HWildcat cartridges have been around since ammunition was first produced so its nearly impossible to determine who made the first official wildcat. Some experts trace it back to the 1870s in Germany but they all agree that wildcatting really took hold in the late 1800s. Modern wildcats are most prevalent in the U.S. but there are few accurate statistics to back up the claim.
What is a Wildcat?
Wildcat ammo AKA wildcats" are custom-made cartridges created by individuals. Therefore the cartridges are individually produced instead of being mass produced by a traditional manufacturer. The purpose of creating wildcat cartridges is to alter or add an attribute to an existing round to improve its performance velocity accuracy etc. Since wildcats arent mass produced there is often a lack of precision and uniformity. As a result wildcats are not embraced by law enforcement or military divisions. Wildcats are preferred by many firearms enthusiasts handloaders and perhaps a few mad scientists. Gunsmiths might produce a variety of wildcats usually to fit into their custom weapons. Wildcat rounds are often used for game hunting autopistol hunting competition shooting and metallic silhouette shooting.
History
The British are credited with introducing the term wildcat." It originally defined a savage ill-tempered or spiteful person." It evolved to any untamed or unreliable person or someone who undertakes a risky or unsafe project." The term became popular in the U.S. in the 1860s when unauthorized banks began to pop up around the country issuing money and notes. Eventually wildcat: embraced other professions that operated outside the norm from railroads to theatre troupes and moonshiners. It became most popular in the late 19th century with the birth of wildcat strikes strikes by union workers that were not authorized by the union. The nature of the risky and unsafe project was soon linked to the creation of custom ammunition.
The first documented cases of wildcatting were around the time of the American Civil War. Shooters were restricted to using a few rounds since it was believed it was all a hunter or soldier would ever need. American innovators disagreed.
Charles Newton
Charles Newton an attorney is perhaps the first person on record to make wildcat cartridges. Newton eventually left his career to make wildcats full-time. Its uncertain when Newton began but his first cartridge was introduced in 1913. The .256 Newton was based on a .30-06 Springfield military round. Developed with the Western Cartridge Company it was loaded with a 123-grain bullet had a muzzle velocity of 3103 FPS (946 m/s) and 2632 ft-lbs (3569 J) of energy.
The .30 Newton a high-velocity rimless centerfire cartridge was also introduced in 1913. Based on the 11.2x72 Schuler it was loaded with a 150-grain (10 g) bullet had a muzzle velocity of 3208 FPS (978 m/s) and 3445 ft-lbs (4671 J) of energy.
Newton often referred to as the Father of High Velocity officially registered the Newton Arms Company in 1914. In 1915 he introduced the .35 Newton a rimless centerfire cartridge. The round was based the .30 Newton case and necked up to .358 caliber. It was loaded with a 250-grain hollow point bullet and had a muzzle velocity of about 2800 FPS.
Newton also adapted the .30-06 into the .25 Special and the 7mm using the raw materials that created the 25-06 and .280 Remington.
Newtons true calling was building rifles but he was unsuccessful. The company went bankrupt in 1918.
Newton may have been one of the first to make wildcats but he certainly wasnt the last. Legendary wildcatters include J.E. Gebby Harvey Donaldson John Sweaney Grosvenor Wotkyns Parker P.O." Ackley and J.B. Smith. Perhaps the most famous of this group was Roy Weatherby.
Roy Weatherby
Roy Weatherby was born in Kansas in 1910. He eventually moved to California and began working for a utility company before moving onto the Automobile Club of Southern California in San Diego. When the Auto Club closed Weatherby devoted himself to making rifles and wildcatting full-time.
Weatherby had the idea to start making wildcat cartridges during a hunting trip to Utah in 1942. I wounded a buck with the .30-06 and after following the blood trail until dark I finally had to give up. I had a sad feeling for that animal… Thats when I started thinking about getting a bullet to travel fast enough so it would disintegrate inside the animals body and the shock would cause instant death even though
the hitwas not in a particularly vital area."
Weatherby got down to work. In 1945 he founded his company and released three new cartridges: .257 Weatherby Magnum (his personal favorite) .270 Weatherby Magnum and the .300 Weatherby Magnum.
Modern Wildcats
Wildcatting has come a long way since Newton. Experts state that there are more wildcat rounds on the market than commercial ones. Many commercial rounds started out as wildcats but their popularity intrigued manufacturers and were soon adopted for the commercial market.