GENERAL

WILDCATS are non standardized cartridges of private origin and therefore not commercially available. Some WILDCATS have become so popular over the years that chamber reamers and reloading tools are now stock items of several manufacturers. There are many reasons for designing and building a WILDCAT. To mention a few:

• You have a rifle since many years and you like it very much but you don't shoot it very often because you consider the cartridge too weak or too strong. Rechambering or rebarreling can pump more life in this old iron.
• Your favourite rifle has a worn barrel. Reboring and rechambering give it a second life.
• You are thinking about a cartridge that can quite closely approach the performance level of a popular commercial round but with less expense.
• You discover a gap on the market- whether it's real or not.
• You are dreaming of a rimless counterpart to a famous rimmed or belted cartridge or vice versa.
• You have a huge quantity of cases in one caliber and you are thinking about converting them to a more potent cartridge that will fit better to your specific needs.
• You are seeking a way to get a very individual gun.
• You just want to have more fun while shooting and reloading.
• ...

This list is nearly endless.

Sometimes 2 people have created a very similar wildcat at a different time not knowing of each other and therefore any design could already exist since many years bearing another name but having nearly the same dimensions. When you have an idea for a new cartridge you should always count that someone else had the same idea before.

That’s an impressive example:

- 338-270 HGT (probably first built in the 1970s)

- 8,5x63 (first built in the 1980s, designed by Werner Reb, NO wildcat, CIP-Standard since 1987)

That can happen to a case:

Since its introduction in 1936 the 348Winchester served as basic case for many designers. The main reason is probably the large potential volume relativ to its length. By reducing body taper and adding a short neck you can reach magnum performance in many calibers rather elegantly. Maybe there is no other rimmed case which was modified to rimless so many times. One could believe that more cases were used for other cartridges than in its original caliber.

The real number of 348Winchester  based wildcats is of course higher than pictured below but even these 14 designs illustrate quite well what can be done to a case.

Heavy Express Magnum & Heavy Express Short Action Magnum cartridges, various lengths, designed by Jim Busha using 348Win brass for development.