What cartridge do you think deserves more love?

[Aussie Wanderer]

Just one for sitting around the campfire. What cartridge do you think has been pushed to the side that really should be more popular?

 

[hunter24605]

It's seeing a resurgence. as of late, but the 280 Rem is a wonderful cartridge that got lost in the shuffle. I think Remington doomed it from day one with the debacle with its rollout and advertising.

 

[Firebird]

I suppose the .270 win has likewise been lost in that shuffle or maybe the one sometime later. It has always been a mainstay for western hunting and I don’t need to even mention Jack O’ Connor-but I will because he was awesome.
But it seems to have been pushed aside in favor of short mags and long mags and little lambsy creedmoores. And now the silly prc craze.
The .270 is still putting meat on packers just like it has always done. Maybe not a lot of flash and advertising dazzle but history is clear on its success and that’s something the new kids on the block do not have.
This is a nephew and a .270 I put together and worked up a load for. Shot was over 400 from sticks and I would have bet my lunch money he would miss. I was “vitally” mistaken!

 

[salmonchaser]

The 280 is a great cartridge, deserves way more respect and attention. 257 Roberts is another.

 

[nhenry]

A few come to mind.

280 Rem - bad start but great cartridge nonetheless

308 & 338 Marlin Express - should be a mainstay in lever actions but they’re not

300 RCM - the best short magnum ever. Feeds reliably, shoots book velocities in a 20” barrel (that’s what it was designed for), and a great middle ground between the 30-06 and 300 win mag

 

[RL338]

Just one for sitting around the campfire. What cartridge do you think has been pushed to the side that really should be more popular?

Speaking of what I have , 308 Win. Was once a popular round back in the day , you don’t hear anyone all excited , I’ m going out and buying a 308 , nope those days are gone.

 

[Blkram]

Older cartridges that should be more popular today:
- 25-35 - waiting patiently for Ruger on this one!
- 250 Savage
- 257 Roberts
- 6mm Rem
- 6.5x55 Swede
- 7mm-08 - not just for youth and the ladies!
- 280 Rem
- 356/358 Win
- 375 Win
- edit - add 376 Steyr
- 9.3x62
- 41 Rem Mag

Newer cartridges that should be more popular today:
- 17 Mach II
- 308 & 338 ME's
- 338 Federal
- 338-06 A Square
- 35 Whelen

Those of us who hunt at reasonable ranges understand that all of these cartridges work very well on many games species, and will continue to use and support these cartridges, keeping them alive and well, if not overly popular.

I do understand the economics of keeping them all alive in current manufacturing of rifles and ammunition, although I do believe that they should at least do a better job of keeping the components coming on a more frequent basis so that we can keep these older firearms in service (current supply chain issues and demand notwithstanding), by making runs every 5 years as originally planned and executed, not every 20 years as has seemingly become practice! And make some legacy runs of bullets dropped so we can keep some of these cartridges alive! (E.g., 45 gr Hdy Bee for the 218 Bee, 220 gr Hot Cors for the 356/358, 220 gr Hdy FP for 375/38-55, 250 gr Hdy FP for the 348, etc., as there are still many out there with rifles who love shooting and hunting with these cartridges)

Most of the rifles going out the doors at the 2 gun shows I attended this month were older lever actions chambered to a variety of cartridges. Just because they aren't being made today and sold by the manufacturers, they are not being counted in current gun sales and tracking of popular cartridges (unless new die sales are being made to support these older firearms/cartridges). Bet the manufacturers would be surprised if they tracked the online forums and firearms sales sites of used firearms at what is selling today. Not just the newest cartridges and flavours, but a lot of the common everyday cartridges (270, 308/30-06/300s, etc.), along with the "legacy" firearms and cartridges!

 

[6mm Remington]

6mm Remington!

