#2207768 - 05/17/08 05:33 PM
My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
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Dtech
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Registered: 03/07/06
Posts: 253
Loc: Bemidji, MN.
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Last year I learned that Indiana had changed it's game laws to allow a select group of handgun/rifle cartridges to be used for white tail hunting. Up until 2007, Indiana's white tail hunting was "slugs only", so this news got me thinking. The Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) necked-up to .358 would darn near qualify under this new law.
I have been building conversions for the .243 and .25 WSSM to be used on the AR-15 platform for about 4 years now. They have been wildly popular so I decided to dive into some new wildcat cartridges on the WSSM line, and do one of them to qualify for "Indiana dear legal". I ordered barrels from Shilen, reamers from PT&G and dies from Hornady. It's been a long wait, and everything I have needed for these new projects has arrived.... Except for the dies! Well, just the other day I received a large box from Hornady packed full of dies!
Now the work starts! I took one of the new Shilen stainless steel, match barrels and chambered it in .358/.25 WSSM. I left the barrel full-length and did not contour it, giving me as much flexibility as possible. I had decided to use .243 WSSM brass as it is much more available than the .25 WSSM brass. I chose the sharper shoulder-angle of the .25 WSSM version, so now I have to figure out a way of getting .243 sized necks stretched out to .358! I annealed a batch of about 25 cases and tried fire-forming the cases with a fast-burning pistol powder and a filler of creamed wheat. I took a stab at the charge and tried on. It worked perfectly!
I soon had 25 fire-formed cases, and decided to try doing some load-development. I wasn't after accuracy at this point, I just wanted to get some base-line velocities and start the barrel break-in. I selected AA-2015, and decided on a safe starting point. The first shot made it quite clear that my starting point was on the safe side. I increased the powder charge and watched the velocity climb. By the time it was time to go home for dinner, I had a little over a dozen rounds down the tube and the velocity on a 200 grain slug was a little over 2650 FPS. Even at this point, there were no signs of high-pressure. I am anxious to get back to it in the morning and see what kind of velocity I can get out of this thing!
Here is a picture of my cases. Prior to fire-forming, after fire-forming and a loaded round. Due to the fact that I am dealing with a semi-auto, I decided to figure out a way of "capping" the cream of wheat so it wouldn't spill in the chamber. I took a Styrofoam cup and used the mouth of the case to cut "plugs" out of the cup. In the unfired cases, you can see the Styrofoam "plugs" in the case-necks.
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#2207819 - 05/17/08 06:05 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: Dtech]
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Tom264
Campfire Guide
Registered: 12/19/06
Posts: 4957
Loc: Indiana
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Very interesting, I am looking forward for more info......I am super interested in this cartridge.
As you can see I'm from IN and have a buddy that has the .458 socom but I always thought something of the 35 cal would be much better given the case parameters.
Keep it coming.
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#2207830 - 05/17/08 06:13 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: Tom264]
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Dtech
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Registered: 03/07/06
Posts: 253
Loc: Bemidji, MN.
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When I ordered the reamers, dies and barrel-blanks, I 'kinda went nuts! I have been building the 6.5 WSSM for a couple of years now, so I added the 7mm, 30 cal., 338 and the 358.
I'm pretty pumped about it. So-far, the .358 has not been disappointing, and I don't think the others will be either.
This rifle is going to a guy in IN. and I don't think I'm going to be able to keep it for any real amount of range-time, but I will keep you posed on how it does.
_________________________
There is a very fine line between "Hobby" and "Mental illness"
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#2207874 - 05/17/08 06:41 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: Dtech]
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rost495
Campfire Outfitter
Registered: 01/05/05
Posts: 9954
Loc: La Grange, TX
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Hey, thats a moly bullet, thought that was out of style...
Good luck with the line!! I think you are headed in a good direction.
jeff
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#2208136 - 05/17/08 09:52 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: rost495]
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Mackay_Sagebrush
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Registered: 07/03/07
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I enjoy watching expiriments such as this. A round such as this in an AR could be a good general purpose woods combo.
Good luck and I hope you are successfull and sell a bunch.
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#2209727 - 05/19/08 01:27 AM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: Dtech]
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BMT
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Registered: 11/09/02
Posts: 9562
Loc: Long Tom, Oregon
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Very Cool.
A 358 Winchester type performance in the smaller AR-15 (vs AR-10) format.
It also appears that your signature line tells the tale this day, eh?
BMT
Edited by BMT (05/19/08 01:29 AM)
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#2213289 - 05/20/08 08:09 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: joghotrod]
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Jeff_O
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Registered: 04/21/07
Posts: 7643
Loc: Wetter'n Oregon
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Must.... buy... upper.... from... Dtech....
-jeff
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More wag. Less bark.
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#2234496 - 06/02/08 12:10 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: woofer]
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iambrb
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Registered: 07/18/05
Posts: 1141
Loc: South Carolina
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Would it not have been easier to go the other direction, and cut/neck down 450 Hornady brass?
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#2235296 - 06/02/08 06:33 PM
Re: My big-bore AR-15 wildcat
[Re: iambrb]
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Dtech
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Registered: 03/07/06
Posts: 253
Loc: Bemidji, MN.
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Would it not have been easier to go the other direction, and cut/neck down 450 Hornady brass?
I don't know. The way I did it was about as fast and inexpensive as I can imagine. I have now fire-formed about 50 of the .358 and a bunch of the .30's and have yet to loose a case.
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There is a very fine line between "Hobby" and "Mental illness"
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