Obsolete ammo for sale. Tired of being told no? At last you can buy custom loaded obsolete ammo for your out-of-production guns. Our commercial ammo manufacturer can make up most loads from the past, using new, fired, or formed brass. All ammo is loaded with the best components available and carefully inspected. Dillon equipment is used on production ammo. Reasonable care is used in the manufacture of all ammo, but manufacturer or seller assumes no further liability. Ammo should be used in guns in good condition, properly chambered for ammo used.
Remember, all guns are to considered loaded. Never point a gun at anything you don't intend to destroy. Never place your finger on the trigger until you intend to fire the gun. Always be sure of your target and backstop. You are responsible for every round you fire.
.45 and .50 caliber brass now available.
ORDER directly from Bob Shell-- use the order page icon for information or for information, contact Bob directly by email: rel4350@aol.com.
** UPS will not deliver to a post office box. They must have a genuine street address.
*** We only ship ammo in the USA, wherever goes the brown UPS truck, so people out of the country are out of luck-- sorry, but if we ship a bullet out of the country, somebody will think were trying to start a war or supply a revolution.
Thank you for your continuing interest in our "Obsolete Ammo Section". We launched this section on the net ten years ago, and it has finally grown to the size where I had to break it up over several pages. I hope that you continue to enjoy the site, I know that you will enjoy the information. ORDER directly from Bob Shell-- use the order page icon for information or for information, contact Bob directly by email: rel4350@aol.com.
NEW! Here it is at last! Bob Shell, a 30 year veteran of Antique and Obsolete ammo crafting, has published the world's first comprehensive loading guide for black powder, modern, military, antique and obsolete pistols and rifles. Turn the pages to find out what cases can be reformed to the old calibers and how to convert them. Not only that, but Bob has worked up the best loads, complete with chronograph tests on each one. You'll have the information on proper bullet weights and powder charges right at your fingertips! No more guessing. Now you can actually shoot your Grand Dad's old hunting rifle. Dreams can come true! Here are the final results of 30 years of careful, scientific research and testing. The experience is invaluable. There is nothing like it on today's market! Now you can have the answers to the questions that have plagued obsolete gun owners for years. Bob is the gun editor for two magazines and an NRA life member. He is the "Source" for Antique and Obsolete Ammo! ORDER directly from Bob Shell-- use the order page icon for information or for information, contact Bob directly by email: rel4350@aol.com.
Thanks to all you good folks who purchased Reloading From Another View. So, always hard at work testing, proofing and writing results, Bob has written book II. Now, you can get the lowdown on many more offerings. Anyway the book is a large volume on reloading info not found in other books. It has some reloading history, also items such as trick loads for shotguns, making bullets via swaging and muzzle loading plus a glossary. There are chapters on obsolete ammo and cartridge interchange. 24 chapters in all, a most comprehensive volume. Find out how much is too much before experiencing those unintended results.... You know you want a copy, so go ahead and download one from Amazon or Barns & Noble. You'll get a lot of info for $9.95
Here is your chance to put it all together and do some real shooting! Remember, birthdays and holidays, as this is a great gift for Dad and could make his dreams come true! The Cost is $13.95 plus shipping anywhere in the Continental USA. However, shipping is free with an ammo order, as we'll just tuck the book in the box with your cartridges. Order your copy today! ORDER directly from Bob Shell-- use the order page icon for information or for information, contact Bob directly by email: rel4350@aol.com.
**** Obsolete Ammo means that often, no one manufactures the stuff any longer in loaded rounds. Sometimes, no one makes any at all. Sometimes, new brass is available, but since it is not mass produced, it is more expensive than common brass and often in limited supply. Sometimes, the brass is just plain rare and must be searched out by dumb luck. However, many times an obsolete round is quite similar to an existing round in that with a bit of turning, cutting and reforming, we can make up a safe, serviceable round that will provide many enjoyable shooting experiences that would otherwise not be available to the gun owner of a rare piece, passed down from generation to generation.
We already know that there are those among you who will balk at paying the price for safe and serviceable obsolete ammo, but you must take into consideration whether or not you wish to shoot your "antique" firearm and how badly. Ask yourself is it worth the price of a bottle wine or a dinner out at a mediocre restaurant to experience the nostalgia of another time-- to feel the recoil and smell the smoke of yesterday? What would it be like to take an elk with a one hundred year old rifle that belched fire and smoke across the canyon? The alternative is, of course, to hang your antique weapon upon the wall and continue to wonder what it would be like to actually shoot it. What is it worth to you?
The nice thing is that once you have your brass, we can continue to reload it at something like twelve to twenty dollars a box (common bullets), plus shipping. Usually, a case may be reloaded several times before it becomes worn out. Low pressure loads will last longer than high pressure loads, and Pyrodex (black) loads can last almost indefinitely. All you have to do is send us the brass, and we do the rest. In many cases, you can have the choice of firing Pyrodex loads that simulate black powder or using modern smokeless powder in an a given gun. For example, .45/70 and .32/40 Win. center fire cartridges were once fired both ways, so were 38/40 not to mention a great many others. So, as long as you clean and oil your firearm well with a water-based cleaner like RX7000 after firing Pyrodex loads, there is no reason to pass up the pleasure. Additionally, be sure to wash your cases with soap & water after using black powder or pyrodex to prevent corrosion damage from salt residue left by firing those old-time powders.
Note: many old guns can only be fed black powder as their steel is not strong enough to withstand the pressure of the smokeless variety, so with these, there is no choice. The 1890's were the transition period between black and smokeless powder, so most guns after 1900 will probably take smokeless powder. Our reloading manuals tell the story in great detail as to the possibilities of the various powders and bullet designs and weights. So, all you have to do is order and enjoy. Warning: always have any gun checked by a competent gunsmith before firing and be ready to take responsibility for your own actions!
Received the .454 and .45/70 ammo this week. Great Job! You guys are better than advertised! Jerry Hi Bob, I jst got back from a boar hunt where I took a 200lb boar with my .401. I used the 250 gr bullets you loaded for me. I took the boar at 25 to 30 yards with a shot to the right shoulder that went through and shredded the top of the heart, then exited just in front of the left shoulder. When I shot it I could see a spray of blood from the opposite side of the boar and my guide said "Good shot, you hit him good!" The boar immediately stumbled and staggered about 5 or 6 feet then fell over as I put a second round into it. The second round wasn't needed. When I left for my hunt I tried to find a digital camera to bring but couldn't get one so I dug out my old 35mm and took that. So Ill have to wait to get the film developed before I can get you any pictures. But I wanted to let you know how it went and tell you how happy I am with that ammo. By the way, the guides were very impressed with the winchester .401 SL and the results it acheived. Dave Moser Bob, I received your loads Thursday of last week. Took them to the range Friday and went from shooting a 1.5 to 2” groups with the Federal Premium 150’s to shooting a group of less than 1” with your 270 WSM loads. Sunday I took a doe at 100 yards and the round worked really well. She was dead before she hit the ground and the bullet hit exactly where I was aiming. Browning Stainless Stalker 270 WSM, Leupold 3X9X40 VXII scope, ammunition by Bob Shell 150 grain Nosler Partition, a winning combination don’t leave home without them!!! Thanks, Ron Bob, Your load for Kevin was 150 grain Nosler Partitions in the 270 Weatherby Magnum. He thinks the sun rises and sets in you right now because of performance of those rounds you previously loaded for him. I have just joined a gun club here and Kevin is already a member. With us shooting your stuff out there, it may generate some business for you. I know a few guys were very impressed with the performance of those first Weatherby loads you sent Kevin. Load me up 20 150 Nosler Partitions, I am not going to mess with the 130’s unless the 150’s just won’t pattern, in the 270 Winchester Short Magnum. I have 12 or 13 of the 150 NP Federal loads left and what I am going to do is use them to get my new scope set this weekend. Then when your rounds come in, I will see about really setting it close. Kevin seems to think we can get the 270 WSM down to about 2.5” groups or smaller at 200. He may be a bit optimistic but that boy can shoot, so I will wait and see what he can do with it. He shot an honest .75 group of 3 at 100 with your rounds, so I will not doubt him until I see what he can do with the 270WSM. Thanks Bob, Ron Hi Bob, I got a bear with that .43 spanish. I'd like to get a bigger inventory of brass so I'd like to order 40 rounds. My question is do I have to pay 2 shipping and handling charges? I don't charge extra for shipping with my antique phonograph stuff. {"NO-- Check the order page--Bob"} Found a neat book on the Modelo Argentino and with that book, I'm pretty good with the thing. It is a nice shooting rifle. I took it down and cleaned the cosmoline out of it and made a nice paste of graphite and grease for the trigger mechanism and the trigger pull decreased by about 5 pounds I estimate. It is as it should be now. I also know how to sight it. Thanks, John..... D.D. of Rockford, MI: I just wanted to let you know that your product performed admirably this weekend. I took my first deer ever (doe) at about 70 yards with a clean shot that took out both lungs and the heart. She made it interesting for me, however, when she jumped into the middle of a swamp and made me wade in after her. Thanks again for getting those 200 grain .348 Winchester shells to me in time for the season-- it has been fun! J.A. of Billings, WY: Well, I finally got to try out those .45/90 black powder loads this season by bringing down a fine Bull Elk with one. I shot him on a front quarter, and that 300 grain cast bullet busted his left shoulder and penetrated all the way back to just under the skin on his right-rear ham. It was awesome to watch that big guy just fold up after being thumped by that "Punkin' Roller". Now, I know what it was like in the old days and have a new respect for the old- time guns. R.F. of Gary, IN: My grandson got his first buck deer this season with a single round of your .30/40 Kraig ammo. He sure does like that little Calvary Carbine loaded with your 150 grain soft points. Please find enclosed, my check and the used brass for another box of the same for next year. J.D. of Denver, Colorado: I just had my first vacation in years. Finally leaving the office behind, I packed up my old .35 Winchester and took to the mountains of my youth in search of a little relaxation and perhaps a skillet full of venison to punctuate the memory. On the second morning, I espied my buck on a ridge just above me and ripped out his heart with one of your 200 gr. flat nose bullets. The shot was only about 60 yards, but that is what the old .35 brush buster is for. The buck only made it about 30 yards before upsetting against a thicket of young aspens. I got my wish, and just wanted to thank you for providing me with that hard-to-get ammo-- you guys really know what you're doing. Now, I feel ten years younger and ready to face the year ahead, waiting for next season. S.R. of Portland, OR: You were right about the thrill of belching fire and smoke across the forest! I just downed my first buck with my dad's old .38/55 carbine. I hadn't even thought about actually shooting the old gun until I saw your web page and got the idea to try it out. Of course, having never been able to find ammo for it had turned it into a wall-hanger. That's all changed now! Anyway, your big-old cast bullets are strong medicine, folding up my deer with one good shot in the brisket. Thanks for giving me the idea-- It was worth it! The good part is that the party is just beginning! Hi Bob, Had a chance to bring the Grizzly to the range yesterday and tried some of the 250's. They're great. Thanks for a good batch. Ray Joyce Hey Bob, I received the 401 Winchesters today, Im glad to get them they look great! Thankyou! Moondog13 Good Afternoon Mr. Shell, Well I took the bag of .450 loads out =o the range, along with my 1890 vintage Webley British Bulldog. We fired 15 =ounds of the 25 you sent. What a blast! I had two old time shooters actually laughing and =iggling at shooting the Bulldog. We shoot nearly everything going but this was really =ool, Thank You! So I have the 15 empty cases that you made from Hornady .455's, and I =mptied a box of .450 Fiocchi's through my Webley Mk. VI, they are near twins for your =rass, and they are large pistol/boxer primed. So what would be your fee for loading up =5 rounds of blackpowder .450's with the brass that I can send to you? By the way, I =as thoroughly pleased/surprised when the first 5 shot group was dead on at 21 feet, and was =bout a 2 1/2 inch group. A testimony to the craftsmanship of Webley AND a certain =bsolete cartridge loader! Those 200 grain loads were just right, I don't think that I =an turn this old girl into a regular plinker, but I can see taking her out for 15 - 20 rounds every = months or so just to entertain myself and the gang. So let me know how much to send, =nd I'll get the brass and a Postal M.O. off to you. And again, Thank you for one =f the most entertaining sessions we have had at the range in long time. Best Regards, Gary Mangan From: Joe Caezza To: rel4350@aol.com Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 8:01 AM Subject: Re: hey Hi again Bob, i showed my friend at the gunshop the cartridges you made for my 50-95 winchester Model 1876 antique gun. He was very impressed with the quality of your work, he said very often the ones he has seen have small or tiny tearings or bulges where the lead bullet enters the brass case, due to poor shaping of lead or not smooth lead bullets. He said your workmanship was superior to others who do not take time to do careful work. he also mention he thought that winchester only made them with 300 grain bullet heads, did not know these guns were rated for a 350 grain lead. i assured him you knew what you were doing. But he did say he did not know much about antque guns, especially this type. he will be the one to test fire it for me this weekend. just thought you should know what he said, its a great tribute to your craftmanship. he's never done reloading in his business but was familar with your name. thanks again and any info on bullet grain you can give him for this gun would be knowledge for him and me since he will be the one taking care of my needs. He said if he gets anymore customers with antque winchester that want to shoot them he will give them your name. JOE Return to Index
Hi Bob, I jst got back from a boar hunt where I took a 200lb boar with my .401. I used the 250 gr bullets you loaded for me. I took the boar at 25 to 30 yards with a shot to the right shoulder that went through and shredded the top of the heart, then exited just in front of the left shoulder. When I shot it I could see a spray of blood from the opposite side of the boar and my guide said "Good shot, you hit him good!" The boar immediately stumbled and staggered about 5 or 6 feet then fell over as I put a second round into it. The second round wasn't needed. When I left for my hunt I tried to find a digital camera to bring but couldn't get one so I dug out my old 35mm and took that. So Ill have to wait to get the film developed before I can get you any pictures. But I wanted to let you know how it went and tell you how happy I am with that ammo. By the way, the guides were very impressed with the winchester .401 SL and the results it acheived. Dave Moser Bob, I received your loads Thursday of last week. Took them to the range Friday and went from shooting a 1.5 to 2” groups with the Federal Premium 150’s to shooting a group of less than 1” with your 270 WSM loads. Sunday I took a doe at 100 yards and the round worked really well. She was dead before she hit the ground and the bullet hit exactly where I was aiming. Browning Stainless Stalker 270 WSM, Leupold 3X9X40 VXII scope, ammunition by Bob Shell 150 grain Nosler Partition, a winning combination don’t leave home without them!!! Thanks, Ron Bob, Your load for Kevin was 150 grain Nosler Partitions in the 270 Weatherby Magnum. He thinks the sun rises and sets in you right now because of performance of those rounds you previously loaded for him. I have just joined a gun club here and Kevin is already a member. With us shooting your stuff out there, it may generate some business for you. I know a few guys were very impressed with the performance of those first Weatherby loads you sent Kevin. Load me up 20 150 Nosler Partitions, I am not going to mess with the 130’s unless the 150’s just won’t pattern, in the 270 Winchester Short Magnum. I have 12 or 13 of the 150 NP Federal loads left and what I am going to do is use them to get my new scope set this weekend. Then when your rounds come in, I will see about really setting it close. Kevin seems to think we can get the 270 WSM down to about 2.5” groups or smaller at 200. He may be a bit optimistic but that boy can shoot, so I will wait and see what he can do with it. He shot an honest .75 group of 3 at 100 with your rounds, so I will not doubt him until I see what he can do with the 270WSM. Thanks Bob, Ron Hi Bob, I got a bear with that .43 spanish. I'd like to get a bigger inventory of brass so I'd like to order 40 rounds. My question is do I have to pay 2 shipping and handling charges? I don't charge extra for shipping with my antique phonograph stuff. {"NO-- Check the order page--Bob"} Found a neat book on the Modelo Argentino and with that book, I'm pretty good with the thing. It is a nice shooting rifle. I took it down and cleaned the cosmoline out of it and made a nice paste of graphite and grease for the trigger mechanism and the trigger pull decreased by about 5 pounds I estimate. It is as it should be now. I also know how to sight it. Thanks, John.....
D.D. of Rockford, MI: I just wanted to let you know that your product performed admirably this weekend. I took my first deer ever (doe) at about 70 yards with a clean shot that took out both lungs and the heart. She made it interesting for me, however, when she jumped into the middle of a swamp and made me wade in after her. Thanks again for getting those 200 grain .348 Winchester shells to me in time for the season-- it has been fun!
