ALL the cool things about "Wildcat Rounds" +1!

I have absolutely NO experience nor really much interest in self loading, that said, I really enjoyed reading about your process and was touched by your tribute. Nicely said.

Excellent!

Congratulations Steve! Welcome to the wonderful world of wildcats! It can be quite challenging (sometimes even frustrating) as you try to work out all the "bugs." Then, to finally develop and prove loads that perform to your expectations in your own rifle is indeed quite satisfying.

Nice looking rifle, Steve!

Thanks guys. The orginal rifle I picked up really had a nice golden colored stock that is really pretty nice.

Almost all the 700 Classics are very straight grain and I'm more of a high figured gunstock lover than I should be.

I saw this one and had to have that stock!

This rifle and round is being put together for hunting through retirement and I got a good enough deal on the original to "somehow" justify swapping stocks on this one and then deciding what to do with the second one. Why I'd want two is a mystery even to me, but danged if it don't keep popping up in my head.

The 338 LM "idea" while doable, is just out of this ol fart's financial means and WAY more capable for shots longer than I could even dream up.

Plus it would beat me to DEATH.

For now, the scope I'm intending to use is an older Redfield Widefield 2-7X that just happened to be on the other 350 Mag when I bought it. I had one of those on a custom muzzleloader and really liked the sight picture. A little more X would be handy for working loads and testing accuracy (with me shooting anyway LOL) but I'm not now or ever intended for this to be a bench gun with itty bitty groups.

I AM getting a bit anxious to get it here and start loading test rounds and getting enough 1x fired and neck sized brass to get serious testing powders and bullets but as the weather cools a bit and the humidity drops it will be a bit more fun doing so.

Being normally a traditional bowhunter/black powder hunter for 95 percent of my adult hunting life.......this is going to be a bit different to say the least.

For awhile I'll probably feel like I'm doing something Im not supposed to after more than 4 decades of "NO RIFLES ALLOWED". I think I know ONE guy that has a bolt action 44 mag Ruger rifle that he hunts with some.

I'm going to be a freak hunting with a true rifle in these parts!

God Bless and thanks again, guys.
Steve

Short update for those interested.

Rifles are done and in hand.
Some surprises but comes out a wash.

Fired brass has a slightly less case capacity than our "dummy round", reason being our dummy's dumb shoulder was not formed and we lost a bit with that but since this was never intended to be the fastest of the fastest, not a big deal.

My 700 came with a few blessings.
I had purchased it and fired it straight to the gunsmith.

Once receiving it, I found that the action had been glassed and the trigger had already but custom worked. Can't complain about either of those but I have "canned" the idea of switching stocks to the more figured one above.

IN HAND, the original stock is not anything like the 'blond" appearing one in the originally seen photos and I am pleased with it as is.

The trigger is the best I've ever encountered on any rifle short of double set triggers. Zero creep or over travel, breaking at just under 2.5 lbs. Perfect.

Powders purchsed were just a tad slower than one would pick for TOP end velocities but the difference of the approx 100 fps gain in switching amounts to SO little on trajectory out to 250 yards, I'm not going to worry about it for now.

Capacity duplicates the 358 WSSM, just with less fuss IMO gotten by a simple set back and rechamber.

The discontinued Nosler 225 grain Ballistic tip has a working range of "1600 fps min to 3000 fps max" and I felt this would be desirable for the velocities of this round. The same bullet as the 225 Accubond, but not bonded. BC of .421.

COAL of the round is identical to the Parent round, the 350 Rem mag with the bottom of the bullet just at the bottom of the neck. 2.800 inches and what I had the rifle throated for.

Fireforming is about unneeded but I did load some 180 grain Speer over med charges of a slower powder to just shoot and get familiar with the rifle.

Ive not chronographed those, not intending to use them but they have a decent "punch" shooting them and found they group inside 1.5 inches at 100 yards without any "working" of the load involved. Shows the rilfe / round may have "promise" for my uses.

As expected I am unable to "over load" the round with IMR 8208 XBR, even with magnum match primers. QL shows pressures well under the 63,000 psi estimate maximum and still getting right at 2500 fps with the Nosler 225 grain bullet.

A gentleman working this wildcat with me via the internet has been a great help. He has multiple experiences with wildcats and 35 caliber rounds and has several ideas on powders to try later on and we may "push the envelope" on the round after season playing around but for now, the goal of an efficient yet inexpensive build giving me a "358 win" equivelent or close has been met. I feel no "need" to push the round to max and gain the most I can from it.

At this point, the round has been all I've asked for. Some ups, some downs but overall....an efficient, cost preventive round to chamber a rifle for.

My scope for hunting is at this time a 2-7x40 Redfield Widefield Lo-Pro of decades past. I used one on a custom black powder rifle previously and I found it to be an excellent, quick pointing scope yet it does lack the power I NEED to really shoot super groups.

Ill "group" some rounds but am not expecting half inch groups LOL.

We also have the 180 grain speer, 220 grain speer, 225 grain sierra along with the noslers. All of them loaded up have more than adequate trajectory and energy for Indiana whitetail. Its simply a matter of personal choices/ preferences at this point.

Some prefer the faster loads with lighter bullets but my trajectory calculations show so little gain in trajectory at short ranges, I chose the heavier ones that will retain both trajectory and more energy on those longer shots, if taken.

No surprise there since Ive been a heavy bullet advocate all my life.

Anyway........just a short update.

GodBless you and yours. Hunt safe this November!
Steve

Looks and sounds awesome, great project.

Thanks gang.

What you did hankhunter is truly the simpliest and it was considered but for me, I'd have to do a rechamber anyway because I was set on a model 700 Remington for mine to hunt thru retirement.

It's been kinda fun, some pitfalls and an overall learning experience.

Something to plan for me to do living alone with ol Dewey.

I heard a LONG LONG time ago something that has stuck with me.

"If you're not planning to DO something......all you are planning to do...is die"

It's been my motto for all these years.

God Bless, one and all, and best of luck out there.
Steve

40-60 marlin, 45-70 govt, & 450 Marlin in 1.625"
Above plus 35 rem, and 358 win in 1.8"