I've been searching high and low for brass head stamped for the 450 Ultra Magnum. All I have found was some Bollinger head stamped brass designated 450 Ultra Magnum. The one source was a broker and I would get the brass if I paid the 12,000 large for the rifle. The other was John Bollinger himself, he explain he just had enough for the rifle he still had and needed to hold on to it, because it needed to be available for the purchaser of the rifle. Who out there will custom head stamp brass but not it huge quantities?

Not sure if they have it, but you might try 'Superior Cartridge'.'.

Try Quality Cartridge...

quote:

Originally posted by SMACK!!!!:
I've been searching high and low for brass head stamped for the 450 Ultra Magnum.

I have never understood this. If you are doing a wildcat, why not just mark the barrel "450/375 Ultra Mag"? Then you can use 375 Ultra Mag brass and it matches the the stamp on the barrel.

You could still mark the other side of the barrel "450 Ultra Mag".

All the customs guys are going to be looking for is a "set of numbers" on the barrel that match a "set of numbers" on the headstamp.

I really think you wildcatters like to make things more difficult than necessary.

JBrown

quote:

I have never understood this. If you are doing a wildcat, why not just mark the barrel "450/375 Ultra Mag"? Then you can use 375 Ultra Mag brass and it matches the the stamp on the barrel.

You could still mark the other side of the barrel "450 Ultra Mag".

All the customs guys are going to be looking for is a "set of numbers" on the barrel that match a "set of numbers" on the headstamp.

I really think you wildcatters like to make things more difficult than necessary.

You are 100% spot on correct. In the beginning I was doing just that with some of the B&Ms. Then I got my hands on some head stamped brass, stopped engraving the extra, now with some issues from Quality and Horneber on the 500 MDM, I am having those engraved 500MDM/375RUM. You are right, just looking for a number on the barrel matching the brass, if they ever look at all. Easy solution, and a damn sight cheaper.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
You are right, just looking for a number on the barrel matching the brass, if they ever look at all. Easy solution, and a damn sight cheaper.

It is sure nice to hear an expert say that I am right about something....

I know it brings out the crybabies when anyone uses big words but: I think wildcatters are being a bit obtuse when they ignore this simple solution.

Maybe some guys just like it perfect,hence the bordom with factory chamberings.

quote:

I think wildcatters are being a bit obtuse when they ignore this simple solution.

Perhaps we need some brass with enough space in the headstamp to add the new bore. For example, taking a 338 Lapua and adding "49/" to the headstamp. Or a 416 Rig and adding "50/" (that last one now has a Quality Cartridge brass near-equivalent in "500 Mbogo".

quote:

Originally posted by SMACK!!!!:
Maybe some guys just like it perfect,hence the bordom with factory chamberings.

Maybe some wildcatters just need a good "SMACK!!!" upside the head?(sorry, couldn't resist)

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Perhaps we need some brass with enough space in the headstamp to add the new bore. For example, taking a 338 Lapua and adding "49/" to the headstamp. Or a 416 Rig and adding "50/" (that last one now has a Quality Cartridge brass near-equivalent in "500 Mbogo".

Tanzan
You're just not getting it.... Stamp the barrel "49/338 Lapua" and leave the brass with the original "338 Lapua" headstamp. All the customs guys are looking for is a set matching numbers. The see the 338 Lapua on the barrel and brass and all is good. no one is going to ask about the "49/" that precedes it.

In a way it makes sense that some wildcatters are so anal about headstamps. After all you need to be pretty anal to go to the lengths that you guys do to gain 100fps in a case that is .010 shorter than a factory offering.

(all in good fun, don't get too bent out of shape)

Jason,

I do get it.
And I've had 35 years of continual customs experience, multiple times per year, typically third world.

Yes, 338 Lapua could be expected to work most of the time. But 49/338 Lapua would be safer.
Plus, I would not like to have 49 calibre ammo lying around that was marked 338 Lapua. And 338 Lapua labels could get flagged in some persnickety European airports that may declare 338 Lapua to be 'military' contraband.

Why do it? I can get 1.5 to 2 pounds lesser weight than 'factory' .500 calibre bolt-action offerings. Plus, the CZ offerings in 500 Jeffrey and 505 Gibbs run about $3000 and up. The wildcats in this case provide LESS case capacity than those two classic, massive, poorly-used-capacity cases. And the wildcat can cost half of the factory.

blessings

Jason,

I do get it, with 35 years experience of multiple customs crossing/year, especially third world.
49/338 Lapua would be a safer headstamp, especially in Euro airports where they are getting more persnickity and may not like "338 Lapua" as a forbidden military round.

Why do it? Factory offerings in 505 Gibbs and 500 Jeffrey start at $3000 and typically weigh in around 11 pounds with scope. They do not fully use their massive case-capacities and become 'extra weight'. I can better their factory energies in a lightweight, 9-pound-with-scope, 500 wildcat. Plus, I can do that at half the cost if using a Ruger Hawkeye base.
What's not to like?

The headstamped brass to get into Africa is IMO a myth..I have taken many a wildcat mismarked brass to Africa as well as rifles with no marking as to caliber..Saeed himself has done this many times and I am fairly certain that both Roy and Allen Vincent have also done so..

To start with Africas Custom inspectors for the most part can't read and wouldn't know a 375 from a 38 Special and that includes the Game Scouts, who don't much care about anything except the green back..

I just don't see the problem, and I would be surprised if it ever happened, and is only a Internet myth, or the brain child of some young gun writer having a testosterone attack and put it in print, therefore it must be true!

If such ever happened I suspect it was in RSA, but I even doubt that.

Head stamps are easy. Quality Cartridge will mark cartridge cases with just about any caliber designation you can dream up.

actually, label it 375 Rum / 458 --
why? think about it a second