J.A. of Billings, WY: Well, I finally got to try out those .45/90 black powder loads this season by bringing down a fine Bull Elk with one. I shot him on a front quarter, and that 300 grain cast bullet busted his left shoulder and penetrated all the way back to just under the skin on his right-rear ham. It was awesome to watch that big guy just fold up after being thumped by that "Punkin' Roller". Now, I know what it was like in the old days and have a new respect for the old- time guns.
R.F. of Gary, IN: My grandson got his first buck deer this season with a single round of your .30/40 Kraig ammo. He sure does like that little Calvary Carbine loaded with your 150 grain soft points. Please find enclosed, my check and the used brass for another box of the same for next year.
J.D. of Denver, Colorado: I just had my first vacation in years. Finally leaving the office behind, I packed up my old .35 Winchester and took to the mountains of my youth in search of a little relaxation and perhaps a skillet full of venison to punctuate the memory. On the second morning, I espied my buck on a ridge just above me and ripped out his heart with one of your 200 gr. flat nose bullets. The shot was only about 60 yards, but that is what the old .35 brush buster is for. The buck only made it about 30 yards before upsetting against a thicket of young aspens. I got my wish, and just wanted to thank you for providing me with that hard-to-get ammo-- you guys really know what you're doing. Now, I feel ten years younger and ready to face the year ahead, waiting for next season.
S.R. of Portland, OR: You were right about the thrill of belching fire and smoke across the forest! I just downed my first buck with my dad's old .38/55 carbine. I hadn't even thought about actually shooting the old gun until I saw your web page and got the idea to try it out. Of course, having never been able to find ammo for it had turned it into a wall-hanger. That's all changed now! Anyway, your big-old cast bullets are strong medicine, folding up my deer with one good shot in the brisket. Thanks for giving me the idea-- It was worth it! The good part is that the party is just beginning!
Hi Bob, Had a chance to bring the Grizzly to the range yesterday and tried some of the 250's. They're great. Thanks for a good batch. Ray Joyce
Hey Bob, I received the 401 Winchesters today, Im glad to get them they look great! Thankyou! Moondog13
Good Afternoon Mr. Shell, Well I took the bag of .450 loads out =o the range, along with my 1890 vintage Webley British Bulldog. We fired 15 =ounds of the 25 you sent. What a blast! I had two old time shooters actually laughing and =iggling at shooting the Bulldog. We shoot nearly everything going but this was really =ool, Thank You! So I have the 15 empty cases that you made from Hornady .455's, and I =mptied a box of .450 Fiocchi's through my Webley Mk. VI, they are near twins for your =rass, and they are large pistol/boxer primed. So what would be your fee for loading up =5 rounds of blackpowder .450's with the brass that I can send to you? By the way, I =as thoroughly pleased/surprised when the first 5 shot group was dead on at 21 feet, and was =bout a 2 1/2 inch group. A testimony to the craftsmanship of Webley AND a certain =bsolete cartridge loader! Those 200 grain loads were just right, I don't think that I =an turn this old girl into a regular plinker, but I can see taking her out for 15 - 20 rounds every = months or so just to entertain myself and the gang. So let me know how much to send, =nd I'll get the brass and a Postal M.O. off to you. And again, Thank you for one =f the most entertaining sessions we have had at the range in long time. Best Regards, Gary Mangan
From: Joe Caezza To: rel4350@aol.com Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 8:01 AM Subject: Re: hey Hi again Bob, i showed my friend at the gunshop the cartridges you made for my 50-95 winchester Model 1876 antique gun. He was very impressed with the quality of your work, he said very often the ones he has seen have small or tiny tearings or bulges where the lead bullet enters the brass case, due to poor shaping of lead or not smooth lead bullets. He said your workmanship was superior to others who do not take time to do careful work. he also mention he thought that winchester only made them with 300 grain bullet heads, did not know these guns were rated for a 350 grain lead. i assured him you knew what you were doing. But he did say he did not know much about antque guns, especially this type. he will be the one to test fire it for me this weekend. just thought you should know what he said, its a great tribute to your craftmanship. he's never done reloading in his business but was familar with your name. thanks again and any info on bullet grain you can give him for this gun would be knowledge for him and me since he will be the one taking care of my needs. He said if he gets anymore customers with antque winchester that want to shoot them he will give them your name. JOE
* Due to differences in guns and equipment (and the varying degrees in which people understand instructions or even English for that matter), this article is reproduced for information only. Follow manufacturer's instructions when actually doing any such job, or have it done by a competent gunsmith. The author accepts no liability for your or any other person's actions or the outcome of people's experiments or damage to property or person(s). Do it at your own risk.
