What's your favorite oddball or wildcat caliber? Why do you like it?

Somewhat oddball in today's environment but not wildcat, 7.65ARG, cause Papa had one.

None, cause none are worth the headache to me.

7mm/300 Win Mag!! I'm on my second rifle now with this caliber. It's an easy round to form from 300 Win Mag brass and necking it down to 7mm. It has minimal case prep and uses the same 300 Win Mag FL bushing die as my 300 WM does, with a simple bushing change for 7mm. And, it pushes a 195 grain Berger about 2960 to 3000+ fps. I like to think of it as a poor man's 28 Nosler!

The most common wildcat's will be anything Ackley Improved. They take more work, and yield about 75-100 fps over their normal parent case.

I was waiting for this response. I don't have anything too off the wall yet for that reason. But I'm starting to look.

30 T/C necked down to 6.5. It’s called the 6.5 Honey Badger because it’s so BAD!

Seriously probably the 6x45mm. I would say 22 Creedmoor but I don’t really consider it a wildcat anymore but technically I guess it is.

I hope you find what you are looking for, but there are so many great factory offerings that cover so many bases, I don't see the allure of wildcats anymore. I have had some things i had to form brass and such for in the past and finally decided that it was a lot of work with no actual benefit for what i do. I ain't saying don't do it, just that i don't :-)

In my limited experience the 338-06. It was standardized by A-Square but never got any traction. It’s on game performance vs recoil is very impressive to me. I’m obviously in the minority due to its lack of popularity, but it puts a very satisfying smack down on everything I’ve shot with it. You don’t need a tough bullet for it either. Moderate velocities, and 225g bullets.

7mm-08 Ackley Improved. It's a great do all. 223 Ackley is another great one. Guess for the time being 22 creed is a wildcat but not for long I suspect.

7mm STW or .17 remington. Neither are super rare but are both awesome guns for their purposes. The .17 remington is a fantastic varmint round and the 7mm STW will drop pretty much anything in N. America and shoots flat and fast.

I don't know if it fits, but I want a rifle in 6.5x47 Lapua only because everyone and their mother has a tacticooled 6.5cm.

Then hit the way back machine and get a 6.5x55. They were winning competitions 100 year’s ago and can be tuned to shoot as good as any Needmoor, just a tad faster.

7mm STW. I was pretty disappointed once it became a factory cartridge. Prior to that I felt like I was in a special Club.

With the cost of the factory loads I still feel like I'm in a special club....Heck, the cost of brass alone to hand load makes me feel special too!

I had a 6mm/.284 that shot great so I sold it. Now probably my .22 creed.

I think someone or maybe a few on here have one, but a 7PRC has my interest as of now.

^^ I run a 6.5x47 Lapua as my main competition round, and it amazes me how consistent it is. Accuracy is awesome, but the extreme low ES numbers it produces is amazing. Typically you get 15 to 25 fps ES on normal rounds, like a 6.5 CM or 308, with good ammo loaded to within .02 grains. But I've had several shot strings with different powder charges with less than 10 ES, which puts your SD into the 2-3 fps SD, which is crazy good.

It’s not an “odd ball” so to speak but I’m 40 and I still remember in 5th grade my buddy getting a tang safety Ruger M77 in 6mm for Christmas. Man it was sharp and man I wanted one just like it

I literally chased that gun for years and if I found it I couldn’t afford it or if I found it was was beat to hadies. A few months ago I got one finally, I’ve yet to shoot it but it’s cherry!

That’s the one odd or one off caliber I’ve always wanted.

It’ll be my main deer rifle from now on

Well, I have both a .300 ICL and a .375 ICL. Neither are exactly common.

I tell people it's my grown up br lol. It's stupid consistent.

7mm-08 Ackley Improved

162 gr bullet

Has to be .300 Whisper. I guess it would technically be a semi-wildcat. Built a T/C Encore pistol with 12” Custom Shop heavy barrel back in the mid 1990’s. The thing shot lights out and I shot a number of deer with it. Lost the barrel to theft in 2013 and never had another built. My license plate was a conversation starter among gun guys.

Have a 338-06 ai and love it. Handles bullets from 200 gr. to 225 with ease. Has a Hart barrel on a Sako action and shoots MOA with most bullets I have tried. Recoil is mild in my opinion.

25WSSM

25-06 ballistics in a tiny little fat case. While the other WSSM's were trying to duplicate short action ballistics, the 25 was duplicating long action ballistics.

