"Best" parent cartridge/family of cartridges
- Thread starter 1899
- Start date
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
kombi1976 said:
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
30-06 family. Bar none.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
My heart belongs to God's chosen cartridge, the 338WM. But, the 30-06 line is most popular by far.
I went with the reliable 30.06 line.They will always be the most popular.Most every hunter has a rifle chamberd from this family.
I think the short mag is just a passing fancy that will fade out when the next new big thing comes along.And it will.
I think the short mag is just a passing fancy that will fade out when the next new big thing comes along.And it will.
"Best" parent cartridge/family of cartridges. I define best as most versatile.
I go with "Other". All the cartridges listed are good, but I choose the RUM family (which is based on the 404 Jeffrey, with slightly larger base, less taper, and a rebated rim). Technically my choice is really the 404 Jeffrey, but try to find inexpensive and readily available brass for it, and a bolthead that will feed it, then you will want to blow out the taper, etc. Just use RUM brass.
From a 300 RUM, you can:
a. adjust it for capacities from between about 50-115 grs (try that with any of the others)
b. achieve the same capacity as all the others with less length for a shorter action
c. short and fat is more efficient and some say more accurate (see b.). Save powder and recoil.
d. forget about the useless belt, although I concede that for bores greater than about .416 it is a plus, even a must
I go with "Other". All the cartridges listed are good, but I choose the RUM family (which is based on the 404 Jeffrey, with slightly larger base, less taper, and a rebated rim). Technically my choice is really the 404 Jeffrey, but try to find inexpensive and readily available brass for it, and a bolthead that will feed it, then you will want to blow out the taper, etc. Just use RUM brass.
From a 300 RUM, you can:
a. adjust it for capacities from between about 50-115 grs (try that with any of the others)
b. achieve the same capacity as all the others with less length for a shorter action
c. short and fat is more efficient and some say more accurate (see b.). Save powder and recoil.
d. forget about the useless belt, although I concede that for bores greater than about .416 it is a plus, even a must
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Having said that, of the new magnums, the RUM may be the first to die.
Maybe not, but I maintain that the origins of the 30-06 lie in the 7x57, mainly due to the Spanish American War.catnthehatt said:
In fact, the US Govt ended up paying Mauser huge fines and patent dues after WW1 because they broke patents.
I bet you could form 308 from 7x57 with a lot of monkeying around though. :wink:
Shorten to 51mm, neck to 308 with appropriate shoulder and then fireform...... :twisted:
Well, cat, although I've long extended this topic with you in PMs I thought I'd add this info for other interested parties.catnthehatt said:
There were some improved 303s here but they didn't ever become established and Epps is virtually unheard-off here.
There were a wide range of 303 wildcats used here, with 303/25 and 303/270 being the predominant cartridges.
However, these 2 really rose above the wildcat tag, at least in Australia, as they were produced as factory rounds by companies like The Super Cartridge Company and Riverbrand Ammunition.
There are still boxes of of Super ammo in 303/25 available at gun shows and in people's old stashes and I've even heard of the odd box of 303/270.
Even cooler......they're actually headstamped to those rounds.
I have a considerable stock of super brass that formed the beginnings of my brass supply when I first started reloading for my 1914 ShtLE 303/25 and as I keep the loads cooler to protect the action(aka save face...literally!) the brass should last a while longer.
However, I'd really like to get my hands on some old Super cases with a 303/270 headstamp.
There were also rounds like the 303/22 Swift(not to be confused with .220 Swift) and 303/22 Sprinter(made by Sprinter Arms of Hahndorf, South Australia).
Some were a shortened case, much like the WSSM cartridges are shortened WSM cases.
I heard a story from one member of our SSAA branch who said they used to see how many sticks of cordite they could jam into a 303/22 case to make it really fly! :shock:
He then reflected that they lucky they didn't blow up the old No1 MkIII actions & that he was very young and VERY stupid back then....
There was even a cartridge called the 7.7x54 which was basically a .303 with the shoulder moved back in order to overcome a NSW state law that banned people from owning guns in military cartridges.
A Sydney gunsmith simply used to cut one entire thread off the barrel, screw it back in and headspace it.
Like most outposts of the British Empire the 303 case was necked up and necked down in almost every way imaginable but as soon as Winchester pulled out all stops to market their products here the writing was on the wall for the .303 wildcats.
You couldn't argue with the performance and the taste for serious high powered rounds had been developed in various P14, M17 and M98 customs built to maximise the capabilities of the .303 wildcats, which of course seemed mere pretenders compared to the 270, 243 and 30-06.
Today only the 303/25 remains a reasonably well know round and it really is just a cult classic among older shooters.
IMHO the best all-round caliber for North America didn't even make the list! I vote for .300 H&H. It feeds VERY reliably from Remington Long actions with that gracefully tapered case, and can be loaded anywhere from .308 levels up to .300 Win Mag levels with ease. .30 has BY FAR the biggest variety of available bullets to use and the H&H round is known for long range benchrest accuracy as well as grizzly stopping short range power.
I guess the closest is .375 H&H family... :roll:
I guess the closest is .375 H&H family... :roll:
