Help design the NZHS Forum Wildcat - Part 1 - Action length

[Spanners]

Alrighty - have come up with the idea to design a wildcat cartridge via the forum here
If it all works out, I'll get a reamer made and see how it goes, others will be able to borrow the reamer also.
It will become the .XXX NZHS or XXX Thingamahugit
Doesnt have to be a million fps with 500gr of powder based on 20mm case - something thats more practical - there are more than enough superboomers around
Something at the end of the day that is easy to form cases for , buy projectiles etc, and is usable for the majority of NZ hunting - sub 200m?

So will do it in stages with max length for action, caliber, speed, case, name etc

My vote is for something on a short action - max 223 length (SA or AR/SKS) or max of 308 length (SA)

What do the rest of you think? give it a few days then move onto next stage once we have a clear winner.
You can choose more than one action size

[veitnamcam]

Dammit was going to say 50BMG/17
Your going to be making 30cal expanding subsonic pills right? 223 up to 30?

[Spanners]

223 up to 30 is a longish Whisper pretty much - and I'm still waiting on parts for my dies

[lostlegend]

how about something built around a wssm case with a big pill? there is a guy in the states that makes a 358 WSSM for an AR platform, i've made a .338WSSM from a .25WSSM case it works quite well and they use a short action.

[Spanners]

I have bits for WSSM in an AR at home waiting

Vote and we'll see what the outcome is

[P38]

Shit where do you start?

When it comes to wild catting it all seems to have been done before.

I voted super short & short action..... or should that be Short & Medium action.

I got a bunch of 284 brass just begging to be necked down ..... but thats already been done before too.

[Makros]

Most of it has been done before.
However I like the idea of improving either .338 Fed or .338-06 to straight walled case and short abrupt shoulder - no need for such a taper and sloped shoulder with such a large pill on the end.

[crnkin]

If its going to be practical, it rules out a lot of the above ideas.

Basically, I would start with a bullet weight (relating to intended use), then caliber (relating to desired SD), then velocity (for range), then grains of powder (to suit velocity), then case (to suit grains), then action length (to suit case), then your done.

Just my opinion, but I think your doing it backwards, therefore I voted long action, so that there is no limit introduced that will interfere with good choices down the track

Chris

[Kiwi Greg]

I've already done it after Gavins helpful suggestion

Here it is the 416-223 Terminator beside it's parent case, sporting a 410 grain pill

[P38]

Spot on Chris

Reverse engineer it.

[7mmsaum]

What a great idea Spanners,
but could be a bit like building an AC Cobra one bolt at a time without the complete plan or picture in your head.


We know a 308 case is roughly 2.015 inches in length, a saum is 2.035, and a wsm is 2.100, and that they all have enough capacity for under 300yrds.
So with that in mind would you like a cartridge/caliber combination that has plenty of cool factor (25 wssm using a 115 BT or VLD) or do you want a bit more grunt, say a 150g Corelokt at 3000fps?

There is one constant to your plan and thats the desired end result..... the projectile must kill the deer, so with that in mind what projectile would you like to use to do it????

RPG ?

[7mmsaum]

Can we work outside the square with the rifle design itself??

Perhaps A light alloy receiver, with a Titanium sleeve, and light Ti or ss bolt,
(Or a standard Tikka T3 stock and action as the donor rifle) modded with a floating Savage type bolt head for different case head dia, ensuring only a bolt head and barrel change when changing calibers, with a carbon fibre stock, and/or a XLR type chassis as an option. A barrel spanner can be supplied with the Barrel.

The design should suit the variety of all our applications, and light weight. And some of the chamberings we dream up can utilise the std T3 barrel with just a ream out.

Then all the forum guys that get one made can enjoy their rifle in whatever chambering/caliber thay want, whatever barrel profile and fluting type, if they dont like the power level then a "swap" can be made with another forum member, only the bolt head, barrel and brass need be sent in the post, easy and quite cost effective.

The price conscious would start with a std Tikka, pay for the bolt mod (and if the right cartridge) just a ream out for the new case design and barrel removable feature.

The non price conscious could have a multitude of bolt faces and barrels in their safe(s).

Not too hard to have a 223, 308, and a saum bolt face, and any others we dream up, over a period of time im sure barrels and bolt heads would do some courier miles as we all check out the merits of one caliber/ chambering over another.

Easy to send a T3 off to the designated gunsmith, have him mod the bolt to a floating replaceable bolt head, fit a barrel to be owner removable , standardise each calibre bolt head to headspace on its respective barrel.

I could get bored with a 204 then pick up a 6BR, or a 223AI, get sick of that and try a 223wssm, get tired of that, try a 25wssm, go 243 wssm, or make a 308 wssm, then plug away with a "anything I want"

Its only a thought.........


I know I would order at least one rifle set up this way.

[Spanners]

What a great idea Spanners,
but could be a bit like building an AC Cobra one bolt at a time without the complete plan or picture in your head.

p:

But you have a picture in your head - AC Cobra
The whole point is you're not building a gun around a case, you're building a case around your 1st limiting factor - action length.

[Normie]

How about a shortened and improved 6.5-284 so it fits in a short action properly?

[LJP]

How about a shortened and improved 6.5-284 so it fits in a short action properly?

Hmmm a slightly porky 6.5x47....sounds interesting