Is it time for to me to give up on my wildcat?

[hembrook]

I have been screwing around with a 30-284 since mid-2021. I've sunk so many dollars into it and still feel like something is not right. I'm getting tired of spending way too much time trouble shooting and loading instead of just quickly loading some and being able to spend more time practicing in the field.

If I had some money to throw at it, I'd just send the barreled action, reamers, brass, and sizing die to someone like Wheeler Accuracy or similar and have them troubleshoot it and do what needs to be done to make it work like I want. But I have no money.

What do you guys think? How many of you have thrown in the towel on wildcats, went to factory ammo or at least simplified your loading and became much happier with your rifles? I might be at the point of saying F it.

Isn't a .30-284 just a 7.5x55 Swiss with a .473 rim?

 

[randy86314]

deleted

 

[Tac-O]

This has been an interesting and mysterious thread. I hoped that you would complete this project, tho It isn't a totally wildcat cartridge: reamers and die sets are available off-the-shelf. It's a mystery to me how the gunsmithing failed you

They aren't. It's a 30-284 AI. Blew shoulders out by 0.010 and shoulder angle to 40*

Isn't a .30-284 just a 7.5x55 Swiss with a .473 rim?

Very close. The dimensions are ever so slightly different w the 7.5 being a tad smaller, but close enough I guess that the Peterson tech told me they use their 284 brass in their swiss rifles

 

[hembrook]

They aren't. It's a 30-284 AI. Blew shoulders out by 0.010 and shoulder angle to 40*


Very close. The dimensions are ever so slightly different w the 7.5 being a tad smaller, but close enough I guess that the Peterson tech told me they use their 284 brass in their swiss rifles

The only reason I asked is I tripped over the data by accident. I had a K31 in Germany and looked at the 7.5x55 brass and thought it would be a good upgrade for the .308 Marlin eXpress (similar rim between them, so it should feed) then while chasing dimensions for the 7.5x55, I saw the trick: Winchester took the 7x55 and turned the rim down to .473 to fit in standard boltface, and then necked it to 7mm, possibly to hide the subterfuge.

So in a way other than shoulder angles and taper, the .30-284 case is the same, as the original 7.5x55 Swiss, just with the smaller boltface.

Much the same way the .30 Hembrook Short, which is 52mm long based on the .30 Hembrook Long, will be pretty close internally to the 7.5x55, but won't say "Hembrook" on it so off I go making them just, you know, because I can.

 

[Tac-O]

The only reason I asked is I tripped over the data by accident. I had a K31 in Germany and looked at the 7.5x55 brass and thought it would be a good upgrade for the .308 Marlin eXpress (similar rim between them, so it should feed) then while chasing dimensions for the 7.5x55, I saw the trick: Winchester took the 7x55 and turned the rim down to .473 to fit in standard boltface, and then necked it to 7mm, possibly to hide the subterfuge.

So in a way other than shoulder angles and taper, the .30-284 case is the same, as the original 7.5x55 Swiss, just with the smaller boltface.

Much the same way the .30 Hembrook Short, which is 52mm long based on the .30 Hembrook Long, will be pretty close internally to the 7.5x55, but won't say "Hembrook" on it so off I go making them just, you know, because I can.

I can't find anything on the 39 hembrook short when searching other than some mean looking guy from Milwaukee that was sentenced for something haha

 

[Tac-O]

The only reason I asked is I tripped over the data by accident. I had a K31 in Germany and looked at the 7.5x55 brass and thought it would be a good upgrade for the .308 Marlin eXpress (similar rim between them, so it should feed) then while chasing dimensions for the 7.5x55, I saw the trick: Winchester took the 7x55 and turned the rim down to .473 to fit in standard boltface, and then necked it to 7mm, possibly to hide the subterfuge.

So in a way other than shoulder angles and taper, the .30-284 case is the same, as the original 7.5x55 Swiss, just with the smaller boltface.

Much the same way the .30 Hembrook Short, which is 52mm long based on the .30 Hembrook Long, will be pretty close internally to the 7.5x55, but won't say "Hembrook" on it so off I go making them just, you know, because I can.

Ohhh you're hembrook. Cool. The 30 long sounds neat. Care to share more about your short?

 

[Tac-O]

@Taylorbok , here's a picture of my sizing die. Isn't it odd that the lock ring has to be so high? This is set up to bump 0.002 with only a tiny amount of cam over.

 

[randy86314]

AI?? I missed that. Sorry

 

[VinceMule]

A different press that you screw that die into may change the position of the die ring. Yeah...spend more money. YUK!

Many of us have been down this rabbit hole. I got busted several times on the custom reamers I ordered that were not print size. Whether or not the gunsmith uses chambering methods that will cut true reamer size is another issue.

The Custom die issue is like trying to tip-toe across a minefield with a metal detector only to find wooden mines in the field when you get halfway across.

Trying to fix this issue may be like trying to fix a "bad" girlfriend, best get rid of them and any reminders of them....move on.

We enjoy the creative process....up to a point. We learn from our failures.

 

[1stpitch]

Isn't it odd that the lock ring has to be so high?

I agree that it is odd, but it must be ok if it's pushing the shoulder back. What kind of press are you using?

 

[Tac-O]

I agree that it is odd, but it must be ok if it's pushing the shoulder back. What kind of press are you using?

It's a rcbs rebel. Absolutely love the press. My Lee 6.5cm sets up in it with plenty of extra threads above the ring. I was wondering if it could just be the design of the ptg die blank.

I also have a Lee hand press but I can't remember where the lock ring was on my die when I was using that one. I think it was very similar

 

[1stpitch]

A Rebel does have a little more "throat" than a Rockchucker, I think, but not more than a thread or so.

 

[VinceMule]

One of those RCBS shell extenders that is used for a 6 BR may work for you, 308 size case head. These shell extenders snap in the press where the shell holder snaps in, raises the case about an inch or so.

 

[lyle2231]

I have been screwing around with a 30-284 since mid-2021. I've sunk so many dollars into it and still feel like something is not right. I'm getting tired of spending way too much time trouble shooting and loading instead of just quickly loading some and being able to spend more time practicing in the field.

If I had some money to throw at it, I'd just send the barreled action, reamers, brass, and sizing die to someone like Wheeler Accuracy or similar and have them troubleshoot it and do what needs to be done to make it work like I want. But I have no money.

What do you guys think? How many of you have thrown in the towel on wildcats, went to factory ammo or at least simplified your loading and became much happier with your rifles? I might be at the point of saying F it.

The way I would approach the problem would be to contact Redding . Obtain a neck bushing die. Send your reamer to them for a full length die. .. It might take 2 or 3 passes to get your brass ready to load.