 

[1100 Remington Man]

6mm Rem
.257 Roberts
6.5x55
7x57
.280 Rem

 

[ShadeTree]

There's plenty listed so far I can't speak to personally, and plenty of others that I can. All good cartridges. I'll add another to the list that rarely gets mentioned but is a great cartridge out to as far as can be reasonably expected to be able to shoot in normal woods and that is the 35 Remington.

A light kicker comparatively for what it offers, with plenty of raw power on the other end. With it's big soft bullet it will cleanly take care of a whole range of body weights from varying angles with 1 bullet, and not tear stuff up in the process. I doubt it will leave my lineup for as long as I'm able to hunt.

 

[George Foster]

222 Rem
6mm Rem
257 Rbts

Seems as if "Creedmoor" cartridges have taken over everything.

 

[300WSM]

Just one for sitting around the campfire. What cartridge do you think has been pushed to the side that really should be more popular?

Every cartridge not named Creedmoor

I just cringe when I read or hear that name today. It's like there's a perception out there that the only long range round ever made is a Creedmoor.
The rest just shoot around corners.

 

[KinleyWater]

There are so many fantastic cartridges out there which have been duplicated, replicated, and "modernized", yet not improved upon - 6.5x55 anyone? So, I suppose this list could go on for pages, but for me personally, the .35 Whelan and 338-06, and their .308 based counterparts; that's for bolt guns. For the levers: 38-55/ .375 Win, 35 Rem., .454 Casull, and maybe the .475 Linebaugh/ .480 Ruger. For handguns? Well, I'm partial to big bores, so I think those bases are well covered these days.

Great question, though, and a lot of fantastic answers.

 

[PJGunner]

In the past few years I've taken a great interest in the 7x57 Mauser round. Born in 1982 and is still revered by many even if not by the gun and ammo makers. Kept mild due to originally being chambered in rifles considered too weak for modern pressures, something I'm inclined to not agree with BTW, and kept downloaded in current manufacture. I use three rifles and load the cartridge using 7-08 data, something considered not done according to load manuals. Well, the cartridge shines and in fact can be loaded to a higher level that the 7-08 because of a bit more cartridge case capacity. I do agree that the old rolling block 7x57 rifles are too weak and quite a few have bad chambers in as much as the guns are marked 7x57 but the chamber is different. This comes from an article in an early American Rifleman Magazine from the 1940s IIRC. Currently, I run the 150 gr. Nosler Partition to very close to the .280 Remington factory load with the 150 gr. Core Lokt bullet and show no signs of pressure.

Speaking of the .280 Remington, that cartridge has also been cheated by Remington who insisted pressure allowed by SAAMI be kept low enough so as to not damage Remington pump and semi-auto rifles. Using .270 Win. data as a basis the .280 Rem. is a much nicer cartridge and will easily snap at the heels of the .280 Ackley Improved. Improved?
I easily run a 160 gr. Speer Grand Slam to 2909 FPS with the long discontinued WMR powder, Winchester brass and primer.

On the .257 Roberts, I have two rifles so chambered. One, a Ruger #1B is very accurate with the Norma 100 gr. load. The ammo came with the rifle when I bought it as AFAIK was discontinued quite a while back as I don't see it on Norma's site. I have exactly 106 rounds left. The other .257 Robt. is a Winchester XTR Featherweight and what little shooting I've done with it has not been promising. I just haven't found what I'm looking for with it. Only time will tell if I keep it or send it down the road.

A pox on ammo and bullet makers for discontinuing needed products. Some of us do like round nose bullets.
Paul B.

 

[salmonchaser]

Older cartridges that should be more popular today:
- 25-35 - waiting patiently for Ruger on this one!
- 250 Savage
- 257 Roberts
- 6mm Rem
- 6.5x55 Swede
- 7mm-08 - not just for youth and the ladies!
- 280 Rem
- 356/358 Win
- 375 Win
- 9.3x62
- 41 Rem Mag

Newer cartridges that should be more popular today:
- 17 Mach II
- 308 & 338 ME's
- 338 Federal
- 338-06 A Square
- 35 Whelen

Those of us who hunt at reasonable ranges understand that all of these cartridges work very well on many games species, and will continue to use and support these cartridges, keeping them alive and well, if not overly popular.