When in doubt as to the caliber or chambering of a given gun, either make or have a competent gunsmith make a chamber/throat casting from low temp casting metal available from Brownell's, 200 So. Front St. Montezuma Iowa 50171, USA (phone: 515-623-5401). Oh, order their catalog while you are at it-- it's worth reading. The metal only costs a few bucks for enough to do the job on most calibers and can be melted in a tin can on the stove. The melting point is under 200 degrees F., so a wad of paper will do to plug the bore about an inch down-bore from the chamber. You want your casting to include the chamber and about an inch of the bore*. If there is any pitting or damage from corrosive primers, it should appear in the first inch. Hint: often, you can use a small funnel or some such device to facilitate filling the chamber of your gun. Also, it might be a good idea to clamp or securely tie the gun, chamber up where it can't move about.
* Always be careful with hot metals and waxes as a spill will not only burn you, but the molten material will stick to you while it does it. If it gets on clothes, it will usually seep through the fibers or weave, ruining the item. When working with hot media, it is best to wear heavy clothes of tightly woven fabric, long sleeves, apron, gloves and goggles. Pouring hot media requires a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination. You have been warned. Attempt any such operation at your own risk.
Once the chamber and bore of your gun is clean & dry, and the paper wad squeezed in place, (use a wooden dowel from both ends), clamp or securely tie the gun, chamber up and then pour in the casting metal from the chamber end until full. Use a funnel where necessary for a neat job. Let cool several hours and then push the casting out with the long dowel from the muzzle end. You then will have an exact casting of your chamber and some of the bore. The casting can then be measured with a micrometer or vernier calipers to get the exact diameters of crucial points. The chamber (bottleneck) part of the casting can be compared against sample photos in any good reloading manual. That's what those pictures are there for. You can also see if the chamber is straight and on axis with the bore or if the chamber is out of round. Additionally, you will be able to tell is there is any pitting from corrosive primers or any other noticeable imperfections present.
It is also a good idea to drive a soft (plumber's lead) slug or soft casting metal through the bore from the muzzle end with a brass rod. When I say soft, I mean that you should be able to scratch or dent it with your thumb nail. The slug should be just a tad fatter (.002) than the bore grooves so it will reproduce the actual bore size at the loosest or tightest fit wherever it happens to be in the length of the bore. The soft metal will compress to fit. Many old guns can have a "high" spot somewhere between chamber and muzzle. High spots are caused by extra hardness (inconsistencies) in the steel, so when the boring bar or button passed through, it didn't cut as deeply as it did in the softer sections. Anyway, you sure don't want to send a hard bullet larger than that tight spot through there or you might experience those unexpected results so fondly spoken of in gun magazines. So, a good slugging will bring you peace of mind and may very well improve the accuracy of your weapon.
More detailed information (if you need it) is available in countless gun articles, many reloading books and most NRA gunsmithing manuals. Any book on cast lead bullets should carry an article on the subject.
Many older guns exhibit quite a range of actual bore sizes for any given published caliber, so with a little effort, you can know exactly what the pertinent measurements of your firearm actually are. That way, there will be no question about it. If your bore is a little loose, we might be able to use a slightly larger cast bullet, or in some cases, just simply not run a bullet through the sizer, leaving it a thousandth of an inch or so fat. This can make a big different in accuracy. For example, most .30 calibers are .308, but some are .309. That's why we carry .309 cast bullet molds. It is even possible to make up a specially sized bullet mold for a given gun if it makes any appreciable difference in accuracy. Let us know if you have an aberrant bore size as there might be a better choice in bullet sizes or loading techniques.
If after sizing, you discover that your old rifle is quite a bit oversized, you might just have a gun that was designed to shoot paper patched bullets. There were several of these made, mostly for target shooting and were usually single shots. In this case, the lead bullets must be rolled in a special, lubricated paper before inserting into the cases. Paper patching also made it possible to shoot soft lead bullets through a rifle at high speed without leading the bore. There are several articles available on the subject.
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If you have a prize old firearm with a worn bore, but the rest of the gun is sound, you might consider a rebore job from a competent gunsmith. That way you can keep the same sights, manufacturer's markings and original finish. Often, such a firearm can be "opened up" to a larger caliber, using the same case or one of the same family. This is true of a shot-out 25/06, .270 .284 or .30/06. Actually, these and most of the '98 Mauser family and spinoffs thereof, all use the same basic case trimmed to different lengths. So, a .25/06 or.270 can be rebored to a .284, 30/06, 8mm/06, 338/06, .35 Whelen, or 375/06 which is sometimes called a .375 Whelen. The .348, and .351 Winchesters can be opened up to .357 caliber, and the .358 Win can become a .375 Win. Even the Remington 760 in .270 can be opened up to .284, 30/06, 8mm/06, .338/06 or .35 Whelen. You can't go to .375 as the depth of the rear sight screws don't leave enough steel to be safe.
Other guns can benefit from a bit of reworking too. The 8mm JS Mauser (8X57 with .323 bore) can become an 8mm/06 by a simple chamber ream that will add a couple of hundred fps to its punch. A good, strong 98 Mauser action can be rebarreled to the .300 Win Mag, the .338 win mag, the wildcat .375 Win Mag and the ever popular.458 Winchester Magnum if you want. The 98 Mauser action is that strong. Just screw in a new barrel of the propper type, set the head space, do a little bolt face work and open up the magazine rails a tad. Actually, it's a pretty simple job. Of course, you will have to remove a bit of stock material, add a recoil lug and rebed the action too. The easy way is to just buy an appropriate stock that's ready to go. Even so, for no more than five or six hundred dollars, you could own a genuine safari gun if you keep it simple and buy right. Most of the big money spent on guns is for fancy finishes, cosmetics, checkering and accessories. On the realistic side, I've seen chambered .458 barrels for less than a $100.00 and composite stocks also around a $100.00. That's $200.00 plus gunsmithing fees and whatever sights you might want. See, the conversion is not impossible if you keep your senses.
Going the other way, many cartridges can be necked down by changing barrels and chambers within the same family. The .458 Win Mag based cartridge line goes all the way down to .300 Win Mag where the 30/06 case takes over down to 25/06. Of course, in the wildcat world, the two overlap quite a bit. The .458 mag can be necked down to the .416 or any other of the forty calibers too. So can the old 45/70. The 40/70 is a real game getter when set up right. This just scratches the surface of the possibilities available to the gun fancier who wants to keep and improve what he's got or acquire something unusual.
Yes, we know that there is some cheap, corrosive, Berdan primed military cartridges being sold off cheap these days before it gets so bad that it won't fire. However, if you check out quality boxer primed, reloadable brass cartridges with non corrosive primers and soft-nose hunting bullets, then you will quickly find our prices very reasonable and in line with the current market.
those of you who are not inclined to reload your own and want special loadings, this section is for you! All common hand gun calibers available from .25 auto to .45 Win mag. Prices would depend on brass (new or fired) and type of bullet. All styles of bullets available plus blank or shot loads. Custom bullets available. All common rifle calibers from .22 Hornet to .458 (.460) are available. Custom and premium bullets available at extra cost.
Try our Exploders for self defence. These are special high-performance frangible bullets, loaded to ultra high-velosity. They won't ricochet or pass through most walls, but they are hell on meat. Calibers are available from .380 to .45. For use in high-quality, modern hand guns. They are rated to +P. Yes, you can tell the difference. Make sure that your gun is rated for +P ammo! $12.00 for six rounds. $20.00 for 12 rounds. $26.00 for 18 rounds, including the shipping anywhere in the Continental United States.
* Due to differences in guns and equipment (and the varying degrees in which people understand instructions or even English for that matter), this article is reproduced for information only. Follow manufacturer's instructions when actually attempting described work. Better yet, have it done by a competent gunsmith. The author accepts no liability for your or any other person's actions or the outcome of their experiments or damage to property or person(s). Do it at your own risk.