JSH -
Howdy!
After several .22-250s including full customs, I was left wanting a higher level of performance when shooting 55gr varmint bullets on groundhog.....out to 500yd.
I made my own wildcat..... .35 Remington brass necked-down to .224" cal. Case capacity between that of a stock .22-250 and a .22-250AI. Favorite varmint/target load was 41.2gr WW760 and FED Large Magnum Rifle March under Hornady 55SX; and was loafing @ 3,690fps. 510yd groundhog was made using prototype Hornady 55"V-Max" over 41.6gr VV 160 and Fed Magnum Rifle Match; all the above shot from 24" Hart
SS 1-14 5-groove. *** The barrel lasted 3,4200+ rnd before ever keyholing its first bullet. *** I attribute the fore-shortening of the barrel's life to my dumb decision to have it cryo'd when it was already well past half of its ultimate life.
Chunks came out of the leade.
I re-barrelled by chambering .22-35 in a 28" K&P SS 1-8, making the rifle truly capable of 1,000yd use on either varmint or target. I shot 75"A-Max" exclusively, over 40.5gr AA3100 and FED LR Match for 3,420 FPS. Primer change made to load to FED Large Magnum Rifle Match yielded 3,500fps; w/ a slight
opening up of the groups.
The nominal 52gr H2O capacity of the .223WSSM can be approached by a fore-shortened wildcat version of the
.224 TTH. The chamber would be cut by running a .224TTh reamer in short, for a nominal .466" base diam.
7x64 Brenneke is used as the wildcat's parent brass.
This case is .308 bolt face compatible rimless, and great brass can be had from Norma and RWS
The larger capacity .224's would de best applied when use of the heavier/ heaviest .224" cal bullets is desired.
The .224" cal wildcat version of a fore- shortened .224TTH case can be formed using a stock 6.5x55 Swedish FL die
( LEE) w/ its internals removed.... as the case forming die.
A "perch" is made using a .308 shelholder, a 1/4-20 flat- head machine screw w/ head diam< .466"; and a 1/4-20 lock nut.
The perch is placed on the press' arbor, and handle,operated to advance case up into the forming die. As shoulder is shoved downward, excess brass extrudes out top of the open-topped die.
Cases are rough cut-off for length, then detail trimmed to final case aol. Cases are outside neck turned to final neck wall thickness desired.
This wildcat has a longer than one calibre neck, which would readily accept VLDs
With regards,
357Mag