Wildcat cartridge

Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not generally serve a purpose in military or law enforcement; it is more a hobby for serious sport shooting, hunting, gunsmithing and handloading enthusiasts, particularly in the United States.

[2] Often, wildcats are commercially sold rounds that have been modified in some way to alter the cartridge's performance.

Generally, the same makers also offer reloading dies, tools to custom-load bullets into cases.

[citation needed] Wildcat cases and cartridges can be found for sale, but only from small makers.

Larger manufacturers usually do not produce wildcats because there is such a limited market for them and because there are no established CIP (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour L'Epreuve Des Armes A Feu Portatives - Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Small Arms) or SAAMI standards, which causes liability concerns.

The sport of metallic silhouette shooting, has given rise to a great number of wildcats, as several rifle rounds are adapted to fire from a handgun.

[citation needed] Most are made primarily for hunting species such as deer, kangaroo, and are generally based on the .303 British because of the post-war popularity of that round and of the cheap surplus Australian Lee–Enfield MkIII military rifles available.

Cartridges that are modified by being made longer (usually to make them more powerful) are for the most part only created commercially because of the difficulty of the process.

One example of such a cartridge is the .357 Magnum, which was developed from the .38 Special in 1934 by firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson.