Hunting w/ Wildcat Cartridge

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  • Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,627
    Not Far Enough from the City
    Good to know. I've never been asked what round I'm hunting with, but wasn't sure how explaining it would go if needed. Simply showing it's a 'big' bullet not a 223 would probably be enough, just want to be on the safe side.

    Unless Winchester can convince some midwest states to alter their regulations to allow 0.355 instead of 0.357 I don't think it will be here for more than a couple years. I do like the numbers on the 450BM, and it sounds very effective from all I've read. May still end up going that route, not sure yet.

    A lever gun in 444 or 45-70 would be nice, but a good condition pre-safety JM rifle and ammo for it would both be a bit expensive. Can 45 Colt make 1200 ft-lbs? Never looked into it because I didn't think it'd meet the energy requirement.

    Yes. Buffalo Bore has a couple of loads that meet the spec.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,658
    Good to know. I've never been asked what round I'm hunting with, but wasn't sure how explaining it would go if needed. Simply showing it's a 'big' bullet not a 223 would probably be enough, just want to be on the safe side.

    Unless Winchester can convince some midwest states to alter their regulations to allow 0.355 instead of 0.357 I don't think it will be here for more than a couple years. I do like the numbers on the 450BM, and it sounds very effective from all I've read. May still end up going that route, not sure yet.

    A lever gun in 444 or 45-70 would be nice, but a good condition pre-safety JM rifle and ammo for it would both be a bit expensive. Can 45 Colt make 1200 ft-lbs? Never looked into it because I didn't think it'd meet the energy requirement.

    That would likely cover it.

    That said a .223 is legal out of some barrel lengths. Most medium game type .223 rounds out of a 20” barrel with do >1200ft-lbs

    Example Winchester and federal 64gr SPBT loads around around 1300lb-ft out of a 20” barrel. 75gr gold dot is over 1300ft-one out of a 20” barrel.
     

    Park ranger

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 6, 2015
    2,314
    Good to know. I've never been asked what round I'm hunting with, but wasn't sure how explaining it would go if needed. Simply showing it's a 'big' bullet not a 223 would probably be enough, just want to be on the safe side.

    Unless Winchester can convince some midwest states to alter their regulations to allow 0.355 instead of 0.357 I don't think it will be here for more than a couple years. I do like the numbers on the 450BM, and it sounds very effective from all I've read. May still end up going that route, not sure yet.

    A lever gun in 444 or 45-70 would be nice, but a good condition pre-safety JM rifle and ammo for it would both be a bit expensive. Can 45 Colt make 1200 ft-lbs? Never looked into it because I didn't think it'd meet the energy requirement.


    My 45 colt load in a 5.5" barrel is a 325 grain bullet at 1130 fps. that is 930 foot pounds. In a 16", I bet your going to see 1500.
     

    Park ranger

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 6, 2015
    2,314
    Maybe not. http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/45colt.html While they did not test that particular round, they did test lighter rounds and they never reached 1500 fps.

    Not with those loads. A person who Wildcats hand loads. 23 grains of 4227 pushes a 325 grain 1130 fps. In a 5.5" barrel. It will make it in a rifle, but not with factory low pressure chicken loads.

    And one of those loads at the bottom does list over 1200 foot pounds.
     

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,093
    .454 Casull is a longer version of the .45 Colt and a number of factory loads develop over 1800 ft lbs in a 7 1/2" pistol.
     

    balttigger

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 15, 2008
    3,050
    Middle River, MD
    I hunt with a couple wildcats (.277 Wolverine and .358 Yeti) but neither of those would work in Ohio being bottlenecked. There is the AR-15 version of the 45 Raptor called the VRAP (Velociraptor) but that uses an AR-10 bolt made for use in an AR15 BCG, Big bore upper, specific magazine (modified Bushmaster mag) and an adjustable gas block is all but mandatory.

    The VRAP pushes a 250gr FTX bullet to ~2300 fps and +/- 3,000 ft/lb (more than a 45-70)

     

    terp91

    Active Member
    Mar 14, 2013
    204
    Halethorpe
    The “wildcat” you are describing is the .350 Legend. Winchester ripped it off from a guy (Moleman) who has been making them in Michigan for well over a decade. All documented with posts on various gun smithing and gun building forums. FWIW, Moleman has made the cartridge in at least 3 different lengths for different platforms, but the original was optimized to shoot out of an AR.

    He, and another guy in Wisconsin also have a similar set of rimless, straight walled .44’s. They call the two lengths the .44 BG and the .44 BGM. Or the .44 Big Gun

    His newest is a .375 that he is calling the “.375 FUW”..... shouldn’t take a genius to figure out what FUW stands for.

    Searched his name and found a bunch of good information in threads across a few forums, thank you for that. It is interesting the subtle differences between what he made vs what Winchester settled on. Overall Moleman's version seems to fit better for what I want - no special brass, simple reloading, and definitely legal for the states I care about.


    According to this, lots of variation. Some are 357, some 355:

    https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/whats-going-on-with-350-legend/

    Yup, too much ambiguity and differences in people's numbers. Until it's been out a couple years and we get to see how different states decide to deal with it, I'll be avoiding the 350 Legend.
     

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