Lesser known cartridges

[tac]

275 Rigby

This here is MY 110-year-old .275 Rigby - AKA 7x57 Mauser...






It was bought back in 1913 in the Army & Navy Cooperative Stores in Great Victoria Street, London, by a family going out to Rhodesia to mine tobacco [whatever]. After Mugabe and his crew started to destroy the country, the family split up - some coming back to UK and others going to neighbouring Tanzania. This lovely little rifle ended up at an auction in Liverpool in 1991, and was bought on my behalf by my old and much-missed gun-store owner Jim Clarke, then-owner of Monks of Chester. Fast forward to about seven years ago, and my current shooting buddy Pedro - seen here - asked about it. An ex-pat Rhodesian, it 'called' to him - you know how things are, right? I explone the origins, and gave him the name of the original owners - heck, quothe he, I went to boarding school in Harare with a guy with that name!

Photos were taken, a littler movie was made, and emails exchanged.

His former school-pal had been taught to shoot with that actual rifle, by his granpa. Just how cool was that?

 

[tac]

Hmph. It seems I've trotted out this old yarn before, so please accept my apoliments. I'll pull it if the admin request me to.

I ought to have mentioned that like many older 7x57 Mausers, this one actually has a bore size of .285", not today's standard of .284". This is because - or so I'm told - the original bullet was a long, round-nosed cylinder with a HUGE parallel bearing surface, giving great accuracy, as the unfortunate military at the other end of the Boers' shooting could readily attest between 1899 and 1902. Modern streamlined boat-tailed bullets shoot like a garden hose....and Nosler, who used to make the original correct-shaped bullet, stopped making them many moons syne.

Enter a most-kind person on this very site, who gifted me almost 500 of the correct flat-based bullets as a freebie - all the way from the USA to here. Every time I squeeze the trigger, I'm reminded what great-hearted and generous folks there are out there.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Hmph. It seems I've trotted out this old yarn before, so please accept my apoliments. I'll pull it if the admin request me to.

Please leave it.
A great yarn deserves to be re-told or re-read.
Andy

 

[Bobbygun]

I just noticed this thread today and speed read my way through it. I saw the .222 Remington mentioned, but not the .222 Remington Magnum (maybe I missed it). I have a rifle in each. My dad was the original owner of the .222 and he bought the magnum version for my grandfather (his father-in-law). They've both been gone for some time now, so I have them until it's time to pass them to my son. When you lay the two cartridges alongside each other and then add a .223 cartridge, you sorta wonder if the folks creating this stuff weren't splitting hairs just a bit.

 

[3MTA3]

I just noticed this thread today and speed read my way through it. I saw the .222 Remington mentioned, but not the .222 Remington Magnum (maybe I missed it). I have a rifle in each. My dad was the original owner of the .222 and he bought the magnum version for my grandfather (his father-in-law). They've both been gone for some time now, so I have them until it's time to pass them to my son. When you lay the two cartridges alongside each other and then add a .223 cartridge, you sorta wonder if the folks creating this stuff weren't splitting hairs just a bit.

Truth is that most of the new stuff is barely different than the old stuff. The changes are incremental refinements and barely noticeable. We really only see new cartridges introduced and then pushed to drive sales.

Differences between the 6.5x55 vintage pressure, 260 Remington, and 6.5 CM? Not a whit. You "needed" the 260 because you "needed" a short action. You "needed" a 6.5 CM over the 260 because it was being used by precision shooters. They didn't tell you that they were using it because it was designed to be more economical to reload and all three were just as accurate.

Ditto 7x57 and 7-08. Dittp 243 and 6mm CM. Identical performance and identical application. One is newer so supposedly better. Just like with so many other sports we confuse "newer better" equipment with skill.

Now we are back in a new "magnum" cycle to reinvent the more powerful cartridges that have been getting the job done for 70 years. What is hot today will be obscure in 50 years and have a "newer better" replacement that somehow still manages to do the exact same thing.

 

[Member 38805]

Truth is that most of the new stuff is barely different than the old stuff. The changes are incremental refinements and barely noticeable. We really only see new cartridges introduced and then pushed to drive sales.

Now we are back in a new "magnum" cycle to reinvent the more powerful cartridges that have been getting the job done for 70 years. What is hot today will be obscure in 50 years and have a "newer better" replacement that somehow still manages to do the exact same thing.

And in many instances a lot of the whiz bang latest cartridges may become obsolete much faster than 50 yrs.! I always feel sorry for those guys who have to have the latest, greatest cartridge, and then a few years later can't find the ammo anywhere.
If the owners reload a lot of the latest great cartridges can be built from an old standard. But for those who don't, when they fall into obscurity their rifles are tough sells when they tire of them.

