Thread: Help wanted to identify this 22-303 wildcat

I'm looking at buying a rifle chambered for this 303-22 / 22-303 Wildcat

Unfortunately this looks to be the most improved of all the 22-303 Wildcats I have ever seen or found on line

Here is a fired case beside a 303 round



And here is a rough drawing of the case dimensions



I'm guessing it might be a 22-303 Improved 40º
Which is likely as big as you can go on 303 brass
Neck is short but still one caliber long

Has anyone got any images, specs or data on a case like this ?
I see mention of it only on line but no illustrations

303British.com mention it
It might be in the book "THE ACCURATE LEE ENFIELD "

The rifle comes with some brass and dies
My first thoughts were it will be a barrel burner !
But well I could have fun burning out the barrel anyway and then re barrel it to something a little more sensible

Looking at the case capacity it seems to be slightly larger than the 220 Swift
And I checked with powder and it has 20% more capacity than the 22-250

The rifle will cope just fine because it is the best rifle action ever built.

Next time I visit the gent I will try and prise it out of his hands and give it a test run
And check the barrel twist to see how big a bullet weight it might cope with.

I think when this rifle was built it was all about speed because pre range finders and ballistic calculators and dial up scopes

Sure it isnt a 303-22 Sprinter as made in Australia commercially?

Greetings,
I think it might be the .22/303 Full Length (Falcon) cartridge mentioned in Cyril Waterworth's books. He gives loads for a number of powders most of which are obsolete. A max load of 35 grains of IMR3031 with the 50 grain projectile is mentioned with a hair raising velocity but slower powders would likely be preferred.
GPM.
PS It is bigger than the swift and likely with a 14 inch twist barrel.

Originally Posted by sportco62

Sure it isnt a 303-22 Sprinter as made in Australia commercially?

@sportco62 No this has a longer body and shorter neck than the Sprinter

At first firing on formed brass the body will have to blow out to the shoulder
It's a shame its the fully improved version of some sort

I guess someone looking for 4000 fps in the day

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
I think it might be the .22/303 Full Length (Falcon) cartridge mentioned in Cyril Waterworth's books. He gives loads for a number of powders most of which are obsolete. A max load of 35 grains of IMR3031 with the 50 grain projectile is mentioned with a hair raising velocity but slower powders would likely be preferred.
GPM.
PS It is bigger than the swift and likely with a 14 inch twist barrel.

@grandpamac Again even bigger than the Falcon due to the sharper shoulder

I must take a look at the data for the 5.56x57R case from Europe.
They do one and I can't remember what they call it

There was/is a 6mm Musgrave made in South Africa. I recall the case resembling that quite well.

Originally Posted by akaroa1

@grandpamac Again even bigger than the Falcon due to the sharper shoulder

I must take a look at the data for the 5.56x57R case from Europe.
They do one and I can't remember what they call it

It is begging to be called the ".22/303 Full Length Falcon Maximum Ackley Improved" or something like that. Nothing engraved on the barrel I assume.
GPM.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

It is begging to be called the ".22/303 Full Length Falcon Maximum Ackley Improved" or something like that. Nothing engraved on the barrel I assume.
GPM.

The vendor is pretty reserved about letting this one go.
Hasn't shot it in a long time
Will likely never shoot it again
Knows I can drive it easily

Really the over capacity case doesn't worry me too much.
The barrel twist and state of the throat will be the deciding factors

It might be a unique variation on the whole improved craze of its time

Its a 22 faf. Aka 22 fast as fuk

Originally Posted by blip

Its a 22 faf. Aka 22 fast as fuk

It's will be a FAF to form brass
( fiddly as fuck )

Originally Posted by akaroa1

@grandpamac Again even bigger than the Falcon due to the sharper shoulder

I must take a look at the data for the 5.56x57R case from Europe.
They do one and I can't remember what they call it

The 5.6x61R Vom Hofe super express might also be worth a look

I've just been forming 225 Winchester brass

So for comparison

22 Hornet
222 Rimmed
225 Winchester formed from 30-30 and neck not blown out until fire forming
22-303 Improved

So the guy that has it used to shoot it? Dies he have any idea how to load for it

Originally Posted by csmiffy

So the guy that has it used to shoot it? Dies he have any idea how to load for it

Highly unlikely

Having all the stuff and having used it are not the same thing

I have brought a number of vintage rifles with dies, brass, bullets or moulds and they were not correct for the chamber.
Thinking it is something and collecting the parts to shoot it are not the same as shooting it

As you would know there are several versions (at least 4) of .303/.22 kicking about.

The full length version was the falcon, based on the original / not improved case. The other FL version on the improved case is likely to be the Epps. Epps was a Canadian dude who created a line of cartridges on a improved case.

Apologies for teaching you to suck eggs.
Dont think I’d want to shoot hot loads in a SMLE.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk