRUTE FORCE going for it over the .338-06 but loses out to the .338 in PENETRATION.

    Frankly, I prefer either the .30-06 with a 250 grain premium bullet (IF you rifle's barrel will stabilize a 250 grain JSP) or my "pet" 9.3x62mm to either the .35 or .338.

    Nonetheless, I believe that out to beyond 300M any of those 4 calibers is FINE for any Western Hemisphere game & MOST African game, too.

    yours,satx
     
    Every Day Man
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