Lesser known cartridges

[TTSX]

I've been doing a lot of reading on this vs that, these vs those, here vs there, regarding rifles and I always seem to see the same well known cartridges headline. The Cabela's common belted magnums, the -06s and family, the young bucks like the creedmoor.... Then I saw the 6.5-284 mentioned and had to look it up. Yes, I'm sure the experienced and lived know about this cartridge but I sure didn't. Heck, even the .260 Remington was new to me this week. And so I'm wondering, what are some darn worthy cartridges one may not hear a lot about but can still be bought in a factory rifle? Better yet, dies and brass available to load. The vanilla vs chocolate thing is getting old, I need some strawberry!

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[Andy54Hawken]

7mm Mauser is a favorite of mine.
While it really isn't "lesser known"...the fact that it is lesser in popularity is a shame.
Andy

 

[3MTA3]

I've been doing a lot of reading on this vs that, these vs those, here vs there, regarding rifles and I always seem to see the same well known cartridges headline. The Cabela's common belted magnums, the -06s and family, the young bucks like the creedmoor.... Then I saw the 6.5-284 mentioned and had to look it up. Yes, I'm sure the experienced and lived know about this cartridge but I sure didn't. Heck, even the .260 Remington was new to me this week. And so I'm wondering, what are some darn worthy cartridges one may not hear a lot about but can still be bought in a factory rifle? Better yet, dies and brass available to load. The vanilla vs chocolate thing is getting old, I need some strawberry!

Tons of them out there and dies seem to always be found or available! Get a copy of a reloading manual like Speer or Nosler and they will have a listing of a few hundred cartridges with a write up on each. I used to read through those for hours as a kid.

You can add the 6.5x55 to your list of 6.5's. It uses a long action, but that's an advantage since the all around killz it all 140 gr can be used without losing too much case capacity.

Also take a look at the 257 Roberts

 

[asbtg]

How about 45 Colt for RIFLE? Rather scant reloading data on the ground. Got some hot loads that skirt the edge of wildcats as I've had to extrapolate some of the data for 20" barrels in a strong action.

 

[CountryGent]

7mm Mauser is a favorite of mine.
While it really isn't "lesser known"...the fact that is lesser in popularity is a shame.
Andy

^. Agreed. The cartridge has a lot going for it. But, alas, overshadowed by others.

As to the topic, enjoy this thread.

 

[Pepe-lepew]

7mm-08, it has bigger bullet options than the 6.5 Creedmoor and still allows a short action. I would pick it over the Creedmoor for a hunting cartridge.

 

[Xaevian]

.25-06 &.280 Rem, both of the ".30-06" family.

 

[trevi]

Tons of them out there and dies seem to always be found or available! Get a copy of a reloading manual like Speer or Nosler and they will have a listing of a few hundred cartridges with a write up on each. I used to read through those for hours as a kid.

You can add the 6.5x55 to your list of 6.5's. It uses a long action, but that's an advantage since the all around killz it all 140 gr can be used without losing too much case capacity.

Also take a look at the 257 Roberts

6.5 Swede!!!!

 

[TTSX]

^. Agreed. The cartridge has a lot going for it. But, alas, overshadowed by others.

As to the topic, enjoy this thread.

Right on. Thanks for the link

 

[No_Regerts]

The hunting cartridge world is vast, and so are the opinions. I tend to like more obscure cartridges, but I also have a practical streak. Commercially successful cartridges are often poorly designed, but were marketed well. I like stuff that makes sense, regardless if its popular.

If you want to read a book that won't bore you to tears about cartridges, check out "Confessions of a Rifle Looney" by John Barsness. Lots of actual experience and documented results.

 

[oldcorpgunny]

6.5 Swede!!!!

Ya Sure!

 

[angry dave]

257 Weatherby mag is a neat story, smoking fast, and made by a few manufacturers. Did I mention that they are fast??

 

[No_Regerts]

257 Weatherby mag is a neat story, smoking fast, and made by a few manufacturers. Did I mention that they are fast??

Ive seen factory ammo blow primers in rifles without that weatherby free-bore!

 

[papersoldier]

7mm Mauser is a favorite of mine.
While it really isn't "lesser known"...the fact that it is lesser in popularity is a shame.
Andy

My dad called this the "baby aught-six." My first Elk rifle growing up was his sporterized Mauser in that caliber and I still love it to this day.

 

[Rem725]

The .284 fits your rule here.
I add the .358 Winchester

 

[gmerkt]

7mm Mauser is a favorite of mine.

I've liked these. Ruger made the 77 in this; also Winchester Model 70 made some featherweights that it was never my fortune to get one of. However, I did have the Ruger 77 and that doggoned rifle I just could never get to shoot very well. I tried many different bullet and load combinations. Finally I found that it would shoot 139 gr. reasonably well with a certain propellant. After that frustrating experience, my ardor for the 7mm Mauser was somewhat dimmed. I did have a Venezuelan FN Model 24/30 in 7mm Mauser that shot better than the Ruger.

I've had 8mm Mauser rifles around all my adult life, still have a Czech VZ24. American, factory-made rifles in 8mm Mauser have been few. However, in the early 2000's Remington made one of the annual "Classic's" in 8mm Mauser. I had one of those for a while but the novelty wore off and now it's gone. It's just as fun to shoot the $100 VZ24.

That was back when Remington was still on the ball, pre-Cerberus ownership. The Classic 700 series was made from 1981-2005, 25 different calibers. They'd pick a "classic" caliber, make it for one year, then move on to the next classic. The 8mm Mauser was made in 2004. The first 700 Classic was made in 7mm Mauser. Two I would like to have had were .222 Rem (1993) and .221 Fireball (2002).

 

[91490]

9.3X62 and .350 Reminton Magnum, not much that they won't do and they won' ruin much meat.

 

[Mark W.]

257 Roberts .35 Whelen .358 Win

 

[Hemlock]

Years ago when my legs were starting to complain, I quested for a short action light weight rifle to carry over the hills of Washington for deer hunting. I happened into a Browning Micro Medallion at the Portland gun show. Researching the gun, I being a reloader, found it was available in 284 Winchester caliber. Sucked me right in! Ordered one the next day. This year, my daughter will be using it for whitetail deer hunting in Wisconsin and her husband will be doing the reloading.

 

[welderman1949]

I've been doing a lot of reading on this vs that, these vs those, here vs there, regarding rifles and I always seem to see the same well known cartridges headline. The Cabela's common belted magnums, the -06s and family, the young bucks like the creedmoor.... Then I saw the 6.5-284 mentioned and had to look it up. Yes, I'm sure the experienced and lived know about this cartridge but I sure didn't. Heck, even the .260 Remington was new to me this week. And so I'm wondering, what are some darn worthy cartridges one may not hear a lot about but can still be bought in a factory rifle? Better yet, dies and brass available to load. The vanilla vs chocolate thing is getting old, I need some strawberry!

One of my favorites is the 257 Roberts. This is a great old caliber. A great deer rifle with light recoil. Very accurate and a great gun to start a new hunter out on. It can also be used very effectively on varmits with the lighter bullets.