advice on a project...

[tutti confuso]

if this is the rite place to post, i'd like to begin a project...   building a wildcat ...i have never done this before an could use lots of advice..  i have a 700 remington receiver 243/308 bolt face an would like to build something in the area of 25/308 AI for target an varmit even 'maybe' deer... where to start ? maybe with a barrel maker or a gun smith..?  as for my first thoughts i'd like it to be a heavy barrel of a sort, maybe a fast twist like 1-8 or 9, to carry a heavy bullet like 117-120gr. or more... with the 308 case being blown out to Ackley or like shoulder, it will probably get a shorter neck in the process of reforming, so the throat should not be to long.. is what i have thought about so far .. but where/how to start the project

also searching around i've found a place to get dies for a 25souper.. wondering if its possible to have these dies cut to match the said AI chamber,... i guess you'd have to fire forming the cases before hand?
i guess i would have to cut both fl an the neck sizer ?

so much to think about.. maybe some of you have gone threw the process
any recommendations on smittys, barrels or whatever.. any input would be a help
Thanks...

[Catfish]

You are so close to the .257 AI with the .25-308 that would would be far better served to go with it. The .257 AI is about the same as the .25-06 and you can buy die for it for 1/2 the price, or less, of the .25-308. You can have dies cut for any round you can dream up, but they start around $ 100 and go up for wild ones. Alot depends on how deep you want to get into it. If you go with the .257 AI with the normal neck dia. in the chamber you can fire .257 Roberts ammo in the gun and you`ll have your formed brass for the AI. If you go with a tight necked chamber you`ll have to urn your neck befor you can load and fire the Roberts brass. Personally I like to go with tight neck where I can use .002 neck expansion. For example my .22-6mm has a neck dia. in the chamber of .254. I use a bushing die with a .250 dia. and they spring back to a .252 neck dia on the sized case and load to a .252 dia. I get pleanty of hold with this, no bullet pull with recoil, and they have .002 of play to load in the chamber. It`s alot of extra work, and expense, to set up like this and since this is your first venture into Wildcat I would recomand you go with the standard neck dia. unless you are very diligent and patient. You can also get alot of loading data for the .257 AI that is pretty reliable where with the .25-308 you won`t find any meaning you have to know what to watch for in presure signs. The .257 AI was my first wildcat and I still have it. It`s a real good round, but I built mine more for varments and went with a slower twist.

[Mikey]

tutti:  the place to start is with yourself, and then do as you have done which is to come along here and ask.

If you're thinking of a project and have the basic action, the first thing I would do is decide on a cartridge to use.  Whether it is the 25 Souper, or the 257 Roberts AI, the 25-303, or the 40-90 Peabody What Cheer, make that choice first.  Then you need to look for a barrel maker who will make one up and possibly even mount the barrel to the action for you.  Dies - if your choice is truly custom you will need dies and the barrel maker may be able to make the recommendation as to who to use for dies.  Sometimes the barrel maker will make the dies for you...........(sometimes).  Most often however it is RCBS who is most approachable for dies on custom calibers (my experience).

When you contact the barrel maker you will need to discuss what  you want the bullet to do;  that is, what weight bullet range and at what velocity range.  This is all the more important with custom rifle calibers where particular bullet weights and velocity ranges are considered.  HTH and Good luck.  Mikey.

[tutti confuso]

a little up=date.........
so far i've come up with pac nor 5 grove or lawton 8 grove barrel in ss 28".. recommended 11* recessed crown with a wyats box extender installed .. the cartridge will be a cross between 25-06 an 243.. using a 243 case necked up to 25 cal. close to a durham jet an a souper improved should have a freebore of .106,  cause of the shorter neck after blowing out the case to a very sharp shoulder an almost straight walls on the case ... still working out details ... looking for 3200fps out of this puppy  uses less powder then the 25-06 an maybe less or about the same as a 243 in recoil  dies can be cut from 243 dies or spend the bux an have  them made whatever..

[Mikey]

tutti - now that sounds like it should be a great setup and that is an interesting cartridge idea you have.  Good luck.  I hunted with a 257 Roberts years ago and still think it is one of the best and I like your idea.  Possibly one of those barrel makers could advise you on dies and the like. 

You may also wish to check our sponsors list to see if anyone there might be able to get you what you want.  Mikey.

[tutti confuso]

Mikey .. kind of exciting project as its my 1st.. i haven't heard any replys yet .. but i have sent out at least 6 different questions on barrels .. so i'm just waiting to see
haven't looked at the sponsers ... good idea thanks

[Mikey]

Tutti:  check out the MGM (Match Grade Barrels)banner on the forums page.  They are one of our sponsors I believe, or at least advertise here, so they should be able to give you some answers.  Bueno luck.  Mikey.

[Con]

Have you considered a 25/284? It seems like you'll be chasing accuracy and velocity ... why not consider the larger 284based case which already has the sharper 35deg shoulder similar to an AI plus gets you additional powder capacity for stretch out work with lighter pills for varmints??
Additional bonuses: availability of match grade cases via Lapua (6.5/284 then neck them down), availability of dies via Redding (probably a Competition dies set available as well) and it fits the Rem700 S/A with minor work to the rails to get it to feed.

Odd ball wildcats also tend to lose you money when sold on ... a 25/284 may be enough mainstream to maintain some value.
Cheers...
Con

[PartsMan]

If you are going to the trouble get the caliber you want.
The easy way would be to just pick a 243,260, or 25-06,
but you don't want that.

[tutti confuso]

well going foward we located a smitty that has Hum-D reamer "yippy"  we have decided on a bartein barrel, wait for com formation on delivery date on it, hornady will infact be making my special dies an i located a stock that matches the rest of my Rem. P ,PSS's
 now its just a matter of filling up the checking account an being calm an relaxed

Con.. "Have I considered a 25/284"?  yes an no two of my best buddies have been trying to talk me out of the project an do a 6mm-br.. the way i look at it... if for some reason my Hum-D doesn't work an i have no reason to believe it won't... i have plentyy of room to re cut the chamber to a 25 -284 or whatever, the hum-d is only 243 case, the barrel will not go to waste lots of options there... not that i have loads of $$ .. but if it produces as well as i expect ... hey nothing ventured... nothing gained

Partsman... the easiest way is to.. do a ackley improve version of the 243,  same barrel, same stock, same everything... ?

Mickey never did find the mgm ad..?  the people over at bartlein came from krieger,  heheheheeeeee !
i spoke with hart, shielen an lawton < 2nd best on barrels i wasn't all that impressed.. but watt do i know i never did this before