338-08 aka 338 Federal

Mine is about to be my 7mm SAUM it’s not really a wildcat but it’s not that common in my parts 😎

17 Mach II, 17 Remington, 5mm Rem Mag, 22 short, 218 Bee, 22-243. 25-20, 257 Roberts, 6.5X54MS, 6.5X57, 6.5-284, 7mmTCU, 7mmSTW, 338 Federal, 350 Remington Mag, 375 Win, 38-55 Win, 45-70, 50BMG... I do tend to like some odd ball or old cartridges.

I've got one. 1891 Argentine Mauser. Beautiful rifle and surprisingly accurate. Its the smoothest bolt action military surplus I've handled. The bolt is very Remington 700ish.

I've got my dad's custom FN Mauser in 6.5-06. Great round.

6.5 x 6.8 AR, 6.5-06, and 22 Creedmoor

Not wildcat but pretty sure they qualify as oddball, 256 Winchester and 7-30 Waters. And 16ga.

25-45 Sharps. Simple barrel change and 5.56 brass resize, same mags, bolt. 70 grain Sierra Blitzkings @ 3000 fps. If I had it to do over, I would have built a 6x45 instead. More bullets to choose from in 6mm over .257.

100% agree .... I have had several 6x45mm and still have one bolt rifle and one AR. I too built a wildcat 6.8SPC necked to 25 caliber and while it’s an excellent pig and deer rifle limited bullet selection would always make me recommend to others go 6mm over 25.

I'm contemplating a 6.5 Timberwolf or a .270 Savage in a falling-block action for an ultra light & short deer rifle.

I’ve housed about a dozen wildcats - only currently feed and care for 2 - not because they are my favorite but rather just the latest ones I tried.

I’ve drifted away from some due to magazine feeding problems or limitations to rounds you can carry

Others have been excused because I can’t trust to let friends and family have access to them because if you read the headstamps on the brass they don’t know it isn’t as advertised.

The reloading data is usually very hard to find - even the “designers” of the round don’t have all the safe loads aspects fully vetted. After I blew up a gun I was asked for my load data and provided it and was promptly told I was way above max. I submitted my load data source which was his spreadsheet he gave me and he said well you got to work up (which I had) , so his spreadsheet was flat wrong...

One that I currently have is getting spayed and neutered soon, designers said they chose a particular calibers parent brass because it was strong and that they are getting up to 10 reloads out of it. Well I spend the dough, (that’s the other thing - wildcats ain’t cheap) on a large quantity of brass because it’s one of those cases that Hornady runs only so often and you can only buy it from a sole source now and blah blah blah. So I now have 200+ cases of what ended up being a “soft batch” of brass that lasts 2 firings and is primer pocket dead.

Another interesting wildcat story that actually comes from a Saami caliber is 6.5 Grendel . oMG what a way to screw up a sweet little caliber by introducing new bolt specs and chamber dimensions!!! That has to be the wildcat mating with the domestic cat but again burned I was when I bought a used Grendel from a guy and it’s tearing brass apart on the first trip out and so I call him and say what’s the story with this rifle. We chase around the bush for awhile till he remembers oh yeah I bought a bolt from online and put it in that build cause I had broke the previous one. I had a .136 recess bolt in a .125 recess gun/chamber - right.....

Anyhow , choose the wildcat you are interested in and see what it does , I won’t necessarily stop endeavoring in them but I have surely slowed down in pursuing them because of my experiences.

I was recently considering 375 Raptor but ugh... cutting cases at the shoulder and no suppressor that fits the bore size and load data being unproven... I just can’t - too soon , still have 200 cases of brass that are pissing me off to look at.

For handguns I really like the 7MM TCU. Basically a .223 necked up to 7mm. I have a barrel for a T/C Contender and when loaded with a 120 gr Nosler BT it is a deadly handgun cartridge for deer sized game. In rifles, I shoot 2 that are kind of oddballs for the USA, 6.5x54MS and 9.3x62 Mauser. Both are factory rounds with loaded ammo available but they are not ones commonly seen where I hunt.

I have a 22 TACTICAL that is as accurate as I'm capable of shooting it, has no recoil, and does terrible things to varmints and vermin. Love it! Have no idea why it is called "tactical," but it seems like tactical and camo are descriptors that rule the roost for the last several years!

The .25/06. Been using it since the early '60s, way before Remington adopted it. Still shooting the same rifle from then, too.

