[glassartisan]

Hello,


From what
I can gather from your previous comments is that to realize the full potential of the G2 contender I should take up reloading.Now me being a total greenhorn on this subject; Im trying to understand some of the terminology I saw elsewhere. Things like wildcating,necking up, necking down and working up a load;not really sure what these are?Is reloading and wildcating two different things?I would have to guess that it sounds like from what I briefly read is that the casing is being altered some how.My friend reloads for his .45 semi- auto.But I never hear him say he is necking the casing? With the so many variety of calibers out there I guess I dont understand why just simply reloading is not good enough for our pistols? If this is altering the casing I would think that would weaken it and be a potential problem? I am sure I will eventually get into reloading but I need to understand this other stuff. Can you guys point me in the right direction as to where to go to learn this from the beginning 101.Books to buy, library, web sites? Im sure right here is a great source but I need to start from the beginning. Once again guys thanks for all your help, Steve
,

 

[AVIVIII]

I can only provide a slight insight to your questions, I'm sure others will fill in the blanks though.

Necking up/down: Changing the neck diameter of an existing cartridge to fit a smaller or larger bullet. For example, if you were to take a 30-06 case you could neck it down to fit a 25cal projectile or you could neck it up to fit a .338 projectile.

Wildcatting: Taking an existing cartridge and altering it (shortening, necking up/down, changing the shoulder angle, etc.) For example, if you were to take a 45 Colt case and neck down case mouth to .224 you would have a wildcat. Some wild cats are better than others and some aren't good for anything besides blowing the rifling out of your barrel.

Your friend does not need to specifically neck size the case of his 45acp brass because it is a straight walled case, meaning that it is (relatively) the same diameter at the base as it is at the mouth.

You can get a really good look at some cartridges, their development, their history and their attributes just from going to wikipedia.

Go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rifle_cartridges
and just click on any cartridge that you are interested in.

 

[broom_jm]

Steve,

There's are many books on reloading that will cover all the basics, including what it is to create or load for a "wildcat" cartridge. I have one called, "The ABC's of Reloading" that I loan out to any friends who show an interest. For the record, a wildcat is a cartridge that has not been standardized by SAAMI or any other regulating body and for which factory ammunition is generally not available. Many of today's most popular cartridges started life as a wildcat. Perhaps the best example of a wildcat that was standardized is the .270 Winchester...it is simply a 30-'06 case "necked down" from .308 to .277, with a slightly longer case. The 6.5JDJ wildcat that I shoot is the old 225 Winchester case "necked up" to .264 and the shoulder "blown out", which is to say, given a steeper angle to the neck, increasing case capacity.

The reason we mention handloading and wildcats for the T/C Contender/G2/Encore series of guns is that the various barrel lengths take you into a "middle ground" between short pistol barrels and long rifle barrels. All of the standard pistol offerings like 357Magnum, 45LC, 44Magnum are optimized for short barrels while traditional rifles cartridges are best in longer barrels. The T/C lineup allows you to choose different barrel lengths that benefit from different (wildcat) cartridges, or from simply creating handloads that you wouldn't use in a regular pistol or rifle.

A perfect example would be the 30/30 in a 14" barrel, loaded with 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets, for deer hunting. You would never use this bullet for a lever-action rifle, due to the danger of a pointed bullet in a tubular magazine, but it becomes a great option in the Contender or Encore. Taking it to the next level, you could get a 30 Herrett (a wildcat on a shortened 30/30 case) which is optimized for a 10" barrel, and shoot the same bullet, to nearly the same velocity, but in what some would argue is a more handy package.

I guess the point is that the options are almost limitless, with the T/C Contender/G2/Encore, but in order to take the best advantage of those options, you really should load your own ammo and look into the possibility of getting a barrel chambered for one of the more interesting and useful wildcats.

 

[glassartisan]

Thanks again gents, great help to me. I will check out wi kapedia.That book,the ABCs of reloading, is that still in print? Perhaps the library has a copy. Sounds like that is the ticket to learn some good info. Steve

 

[pruhdlr]

A Reloader BUT........

I am a reloader. Have been for some 30 years or so. I currently reload for some 14 different calibers. I own several weapons that I do not reload for. These include a .50Beowulf,.45ACP,and .38Special.

Reasons -----> the Beowulf shoots great with factory ammo. I got a deal on it and bought a bunch. It is accurate and is loaded with the bullet,and up to the performance level that I need. This weapon is used for hunting. It is not a plinker. It is not taken to the nearest dirt pit and used to shoot at dirt clods.

The .38Special is used as a trainer and a range gun. Ammo is cheap,is available with the load that I want,and is readily available,and always will be.

The .45ACP is a carry(CCW)weapon. I found a good deal on ammo(Black Talon) some time ago and bought a bunch. This is my carry load. I practice with the cheap stuff that I find at gunshows or the bulk stuff when on sale.

These are my applications. I would say that if you are young,plan to shoot tons of the ammo in question,or want a "specialty" load......tool up to reload. Once the initial investment is out of the way,the more ammo you reload,the cheaper(per shot)it becomes. But.......(??).......if you plan to shoot just a couple of calibers,can find a load that fits your applications for those calibers,and can find a factory load that is accurate and cycles reliability thru your weapon,take a look at buying the ammo in bulk vs tooling up to reload.

All in all,reloading is great for some people and for others it is NOT cost effective. Heck,I shoot multiple 22LR's,both in pistol and rifle and I don't reload for that. Think about this before you make the decission to reload or not.

Bottom line,reloading is not for everybody. Do allot of research before you decide. Reloading is relitively easy and safe so don't let those two things be a factor in your decission-----pruhdlr

 

[glassartisan]

Thanks pruhdlr for the insight. I will be doing some more research. Steve

 

[miestro_jerry]

I really would suggest getting the Lyman 49 th edition Reloading Manual, it has a section dealing with Contenders and G2s.

I shoot many different calibers in my Contnder and barrels. I have to tune my loads to the barrel length as well as the bullet type. Here is a good example: shoot factor 303-30 in the Conternder, it is a waste of power and perforamce, a loat of the powder is still burning when it exits the barrel, reloads meant for the Contnder with the correct barrel length and you will have a great performer.

Jerry

 

[45_70Sharps]

I think it's been pretty well covered here but let me add a couple more things. Wildcat rounds are custom made from an existing parent case and the neck size changed, shoulder angle changed, length changed or whatever, but wildcats are also long existing rounds that have never been picked up by a factory gun or ammo manufacturer such as 7 TCU which is simply a 223 with the neck expanded to take a 7mm bullet. Many of the wildcats are rounds that have well published data on them and have had a standard adopted, but never became an industry standard because they fill a small non profitable niche, such as the 7TCU for silhouette shooting, especially in the contender.

I would also like to add that more research is a good idea when making a decision but steer away from wikipedia. They publish data that is provided by users and it could tend to lead you way off the mark. Maybe into dangerous areas. Stick to data from reliable resources.