I do understand the economics of keeping them all alive in current manufacturing of rifles and ammunition, although I do believe that they should at least do a better job of keeping the components coming on a more frequent basis so that we can keep these older firearms in service (current supply chain issues and demand notwithstanding), by making runs every 5 years as originally planned and executed, not every 20 years as has seemingly become practice! And make some legacy runs of bullets dropped so we can keep some of these cartridges alive! (E.g., 45 gr Hdy Bee for the 218 Bee, 220 gr Hot Cors for the 356/358, 220 gr Hdy FP for 375/38-55, 250 gr Hdy FP for the 348, etc., as there are still many out there with rifles who love shooting and hunting with these cartridges)

Most of the rifles going out the doors at the 2 gun shows I attended this month were older lever actions chambered to a variety of cartridges. Just because they aren't being made today and sold by the manufacturers, they are not being counted in current gun sales and tracking of popular cartridges (unless new die sales are being made to support these older firearms/cartridges). Bet the manufacturers would be surprised if they tracked the online forums and firearms sales sites of used firearms at what is selling today. Not just the newest cartridges and flavours, but a lot of the common everyday cartridges (270, 308/30-06/300s, etc.), along with the "legacy" firearms and cartridges!

.25/35 was a great cartridge. Had a great/ great uncle and a grandfather kept one on their saddle every day. If they could see it they could kill it with those winchesters.

 

[HeathSexton]

.260 Remington

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

Fantastic responses guys. The 6mm rem was a standout in my safe as a cartridge that really should be more popular. The 260Rem another that has seemingly been pushed aside, yet holds a sweet spot for me and has never let me down. It seems a lot of the cartridges mentioned have the remington name :-(

 

[300WSM]

I will add something else...

A good...not mickey mouse imported.....pump action .22 lr rifles.

Some good quality pump centerfire's as well...

WTH happened there?

A rossi gallery gun is our only offering?

Is remington 572?
7600?

There might be more 760's and 7600's owned than people in my entire state of Pennsylvania

 

[300WSM]

Fantastic responses guys. The 6mm rem was a standout in my safe as a cartridge that really should be more popular. The 260Rem another that has seemingly been pushed aside, yet holds a sweet spot for me and has never let me down. It seems a lot of the cartridges mentioned have the remington name :-(

Maybe the timing was off by them?
It seems they did a lot of tail chasing to Winchester over the years...

The 223 remington
Very Popular

.243 winchester
very popular

.270 winchester
very popular

7mm remington mag
very Popular

.308 winchester
very popular

.300 win mag
very Popular

.338 win mag
Popular

.30-30 winchester
more game killed with this than anything else

.30-06 Springfield
Definitely rivals the 30-30 for most used cartridge to take game ever

The above are by far the most popular offerings owned and used by hunters

_______________________
Others that didn't catch fire

.35 remington
Definitely an advantage over the 30-30 but never caught the momentum of the 30-30

The 7-08 remimgton
Taken from winchesters 308

The 260 remington
Ultimately taken from winchester 308

280 remington??
34 years after the .270 winchester had been rolling along


The RSAUM.....again a day late and dollar short to the WSM by winchester.

The ULTRA mags stealing the thinking from the 30 hart?


Nothing malicious about Remington but it appears Winchester just did things better. Or rather, faster and filled out the usable cartridge lineup much better than Remington

Just my .02 of good old cash

 

[HeathSexton]

Fantastic responses guys. The 6mm rem was a standout in my safe as a cartridge that really should be more popular. The 260Rem another that has seemingly been pushed aside, yet holds a sweet spot for me and has never let me down. It seems a lot of the cartridges mentioned have the remington name :-(

My .260 Remington would be the last I would let go of. I’m still mad I didn’t buy one of the ADL .260’s when they rereleased them with the 8 twist.


Another one that I really enjoy is the .358 Winchester.