My first load book. You ought to see some of the calibers and loads:

256 is a neat little round, Have a contender barrel for it and 2 7-30 Waters contender barrels and 2 16Ga shotgun. All good fun and glad to see the 16Ga making a comeback. They tried to kill it off or so it seemed but too many good guns out there for that.

In my circle "you cant get shells at WalMart" classifies it as oddball or "bastard cartridge" and I have always been drawn to them! 257 stw , 7mm stw, 6mm-284, 17 rem, 338-06ai, 6mm rem, and yes the ole 16ga.

Yep, that's the one Papa had. My cousins and aunt came in and cleaned out everything and I mean everything after Gran Gran passed. Enjoy it sir. Lucky you.

Yes sir I'm a Contender nut. I lucked into a T/C Custom Shop 256 carbine barrel and also have a 10" bull barrel. I shoot the 7-30 Waters in a carbine as well as a 12" hunter barrel but mostly enjoy it from my Win 94. It is a great Tx whitetail cartridge!
I have a trifecta of 16ga, 870 pump, 1100 semi auto, and an over/under.

I've posted these before but this is what the 256 carbine is capable of. It's pushing a 75gr Sierra Varminteer about 2400fps

221 FB on my 12” contender, easy to load and very accurate.

Not wildcats but not your everyday cartridges. 219 zipper and a 223 wssm.

I have a 6mm creedmoor also don't know if it would be considered a wildcat but it does shoot great.

225 Win; 25WSSM, 257R, 257AI, 30/06...opps, that last one probably doesn't count!...

308 Norma Magnum.
Hurts the shoulder and the pocketbook.

Got started with a 17 Mach-IV. Then 20 Var Targ. Have a 6x45 ar barrel. Am currently working with a 7.62x40 WT.
Have a 17 Furball upper I really like.
Guess favorite is still anything 17.

not a wildcat, I just don't know many people locally that shoot it,
7.5x55 Swiss, My K-31 obviously is chambered for it. Pretty much a .308 Win. same bullets at least.
I think i love the gun more than the round. Straight pull bolt and a stupid accurate gun with open sights. I paid $160 for mine. So happy they have increased in value. At Cabela's they were $699 and in alot worse shape than mine. I've noticed that the older K-11s are making a come back, but from what i've read about them, they may not be safe to shoot new modern ammo in them.

I load for and shoot most all of the older military cartridges ; 6.5x50 jap . 6.5x52 car , 6,5x53r , 6,5x54 ms , 6.5x54r , 6,5x55 sw , 6.5x58 port , 7x57 m , 7.35x51 car , 7,5x54 fr , 7,5x55 sw , 30/40 k , 7,62x54r , 303 , 7.7x58 jap , 7.9x57 m . 7.65x53 arg , 8x50 leb , 8x50r man , 8x52r sim , 8x53r mur , 8x56rf man , 8x58r dan , 8x60r port , 10,4x38r sw , 10.35x47r it , 11x53r com , 11x60r mur , 11,15x58r spn , 11,15x60r m , 11.15x58r aus , 11x59r gras , 577/450 mh , 11,.4x50r wern , 11.43 egp , 11,4x50r com , 11,4x51r dan , 11x52r bea , 577 snd to name most . I also use some oddball sporting rounds ; 22 hp , 25/20 , 30 rem , 32 rem , 32 win sl , 351 win , 44 evans , 8x60 m , 8,15x46r , 9x57 m , 9.3x57 m , 445 ne , 11,2x60 sch , and also some wildcats ; 7x47 m , 7mm creed , 8x47 m , 357 bandit , 44 bandit , 45 bandit , 500 bandit , .357 diablo , 7,62 ctme , 17.8x76 with a 900 gr bullet , 8.1x51r , 7.8x56 car , 35x51 car . That is all I can recall right now , I have taken game with all of the sporting and wildcats . I will not get into handgun rounds as I do molst all of them also .

like most ive always had the wildcat bug grew up with a 25 gibbs on a 03a3 action timney trigger blonde stock 26 douglass pain to fireform had to make a false sholder on the case, this was back in the early 60s when you had a white sackof surplus 4831 and diped it the bowl till it was full added a bullet . Daddy had a 27 gibbs on a mauser action really nice walnut stock we killed a bunch of deer with those. Two other weirdos were a 6mm international /6mm 250 savage and a 27 ashurst bought at a gun show hart barrel stamped 270 300 wby rechambered to 27 ashurst basically a Ackley imp 27stw some gunsmith in beville pushed these I think, used it in mexico for around 5 yrs,just an ugley old gun but really accurate, of course the gun nut I am all are long gone