 

[tac]

Back in 1896 it was found that the largest elk in Europe - our moose - fell down stone dead in his hoofprints when given a good 3/4-ring upper chest shot from the then-new 6.5x55 cartridge.

A reminder that we are talking here about the largest ungulate in recent times, equal in size, and often bigger that its North American relation, the moose.

It's generally agreed that while there are no degrees of deadness, a certainty of where the shot hits is a very valid requirement. Shot placement is all, as Courtney Selous would say. He shot EVERYTHING that walked in Africa, including literally thousands of elephants, lions and even the dreaded Cape Buffalo, with the 'little' 7x57 Mauser.

 

[JRuby]

When your Hungry it's amazing what you will use to take game for the table. My dad once killed a white tail buck with a 22lr. Because it can be done doesn't mean it should. There are better elk calibers than a 6.5x55. I have owned 3 in the past and @Velzey is working on my fourth. I think when it comes to deer the swede and the 7x57 are close to perfect. iIMHO.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

Lesser known cartridges? How about the 270 Sherman? I just stumbled across it this morning.

Sherman Wildcat Cartridges

shermanwildcatcartridges.com

 

[Capn Jack]

I'm not into, "T" Rex, or Elephant hunting, but I once courted almost certain death hunting
the Saber Toothed North American Ground Squirrel with my trusty, "K -Hornet".


A 6X scope on a small Martini action with a.22 target barrel made the K-Hornet a sweet shooter out to 150 yards. You could fire form the brass from .22 Hornet and it was cheap to reload.

 

[3MTA3]

I'm not into, "T" Rex, or Elephant hunting, but I once courted almost certain death hunting
the Saber Toothed North American Ground Squirrel with my trusty, "K -Hornet".
View attachment 1294203

A 6X scope on a small Martini action with a.22 target barrel made the K-Hornet a sweet shooter out to 150 yards. You could fire form the brass from .22 Hornet and it was cheap to reload.

Tyranisquirrelus Terafirmus? You would have to nuts to go after one of those...

EDIT: For those of you unfamiliar with the species, watch what happened during the filming of this documentary when one decides to prey on a family celebrating Christmas. Fortunately no lives were lost - this time anyway:

 

[tac]

I'm not into, "T" Rex, or Elephant hunting, but I once courted almost certain death hunting
the Saber Toothed North American Ground Squirrel with my trusty, "K -Hornet".
View attachment 1294203

A 6X scope on a small Martini action with a.22 target barrel made the K-Hornet a sweet shooter out to 150 yards. You could fire form the brass from .22 Hornet and it was cheap to reload.

Howja like to try THIS one out?

 

[Croat]

My rare bird is 460 Rowland. Wouldn't rely on it in a pinch, but tends to be unique at the range.

 

[Dogbone38Super]

I have Rugers in 6MM Remington and .257 Roberts. A Remington M700 Classic in 8x57 Mauser. Just got a M700 Mountain rifle in 7x57 Mauser. These are all calibers I used as a teenager in PA. for whitetails. Now if I can find a 6.5x55 I'll be happy.

 

[awags_86]

The 5mm rimfire. The 17hmr well before it's time

 

[CZP07]

I have an older model Thompson Contender Icon chambered in .30 T/C. Glad I bought a stash of ammo while i could find it

 

[Spitpatch]

The 5mm rimfire. The 17hmr well before it's time

Damn fine stray dog

This gun is not mine. It wandered into my house as a result of a younger man inheriting his Dad's guns. He did not know what it was It is one of the rarest modern American production rimfire rifles ever produced. Economical and Revolutionary at inception. This is a Remington Model 592M...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[10mm]

8mm Rem Mag and 30.03 Gov't not on the thread yet. Or .303 Savage model 95? Would love to hear history on so many of the former world champion in any weight class rifles.

 

[Phantom Man]

This here is MY 110-year-old .275 Rigby - AKA 7x57 Mauser...

View attachment 1293412
View attachment 1293413

View attachment 1293414

It was bought back in 1913 in the Army & Navy Cooperative Stores in Great Victoria Street, London, by a family going out to Rhodesia to mine tobacco [whatever]. After Mugabe and his crew started to destroy the country, the family split up - some coming back to UK and others going to neighbouring Tanzania. This lovely little rifle ended up at an auction in Liverpool in 1991, and was bought on my behalf by my old and much-missed gun-store owner Jim Clarke, then-owner of Monks of Chester. Fast forward to about seven years ago, and my current shooting buddy Pedro - seen here - asked about it. An ex-pat Rhodesian, it 'called' to him - you know how things are, right? I explone the origins, and gave him the name of the original owners - heck, quothe he, I went to boarding school in Harare with a guy with that name!

Photos were taken, a littler movie was made, and emails exchanged.

His former school-pal had been taught to shoot with that actual rifle, by his granpa. Just how cool was that?

View attachment 1293420

What a lovely rifle and great story.