A Niederwilddrilling such as this today is a charming thing of the past, due to very different hunting conditions.
As I may have mentioned, I recently acquired a nice though slightly (ab)used unnamed Drilling, chambered for 24/65, 24/65 and 6,5x52R. Handles and points like a charm.
I still have to shoot it, though.
Question. Are 24 gauge hulls, ammo or loading components available? That would have to be a lot of fun. The 6,5 X 52R is available over here and I suspect it might even be more popular in Germany, no?
It was already said by my predecessors in this thread: cartridges and hulls are being produced at least by Fiocchi and Cheddite. Furthermore, by Prévot in France, who are a rather reputable small family enterprise since more than half a century, and who also load 24 ga slugs (!).
https://www.cartouches-prevot.com/ There is also one Turkish producer, as I faintly remember. But I do not know who exactly makes the hulls and wads for Federal. I would suppose they buy them on the world market.
The 6,5x52R and the .25-35 Win have viertually identically measuements, but RATHER different maximal use pressure The .25-35 is set distinctly higher by SAAMI than the 6,5x52R by CIP. Now the actual REAL pressures of the factory cartridges might not be so far apart in the end, but the limit are, I think by almost 50 % plus ? Someone will easily set me straight.
The 6,5x52R is rarely used in Germany, although it is a decent roe deer cartridge such as the old 6,5x58R and the new 6x70 R. In some German states, it is also licit on small (striped) boars e.g. (piglets in pyjama). Modern reloading data for leadless bullets seem to exist. The proper diameter is .261", I think, rather than .257"?
The 24 gauge is very rarely used today for anything. But nice doubles and combined guns with such small gauge barrels are a lot easier to find in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, than in the USA or the UK. Also, many ex-military blackpowder rifles turned into sporters, have been rechambered for the 24 gauge and 28 gauge.
Carcano
