Guys,
Perhaps the wrong forum ... but this is about wildcats etc... Anyone read the following book and care to comment whether its a worthwhile read? Looking for my "summer reading".

Designing and Forming Custom Cartridges for Rifles and Handguns. by Ken Howell

Thanks...
Con

It is an outstanding book in my opinion. I've got a few books on designing or wildcatting and Howell's book is the best, in my opinion.

As an aside, Fred Zeglin's new book should be a good one as well.
http://www.z-hat.com/Wildcat%20Book.htm

DPhillips,
Thanks for that. Does the Ken Howell book cover the medium to larger wildcats as well? Don't particularly want a book just on varmint rifles . The Fred Zeglin book also looks like a very interesting read.

What other books do you recommended on wildcats and their development? I'll order the Ken Howell book and see if they'll ship the Zeglin book to Australia, then maybe "Wildcat Cartridges" the Combo Edition then .... ???
My "shooting" library is pretty deficient in this area.
Cheers...
Con

Howell's book is a good thesis from small to big bore rifles, I think. More up to date than Ackeley's (those are good as well for commercial cartridges and wildcats).

Wolfe Publishing's Wildcat Cartridges II is an outstanding book. WC I is okay but mostly benchrest and varmint stuff if I remember correctly (haven't referenced it in years).

Big Bore Rifles and Cartridges has some good info as well (again, Wolfe Publishing), with a lot of wildcats in it.

The thing I like about the Wolfe Publishing books is the articles give the history of cartridge class, the need or want for the wildcat (what purpose and why) and the work done on the rifle being converted, and the way they work up the loads.

Ackeley's books good are good for understanding internal ballistics and loading of the cats.

Howell's is the best single reference on the subject -- period. There's a zillion different cartridges, all drawn from decent reference sources, often SAAMI or CIP, or from old mfg. catalogs (Winchester, Kynoch, etc.). Howell didn't put in cartridges for which he had no reliable source of dimensions. So far, I've only found one typo in the drawings. His suggestions for case re-forming operations (annealing, etc.) all seem safer than some of the those I've read elsewhere. As usual for Howell, he tends to err on the conservative side. His suggestion for making estimates of cartridge case capacity I found so useful I wrote a calculator for the internet based on the technique; you can find it here. I can recommend Howell's book without reservations. If you're in the Melbourne area, you're welcome to stop by and have a look at my copy.

The Home Guide to Cartridge Conversions by George Nonte is decent but dated a bit. Some of the listed conversions seem pretty iffy, but he has some re-forming techniques not mentioned by Howell. If you can buy a used copy for a good price, try it.

The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions by John Donnelly had too many obvious errors for me to bother keeping it; I gave my copy to a friend in Germany who was interested in it. If you can borrow a copy, there's a number of good points in it, but I wouldn't buy it. I think I have read this book has been revised by another author (Donnelly died a while back), so perhaps my complaints are no longer valid.

For the cost of the postage, I gave away the two-volume Wolfe book. Howell's book had many of the more interesting cartridges from those series; Howell was editor of Handloader when some of those articles were written. Unlike Howell's book, the old articles have loads and fps figures, but I found those numbers about as reliable as Ackley's (ie., plainly too hot, in many instances). Howell's book plus QuickLOAD for loads is a much better bet.

Also, browse through the listings at CH-4D. You can get some ideas of what's available there. Also, the reamer maker JGS will (if I recall) sell you prints of their offerings, and their list is on the web site.

quote:

Originally posted by DPhillips:
It is an outstanding book in my opinion. I've got a few books on designing or wildcatting and Howell's book is the best, in my opinion.

As an aside, Fred Zeglin's new book should be a good one as well.
http://www.z-hat.com/Wildcat%20Book.htm

You could sent the gauge to me which is in the book of Fred Zeling
I information retrieval of gauge of wildcat I know that there is in book could be you communicated them to me.
Of it is the base of the casings of the gauge which is in this book is if these possible their ballistics.
Thank you for all in advance In a friendly way your sharp wildcat ammunition

Bonjoure of Paris you Could sent the gauge to me which is in the book of Fred Zeling or if you to have of other delivers or one speaks about the gauges of wildcat is or one can find gauge of nomination is the base how to form them.
I information retrieval of gauge of wildcat I know that there is in book could be you communicated them to me.

Of it is the base of the casings of the gauge which is in this book is if these possible their ballistics.
Thank you for all in advance.


In a friendly way your sharp wildcat ammunition

tera,
I apologize to you, I have not checked back on this thread in a long time. I do not have Zeglin's book yet, though have placed the order.

If I understand your question correctly, you are wanting to know which cartridges and their parent cases are covered in this book?

I will post that information when I receive the book or can PM or email you.

Fred built my on wildcat chambered rifle, a 411 Hawk which is a 30-06 case that has been blown out, the shoulder moved forward and necked up to .411". Ballistics are a 400 grain bullet roughly 2,050-2,100 fps when seated to the maximum length of the Winchester 1895's magazine, without modification.

Mr. Zeglin is a well-known wildcatter and has experiences with many other cases besides the 30-06 parent case. I'm sure there is more to this book than the Hawk wildcats. I have not received the book yet, however.

Good shooting...

DPhillips,

When you get the Zeglin book I would appreciate a posting on what the book covers and what you think of it. I have seen it advertised but even his site doesn't give very much information on the contents of the book.

Thanks.

Will do.

Well ... I can vouch for the Howell book, I've read it twice the past fortnight, quite a good read. I hope the second Volume mentioned ends up being written and released.
The Zeglin book I'll be ordering early next year. Just wish there was a book covering the 303British based wildcats in greater detail.
Cheers...
Con

Con,
If you aren't aware of it, Dr. Howell has just relocated to New Mexico and is setting up The Powley Shooting Center. What he has planned exactly, I'm not sure. Dr. Howell and Homer Powley were close friends and co-conspirators on numerous occasions, apparently.

Dr. Howell also posts at the 24 Hour Campfire forums and is usually very good about answering questions in the "Ask the Gunwriters Forum".
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=