Guys,
Who shoots a wildcat that can be reloaded using standard dies modified slightly or a combination of standard dies? What is that wildcat and how do you go about loading it?
Example:
458Lott. Before 458Lott dies where common, I used 458WinMag dies, whilst Norbert on this forum used a cut "tubular" 458WM die (to allow FL sizing)and a regular 458WM seater.
Published in an Australian magazine;
270 Hog Hunt (270/223 Improved): Cut standard 270 FL die (to allow neck sizing) and universal seater. Cant FL size but it got the author shooting!
257EGGS (257/221 Improved): 256Winchester dies adjusted accoringly, again no ability to FL size.

One I'm considering to make use of an 8mmRemMag take-off barrel is the 8mm/338. A cut and shortened 8mmRemMag FL die should allow me to do the neck and shoulder, a cut 458WM die should allow me to resize the base, then seat with my 8mmRemMag dies adjusted accordingly.
Anyone else??
Cheers...
Con

I've had numerous wildcats that I just loaded with a Neck sizer from a larger case. Then if I decided to keep it I had dies made.

one of the joys of wildcatting is scrounging...

take the 458 AR...

I have a set of 470 AR dies, so FL is easy

neck em with a bored out set of 45/70 ...

and set with a 458 lott set...


the 416 AR is nicer...

full length with 470s
rest is worked over 20$ lyman 416 rigby dies

jeffe

Con

Whenever I go to a flea market and I see a loading die or a set of dies for a couple of bucks I buy them even though they may be an odd caliber that I will never load for. I have a drawer full. And I'm never at a loss to cobble up something to see what that new wildcat might look like or to figure a way to load a few rounds to test it. Half the fun of wildcats is doin' stuff like that IMHO.

Ray

One of the handiest dies are the old Saeco stubby dies. You can load virtually anything in that caliber. They are also fantastic for case forming. I have some in 270 and 6mm that I use to form 210 Donaldson Wasp cases. You can find them on eBay on occasion and usually go pretty cheap.

Here's what I have done for the 6mm-06. I size 30-06 cases down to 270, using a standard 270 Win Die, then I neck size the now 270 size 06 brass to 6MM, using a 6MM Rem Neck Sizer, Viola!

I have to confess though, I now use 25-06 cases, and run them into the 6MM Remington neck sizer, and I am done.

Jerry

Check out Mike Bellm and his wildcats he uses standered dies and .444 Marlin brass.
7mm Bellm
.308 Bellm
.358 Bellm
Mike Bellm

My 6mm 30-30 AI I can load using slightly modified dies from a .243 Win and thats all.

I've personally been wondering whether a Lee 416Taylor FL die with its expander removed would size a case small enough to hold a 0.411 projectile. Then open the case mouth a little with a Universal expander and seat with the Taylor seating die. Pretty cheap way of shooting a 411Bowman type wildcat. That would open the use of .41 pistol projectiles for plinking, Hornady's 300gr projectiles from the 405Win and a 400gr Woodleigh (would you need to be careful with a 0.412" in a 0.411 bore???) for the serious stuff.
Cheers...
Con

The Lee dies are only about $13 for the RGB set.
I made a 30 Erin pistol, 30-38 special. I used an extension to push the cases up into a 30-06 die to form the neck, then seated with a 357 die, no crimp though. I cut down a 300 savage die for neck sizeing. Then I bought a set of 7.62x25 dies for a new project and found that they work perfectly. The sholder is also in the exact same spot. I should have looked closer for a similar round before jumping though all of the hoops.
The long gradual expander on the Lee dies is also nice. I necked up some 30-30 brass with 375 H&H Lee dies in one pass to try in my 375 win Mod 94.
I'm also wondering if 357 sig dies could load 357 Herret? I already have Herret dies, but they look like they might be close enough.

I have thought about using 400 Corbon dies to make a 38-40 improved....small change, maybe; but perhaps worth looking at.

Kind of a combination, but in reloading my 222mag improved, I use the 223 improved dies. Much cheaper.

I have used old dies like the 257 WBY cut off on my lathe with a carbide cutter to neck size many smaller cases. As long as you do NOT alter the shoulder angle you`re fine.
Aloha, Mark

I use shortened 204 Ruger dies for my 222 Rem based 20-222 wildcat. The fireform loads shoot as well as the formed brass ( mainly the shoulder going from 23 to 30 deg).
It was not my idea, but I sure like it!

One benefit of this case is the long neck of the 222 allows for minimal freebore if using a 204 chamber. Just a throat reamer is needed to allow for the longer neck, but now you're near the rifling.

I shortened a .405 die and can now use it to resize my .41 x 240 Weatherby that is 2.170 long. [handgun]

For the 6*47 I use a Redding 223 bushing neck die and a .265 (or so) bushing to do my neck sizing. I tried a 223 body die and it worked reasonably, though it did size the neck a bit as well. I've now got a 6*47 FL die, so that problem has gone away.

6/250; I use a 22/250 body die and bushing neck die. I seem to recall using a 243 seater in the early days, but I've got the Redding 6/250 seater now.

Needed to reload some 30/06 recently, and I don't have dies for it, so I used a 308 bushing neck die and seater. Stuff shot really well, so I guess it worked ok.

I've got a 338/06 being made, and I have a set of the Redding dies for it, but I may buy a 30/06 bushing neck die....might even try the 308 die with the right bushing too.