Thread: 30Apache (30-223 wildcat)

Hi there

Anyone loading for one of these?

The 30Apache is a bog standard .223 round which is then necked up to accept a .308 calibre projectile (yes sexy I know), it's along the same lines as the 30wisper...but less stuffing around with the brass and considering that .223 is my main calibre of choice, brass is something I have in bucketfuls literally.

So far I've picked up a Trueflite barrel, a donar Weatherby rifle in .223 for the action, a blank Boyds laminated stock which I'll have to inlet and finish myself, plus some reloading dies for it. I hope to have the barrel fitted to the action and test firing by the weekend???

I'm mainly interested in using sub-sonic loads, but I'll also play with some super-sonic loads too. I've done the usual quick google on it and there's not a lot of info out there. In supersonic it appears to have about 100fps gain over the 7.62x39 and in sub-sonic it's the same as a 30Whisper...so all very promising stuff and IMHO it certainly ''punches above its weight'' so to say.

Anyway, please let me know if you have any info on this calibre, or a starting point to put some trial loads together?


Many thanks

kj

FYI: Pics of the formed brass


Simply pressed in special dies to expand the neck to .308


Side by side with a .223 and the 30/223 (or ''30Apache'' as its known)

I've found out a little more on it, but would still appreciate any info if someone has gone down this road before?

kj

Did you pick the barrel etc up from Trademe last week?
If so you just outbid me, I was away from puter for a bit

As a subsonic its a bit of a 'meh' caliber - just a whisper with more spare room... but supersonic it should go good.
Should be able to push a 168gr 2200 at a guess as the whisper will get ~2000

If you want Whisper brass, send me some cases and I'll knock them out for you- got a Dillon setup to do it

Ummm yes, sorry about that spanners I did bid for the barrel on trademe.

Cheers for the whisper brass offer, much appreciated. I've had a 30whisper in Ar format in the past and it gave me a bit of a head ache, so this time I thought a dirty old bolt action may be the go? It's more a project (impulse buy) for something to do with little purpose... But who knows it could become a pet rifle which I take a real shine too????

All the best

Kj

So what is the advantage (or not) of these .223 based wildcats over something more common place like the 7.62x39?

Cheap brass, 30 cal pills, bit more grunt

How is this going?

Nosler are making a 30cal 125 gr Accubond , they introduced it at the shot show, it should be good for deer in this caliber (7.62x 45) or the Whisper

Does the russian not take 30cal pills

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

.311



Is this going to fit in a .223 length mag because that's super limiting

Originally Posted by Druid

Nosler are making a 30cal 125 gr Accubond , they introduced it at the shot show, it should be good for deer in this caliber (7.62x 45) or the Whisper

I would have thought, being an Accubond it would be pretty tough & would be more suited to higher velocity impacts than the wee cases can muster ?

Hornady have just released a 30 cal 125gr SST for the blackout boys. Just perfect for this project!

Originally Posted by LJP

Hornady have just released a 30 cal 125gr SST for the blackout boys. Just perfect for this project!

+1

That & the 125 BT would be worth a try.

The 125 BT in my 308 at 3050-3100 fps were devastating on Fallow & goats, slow them down & they should behave a bit better...

Still waiting patiently for my small 30

Originally Posted by CreepingDeath

Does the russian not take 30cal pills

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Usually .311 but Ruger barrels for the M43 round are .308 which is why many US made dies have both a .311 and a .308 neck expander ball , Nosler reccomend their new pill for the Whisper etc so it should work . Norma used to make a 130gr 308 round (and projectiles) ,which was dynamite on Sika and Fallow and worked very well on Reds