“New” Cartridges = Beating a Dead Horse

[Argonaut]

I always wondered what a 16 gauge did that a 20 or 12 wouldn't....besides be WAY cooler.

16 gauge allowed shotguns to be built with a smaller 20 gauge size frame but I see no real use for it other than that either. The Europeans love it.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I love all kindsa odd cartridges.. in theory. But in practice I try to keep it pretty simple.. along with my choices of crossover reloading powders etc. Matter a fact, I can (and do) reload for all my cartridges/shells with two powders.

 

[Argonaut]

Many Weatherby calibers are redundant but there are standouts...........my 378 Weatherby is unequaled but most are just marketing tools. I frequently get chastised for sugessting a cartridge like 300 blackout or 7 08 are just rehashes of old existing cartridges (7.62X39 and 7mmX57) I suggest that young guys with little experiance and magazine articles are looking for the newest and different when there are few inprovements over the last decades. Reloading further adjusts the versatility of cartridges to the point that nearly everything is covered. Odd calibers can be fun and in antiques can carry more value than a more common caliber but true useability by a more common readily available cartridge will eventually trump it.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

as far as rifle hunting goes 30-06 with irons is all a guy needs for hunting. @AndyinEverson may say differently and id probably agree with him


that being said. i dont hunt with a 30-06 any more. i have one. but it was grandpas 03-a3 and its fine sittin in the safe.

instead, i use my suppressed AR10 with a 4-16 scope, 3.5lb trigger and "shoulder thingy that goes up" for hunting

 

[CLT65]

It's interesting to me that so many of the cartridges used today are well over 100 years old.

Sure there are dozens and dozens of useful newer rounds around, but the old standbys that are so commonly used are mostly a century or more: 22lr, 30-30, 30-06, 38 special, 45 acp, 9mm, 12 ga., even the .50 BMG.

If for some bizarre reason we were limited to only cartridges that have been around 100 years or more, we'd still have a pretty fair selection.

 

[revjen45]

In gunsmithing school I built a 6X45 on a Baby Sako action for a specific purpose: a "walkabout rifle" on a .223 size action that carries like a .22 Mag and is legal for deer. Worked out fine - 1 m.o.a., small, pretty.

 

[Flymph]

I'm still impressed with .357 magnum...

 

[slimmer13]

However, I do feel there have been some really good cartridges developed over the last decade or two, specifically for the AR15 platform.

Heavy 5.56 Projectiles
.300 Blackout
6.5 Grendel
6.8 SPC (II)
.224 Valkyrie
.458 SOCOM
.50 Beowulf

I will bet than in a few years we can dig up the "failed cartridges" thread and add at least a few of those.

 

[ma96782]

Just Forgetaboutit......I mean brass cased ammo.......

Could a New Type of Ammo Be a Game Changer for the U.S. Military?

Army's next squad weapon will fire a never-before-seen ammo combination

Aloha, Mark

 

[P7M13]

Just Forgetaboutit......I mean brass cased ammo.......

Could a New Type of Ammo Be a Game Changer for the U.S. Military?

Army's next squad weapon will fire a never-before-seen ammo combination

Aloha, Mark

If that were the case, we would all have G11 type rifles.

 

[ma96782]

If that were the case, we would all have G11 type rifles.

Like it or not......G11 was not Made in America. I could just imagine the royalties associated with that. Though, I could be convinced......if it were actually superior and little to no royalties were to be paid?

Aloha, Mark

PS.....note: M27 for the USMC. So, for ME it's not all about, "hate of foreign things."

 

[kott0n]

Many Weatherby calibers are redundant but there are standouts...........my 378 Weatherby is unequaled but most are just marketing tools. I frequently get chastised for sugessting a cartridge like 300 blackout or 7 08 are just rehashes of old existing cartridges (7.62X39 and 7mmX57) I suggest that young guys with little experiance and magazine articles are looking for the newest and different when there are few inprovements over the last decades. Reloading further adjusts the versatility of cartridges to the point that nearly everything is covered. Odd calibers can be fun and in antiques can carry more value than a more common caliber but true useability by a more common readily available cartridge will eventually trump it.

It's called the .338 Lapua Magnum.
Peak: 6,810 J vs 378 Weatherby 8,219 J

Edit: Weatherby is beastly.

 

[clearconscience]

I would never own a firearm that I can't readily find ammo for.
Just seems like people trying to make things difficult for the sake of being "cool" or "different"

 

[po18guy]

I am thinking of having chamber reamers and reloading dies made up to introduce the .40 Action Express. Better bullet selection.

 

[Colts4me]

Guns are a lot like cars, same old gas but a new model to drive. I always thought hard about the right tool for the job and how much power I needed to run it. My parameters changed as I got older. Ask guys that hunt alot about what they like and often you hear "what Ever is in my hands when I see game".

 

[bsa1917hunter]

There are so many good cartridges out there right now, but what do they do that is substantially better than the 100+ year old 30-06? I'm talking for the every day hunter. Regular ol joe 13 types... Sure it would be boring if there were only a couple hunting cartridges, and my gun safe wouldn't be so full. I miss that safe, went down with the kayak....

 

[Colts4me]

It's funny they use the same ballistics to build a new cartridge over and over. It really just to fit a new model gun but still the same Ole same ole. It sells guns and that's important.

 

[Argonaut]

I have standard cartridges I specialize in.......then there are others. I have lots of 12 gauges, 308's, 223's, 22's, 45's, 357's but then there are "others" that are not as mission essential. Lots of more obscure calibers there that are fun. Like the 10 gauge LC Smith Damascus hammer gun I bought today. It will never be used in a round of trap but it is beautiful and very fine. I have cars and airplanes the same way......I mostly drive my GMC 3500 Crew Cab Duramax flatbed dually and can get by very well with it..........but my 150 MPH Maserati is fun too.

 

[CLT65]

I would never own a firearm that I can't readily find ammo for.
Just seems like people trying to make things difficult for the sake of being "cool" or "different"

Depends on your purposes and interests I guess. I reload for several calibers that are quite difficult to find ammo for. It's only because I enjoy tinkering with old, oddball guns. I don't hunt at all, haven't for years, just isn't my thing. If I hunted I'd be more practical about the guns I own, but I don't even try to pretend that many of my guns are very practical. Interesting and historical to some degree, perhaps, but not very practical.

Sometimes I like a gun more if it's an oddball you can't find ammo for. I almost bought a Martini-Henry in .577/450 some years back, but decided against it when I realized how complicated and expensive it would be to get set up to properly load for it. It was a bit more than I wanted to tackle.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

What I don't get, is, there were so many good/excellent cartridges that were way before their time and they kind of vanished. For example, the 30 Newton. Actually a lot of the Newton cartridges were ahead of the times. The 256 Newton was another one. I'll bet that cartridge would tread on the heels of the ever so popular (right now) 6.5 creedmoor. Actually comparing the 2, side by side, the old Newton (introduced in 1913), would probably whoop the creed in a ballistic shoot out... Just sayin.. Cartridges come and go, but some are here to stay for a loooooooong time.