Favorite wildcat/ old cartridges?

O

OKRattler

Well-known member
What are your favorite wildcat cartridges or old cartridges that you just don't hear much about anymore? Things like the 219 Zipper,218 Bee,19 Badger or even cartridges like the 32-20 that nobody really shoots now days. I'm sure there are some that I've never heard of that underrated.
 
Originally Posted By: GLShooterI've always been intrigued by the 32-20 though I've never owned or shot one.

Greg

My buddy has a TC Contender in 32-20. It's a pretty cool little cartridge. I'd like to shoot a coyote with it one of these days. I shot a feral cat and some targets with it but that's about as far as my experience with that cartridge goes.
 
I know they are so close to a 30 Carbine as to be funny but they just do pique my interest. They were shooting them in IHMSA back in the 80's out of TC's. I remember seeing a 92? Winchester at a bait shop back in the early 60's. I sure wish I'd have had the money then and been old enough

Greg
 
I have a Marlin 94 CL in 218 Bee, nice little rifle. I regularly use a 22 Savage Highpower to hunt coyotes with as it is n a combo gun with a 12ga barrel, it is very accurate sub MOA at 300 yards with the 1-4 scope on it. Another of my favorites is a 6.4x58R Sauer(no ammo since the 1930's) again in a combo with 2 16ga barrels and it is also very accurate. No pics of the Bee.

BRNO comb in 12ga/22 Savage HP(5.6x52R)
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Wilkes drilling 6.5x58R Sauer/16ga/16ga
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Then the wildcats

20 Practical
22-204
6x45mm
6mm-204
25-204(257 Kimber/257Raptor)

And big game
300 Sav.
35 Whelen

A little on the odd side

375 Win
5.x50R Magnum(combo with a 12ga barrel)

Some of the oldtimes that still pull their weight even today

222 Rem
22-250

 
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I shot a deer with a neighbor's 32-20 as a kid, don't remember the model i think a Win92but i could be wrong. Savage had a couple very good rounds for the 99 which were ahead of the time. 250-3000 and the 300 savage.
 
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Savage and Sako chambered the 32-20 in bolt guns and Rem did the 32-20 in a pump.
 
I have a 105 year old Win. '94 in .38-55 that is a lot of fun to shoot still.

My favorite old wildcat... My favorite wildcat period is the .22BR. It's been around since '63, not sure if that qualifies as old or not.

.17 Mach IV is right up there. But it almost doesn't count as a wildcat anymore.

- DAA
 
I have an 1889 Marlin downstairs, in .32-20. Paid $100 for it and then put $600 in it. New wood, stainless barrel liner, few hand made screws to replace badly marred ones.

Came from a sheepherder near Virginia city, Montana. Was in rough shape, no real collector value as it sat.
 
The USDA wolf trappers in Mn use 25-20's. They kill about 275 a year, but the anti's have the judges on their side. So no hunting or trapping by sportsman. Mn dem senators were proud they kept tax payer funding of the USDA wolfers.
 
I also regularly shoot a couple .44-40's and a .257 Roberts.

Kind of kick myself for not buying a .225 Winchester, years ago when I saw one in a pawn shop.
 
Originally Posted By: Brad PhillipsI also regularly shoot a couple .44-40's

I'm not exactly sure why, but I've always been a 44-40 fan.

As for wildcats, I could probably make a top ten list ten different times and it would be different every time I made. For me, there are just way to many that I like to narrow it down to a favorite.
 
I have a few odd and old ones. My favorite is my 400 Whelen. I have a lot of fun with my Herters 401 Powermag. A few other odd or old ones I play with; 17 Remington, 218 Bee, 220 Swift, 6mmx222, 300 H&H, 256 Mannlicher, 32-20, 8x56 Mannlicher, 348, 9.3x57, 500 Linebaugh, 41 Magnum and a really unusual shotgun, a 24 gauge.
 
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My friend uses a Browning 218 Bee with good success. I hope to get one with my 351SL but can't seem to call one up when I have it with me.
 
Originally Posted By: DAAI have a 105 year old Win. '94 in .38-55 that is a lot of fun to shoot still.

My favorite old wildcat... My favorite wildcat period is the .22BR. It's been around since '63, not sure if that qualifies as old or not.

.17 Mach IV is right up there. But it almost doesn't count as a wildcat anymore.

- DAA

You should shoot a coyote with it. Or at least some rabbits
 
I have a Model 70 225 Win [30-30 CASE NECKED DOWN TO 22 CAL] and love it to Death also have a 256 win mag contender with 10" oct barrel, 16" bull and a 24" rifle barrel [ 357 mag case necked down to 25 cal. I use it a lot for calling predators. very good round---17 Rem--222 Rem--375 Win T/C contender 12" barrel to name a few------
 
I guess the one I have that I shoot the most is a 22 PPC. Have a 6mm BR that was a 6mm PPC. I would love to have a 25-20 high wall and a Savage 250-3000 just for fun.

EDIT: Forgot 22K Hornet.... was a great ground hog gun in a Winchester High Wall
 
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A few from small to large: 17 MIV, 22 K-Hornet, 218 Bee, 22-6MM Rem, 250 Savage, 280 AI, 7MM Mashburn, 300 H&H, 416 Taylor.
 
32-20/30-20 is a favorite of mine. In a MODERN platform it will do what the 300x221/whisper/300B0 will do.

38SW,32SW,32HR,327. Can you tell I like them.

Rifles, 30-40Krag,303 Brit, 7.65 Argentine,6TCU,35 Remington,350RM,375WW, 300Luft,22Zipper, I better quit......
 


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