Im not sure but i think i have one...?

Critter_Killer,

In terms of this forum I've always defined a "wildcat" cartridge as one that fits a non-standard chmber; but, perhaps you jest,,,in my life I've dealt with a lot of different " wild cats"

knobmtn

knobmtn said it correct, anything with a non-standard chamber. I will elaborate a bit. Considering my AR handle. The 257 Roberts is standard, but the 257 Roberts Ackley Improved is a Wildcat.

Think of it as anything non factory done. Now this is relative. Somethings that were factory and discontinued are sort of becoming wildcats again, although some people consider them obsolete.

Examples: 30-06, 270 Win, 308 Win, 300 Win Mag, 270 WSM, 300 SAUM, 223 Rem etc are all standard becaue they are in factory built rifles and components are readily availible. AKA: "normal" cartridges.


Examples of some wildcats: Any ackley improved, any TCU, 30-338 Winchester, 25-284, 6mm XC, 219 Donaldson Wasp, 6.5 WSM. None of these are factory availible, all custom order stuff and reloading is needed to shoot them.

Now there are always some things that are inbetween. example 6.5-284 was a wildcat for years, now that Norma has standardized it and components are starting to become availible i consider it more and more standardized, although i dont think any factory rifles are chambered for it.

Other things, the 350 Rem Mag was kind of a thing of the past. Once factory in the Rem 600, it was discontinued and sort of turned obsolete for a long time. In a way it turned into a wildcat, no brass around, no new guns so chambered etc. Now that the Rem 673 is back and chambered for the 350, it is again a standard cartridge.

Just my two cents worth!

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Originally posted by Critter_Killer:
Im not sure but i think i have one...?

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I don't recall where I read the definition, but as I recall it comes down to whether factory ammunition has been offered or not. Here are a few definitions, open to interpretation:

Factory round, factory ammunition and rifles are or were available. Many former wildcats became factory rounds, ex 35 whelen, 6.5-08 aka 260 rem, and many others.

Proprietary round, a factory round only offered by one company. This was common in the British rifle trade.

Wildcat, a factory case is used, and can be necked up or down to a different caliber, the shoulder angle can be changed, the shoulder can be set back, or set forward, and the body taper can be changed as well. To achieve this, either a custom chamber reamer is ground, or a combination of factory reamers can be used.

Obsolete, a round that no longer has factory ammo available. The brass might still be available, or brass may be modified from another existing case.

With some of the smaller custom ammo makers out there, you could say that many wildcats and obsolete rounds are now factory rounds. Even if I found someone that would make loaded ammo for my 350 Rigby, I'd still consider it an obsolete round.

I go with the factory ammo and chambering definition. if it has never been chambered by a company but ammo was available it still MIGHT be a wildcat, example the Norma pair. Only Norma loads ammo for them but to my knowledge nobody off the shelf chambered for it. And vice versa as well. Ruger lists on their site all the chamberings they have ever offered and I saw 416 Taylor on there, but don't know if ammo was available for it at that time and would definitely call it a wildcat.

but definitions will vary with who you talk to. I have now decided that just because you can call certain companies and order the rifle chambered this way, or special order ammo it doesn't stop being a wildcat as it is still not "off the shelf".

what is it you have?

Red

I realize this lumps obsolete, proprietary, obscure and true wildcats....

if you can't walk into a daarn good sporting store and buy the ammo, it could be a wildcat. I don't consider the rifle to be the 'cat, as just about rifle can be rechambered..

the lee-navy, caseles ammo, 348 and 358 winchester, 307, 356 win, 350 and 6.5 rem mag, 30 rem, 32 rem, 32 win, 351 win, 8 rem, 376 steyr (even though i love it) are a listing of what you WONT see at wallyworld.... though i have seen the 350 rem with 180 grain bullets (bad combo) in a store once.

Another way to look at this, that is if there is NO offical standards for loads, it's going to be a 'cat...

if you can only get the rounds by loading them, as there is no commerical (current) source for them, it's a cat... that makes the 307,348, 356, and 358 win nearly cats, as win only makes limited run batches of these....

but the 8 rem, if there is any NOS ammo left, has been abandoned...


Yet another way to look at these is to review all the gun manufactorers...and if it's listed a normal load (in a model 70 NOT in a custom rig) it's NOT a cat... This does not include gun makers, with say sub 500 units a year.

If you have to form the brass from one thing to another, and that brass is NOT available LOADED, it's a cat (450 alaskan, for example)

in a nutshell, if brown/sav/win/rem/ruger/sako/mauser don't chamber for it, it's a cat
jeffe