Cadet carbine bunny gun.

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  • Last Post 13 February 2022
barra posted this 03 February 2022

Well it appears over the Xmas / New Years break there was happenings in my gun safe.

 I have in my procession what I can only be described as the illegitimate offspring of a union between my lovely martini cadet rifle and some foul and unscrupulous tactical black rifle.

 I have the offenders paraded against the wall.

 I think this is the father of this 5 lb 5 Oz  bouncing bubba carbine.

 As you can clearly tell by the cases  and what fodder it uses there are genetic lines or traits that stand out.




I have let it stay and have given it a light work out.

Things are looking promising with some load work ups from 115 Lee soup can to 174 grn flat points.

It has a fast 1:8 twist 30 cal barrel and a 357 mag case.

holds 24 grains water to the top. 70 thou shorter than a 300 blkout.

Think it’s a 7.62x33R so it can be shot with 34k psi loads.

Being nice and short and doesn’t get in the way and handles well.

 I did have a very small forend on it and it weigh a lot less but swapped over because I need more length for stability for longer shots and couldn’t hold off the wobble.

May even make it into the lettuce protector category.

Hoping to use it for the bunny shoot.

 May need a heavy bullet for it but unsure what at this stage.

Hopefully do all I need as a walking /strolling /camp pot gun

cheers.

 

 

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Spindrift posted this 03 February 2022

Charming rifle and cartridge! A .30- cal based on the .357 mag case.... Cool, clever and seemingly practical solution for slinging cast bullets!

If I may ask, what kind of reloading dies do you use?

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Carl Pegg posted this 03 February 2022

I like it! Be careful building barrels for those break open guns....it becomes an obsession. The 357 case seems perfect for a cast plinker. I keep thinking the 256 winchester mag needs a revival. Tell us more about your dies, reamer etc.

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barra posted this 04 February 2022

It was all Jedman’s fault

 He wrote he had made a short rimmed blackout using 357mag cases buy keeping the reamer back and cutting a rim. Therefore no-one could put a normal 300 blk in the chamber and close the action.

 I cut off I think 70 thou off 300 blk full length size die and made a few cases.

 I have learnt that annealing the 357 mag cases and using a good lube helps heaps in forming the cases.

I have ripped a few rims off  and lost some to cracks from working virgin brass.

The cases grow a little to 1.295".

The base is 0.371" and grows to 0.3715" max after a heavy load.

Hence the 34k psi max loads so the primer keep from falling out.

the 300 blkout reamer is held back and the formed cases are used as a gauge.

The reamer used is a CIP spec one.

 I use a reworked Lee classic loader but the shortened blackout dies will work too.

 I should Lapp the fls die out it really sizes the brass down wayyyy to much.

Still getting to know it and working out what it likes.

I will probably just stick to pb bullets and try to keep things simple as possible.

 I have made a sizer/swage die so all boolits keep to the bottom of the neck when chambered.

‘But it turned out 0.0002" too big for the free bore diameter and shaves a bit of lead.

a sizer fixes it but I will make a d-bit  next time I try.

If I could find a mould that fits my chamber I could just cast and shoot, but have to get thicker brass to finger seat them without sizing.

For now I can use a plugged case and breach seat as I’m playing with work up loads.

 I do that anyway as I’m to lazy to do all the case prep most of the time anyway.

Fixed ammo is for hunting purposes and when primers and pistol powder are more abundant on the ground.

I’m getting 1"at 50 and about 1 1/2" at 100 yards with some loads if I hold my tongue right.

‘A scope would help some as I couldn’t focus on a post sight at 20" sight radius.

A round bead with a small hole fixed that and seams like a 3 or 4 moa hole and the outside bead is about 6 moa.

Could turn out useful.

 I may have a go at making a winged front sight to make it tougher and put a small rail on if for a quick detach scope to make it better, once I figure out what Works for me.

Work in progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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JohnForrest posted this 04 February 2022

That looks fun!

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barra posted this 13 February 2022

Went to test out a couple of other bullets today.

 I changed my rear sight to a newer ph7a as my other is playing up tracking.

Using a known load for the 150 Lyman 308241 I tried sighting it in.

Now just a little to the left and down some.

Hmm got to put the back sight right..

no left

no back which way did I go how many clicks.

Err never mind ran out or them any way and no down movement left.

so I adjusted the front sight a half turn higher.

Try’s some ness safety bullets.

All over the shop so I adjusted it to throw even more.

No good so I screwed in back down and they started to group nicely as you can see.

So I tried some Hunter 150 he’s and they shot very well at 50.

I didn’t take a picture thou.

Out to 100 yards and I shot a group I could see mostly stringing in the white tape.

Always that one flyer.

5 in 1"

orr 6 in 1 1/4 x 1 3/4’

or  7 in 1 1/4 x 2 1/2"

Anyhoo had fun and sorting thing out.

 I have to make some new wind flags and mine are down near my knees and the targets up near my chest ,height wise.

All good fun and had a good day out  and managed to salvage some good data in the end.  Which is probably about all one can ask for.

 I don’t think I can shoot these bullets any faster with the powder I’m using so I may have to go down a burn rate or two If I want more velocity.

Maybe it’s the twist and the softish bullets.

Will work out something

Anyhoo it’s seems capable of fine accuracy if I feed it right.

Just have to find out what #2 bush is throwing now after recalibration and make notes on it.

cheers

Barra

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longhunter posted this 13 February 2022

I think that would be a fine gun to shoot in the bunny match.

I have one my self and may have to shoot it!

Jon

Jon Welda CW5 USA Ret.

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