Favorite forgotten cartridges making a comeback

fugawi

fugawi

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I've really taken to the .358 Winchester as a short range bush buster for moose and deer. Plus I'm getting into the .350 Rem Mag and have been 'schooled' on the merits of the .35 Whelen.

Would like to hear from other 'nutters about their favorite forgotten cartridges. What are their merits,your favorite loads and bullets, where to buy, etc.

I know some cartridges have had a bad reputation but that might have been in the past before better bullet designs came along or better powders. I've heard something to that effect about the Remington triple four for the Marlin levers.

So let 'em rip...
 
One of my very favorite ' forgotten ' cartridges is the 256 Newton.
Brass is very easy to make from 270 or 30-06 and performance-wise it falls between a 6.5X55 and a 264 Win. Mag.
Bill Leeper did mine up on a '50s vintage Mod. 70 and its an excellent shooting rifle.
I think the 256 Newton has not been a factory cartridge since the mid-1930s so its a handloaders proposition, however it is still a fine cartridge..
 
250-3000 aka 250 Savage. Still is a better choice as a dual purpose cartridge than a .243 or 6 mm because of it's ability to shoot heavier bullets.

2012hunting_005.JPG
 
Gotta say these last couple years with the M98 Husqvarna 9.3x57 "potato thrower" have been most entertaining.
Imagine ... a 10 pin bowling ball going just slightly faster than the naked eye can follow ....
With this new 286 grain NOE mold, will soon be knocking over imaginary Mastedon's for next-to-free. :)
 
vviking said:
Gotta say these last couple years with the M98 Husqvarna 9.3x57 "potato thrower" have been most entertaining.
Imagine ... a 10 pin bowling ball going just slightly faster than the naked eye can follow ....
With this new 286 grain NOE mold, will soon be knocking over imaginary Mastedon's for next-to-free. :)
Click to expand...

X2 love my 96 9.3x57 knocks moose down good too
 
Another vote for the 250 Savage, though mine is currently being built on a LH Model 700- hardly a rare platform with any sort of a rich and storied history lol.

I am also having an affair with a couple of .35 Whelens, so better give them a mention. Sadly, both are also built on LH 700 actions...
 
.300 savage for me. Have a 99 savage in the caliber. Just about ready to start some load development for her. Nice to see Hornady loading it in factory ammo but I think they should have opted for another propellent in lieu of the superformance. Mine shoots it so so but the increase in recoil is quite noticeable.
 
I think the 444 Marlin has suffered due to the popularity and offerings of the 45-70. But with the bullets available today it is a great mid range brush cartridge.
 
My absolute favorite is the .32-40 Winchester. Very fine old target number that is sweet to load and fun to shoot. Brass is readily available from Winchester and there a decent selection of molds out there for cast boolits.

I built up this No.4 Lee Enfield in .32-40 as a squirrel bomber and plinker and set 'er up as a switch-barrel unit so as to add a second barrel in .25-35 Winchester....My second most favorite old cartridge.:)
View attachment 18330
 
Ive gone back to my old 250 savage and 257 Roberts, Both are a great deer cartridge and are overlooked for 6mm cartridges which I don't feel are as good of a big game cartridge. My latest is a 350 rem mag, Like all 35s its not popular and probably should be.
 
9.3x62 (Wagner) is enjoying it's well earned 2'nd honeymoon hereabouts in CGN land.
And deservedly so.

It, and 6.5x55 take care of everything I've ever wanted to do with a rifle.

There are so many fun cals. out there to play with, but as a handloader, these two would be the last that i'd ever give up.
 
Well the one that I first think of is the Old .270 Winchester, :D
For a while there I thought things were forgotten, although I seem to hear a lot more buzz about .270s down here in Straya in more recent times, aswell as picking up murmurs along the CGN forums.



But on a more serious note, the .375 Winchester, although doesn't really fit the bill for the thread, is one I like to tinker, shoot an hunt with quite regularly.

Cheers


WL
 
I currently shoot a 257Roberts and a 358Win. A few gunnutz might like these old chamberings here on CGN and elsewhere on the interweb, but I don't think that gets them "comeback" status.

When I see gunmakers offering these again and ammo at CDN Tire, it's a comeback.
 
The 25 and 35 are popular votes in this thread. I'd love to get all the 25 myself
25/20
25/35
250 savage
Have a 25/06
257 wby

The ones that I see making a comeback are the big bores. 450/400. 458 wm is showing up a bit to.
The 264 wm is getting some press now to.

Hornady has been awesome at bringing back oldies. I don't think any will come back like the 45/70 but hopefully none will die
 
SuperCub said:
I currently shoot a 257Roberts and a 358Win. A few gunnutz might like these old chamberings here on CGN and elsewhere on the interweb, but I don't think that gets them "comeback" status.

When I see gunmakers offering these again and ammo at CDN Tire, it's a comeback.
Click to expand...

I picked up a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 358 winchester and it came with some Hornady factory ammo, I doubt that it came from Canadian Tire but I have seen it at other independent gun shops. I am thinking of getting the old Ruger M77 in 257 Roberts (tang safety and used) from a local shop, I just have to find a way to justify it to my wife since I just brought home a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in 357, ordered some leather and dies, well you know, maybe get her a spa treatment or two and that will smooth it over no trouble.

I also run a 6.5X55 swede and a 284 winchester in my target rifles, and shoot a 28 or 16 gauge shotgun over my pointing dogs. I tend to like the less mainstream stuff, just the way I roll I guess.
 
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SHELL SHUCKER said:
My absolute favorite is the .32-40 Winchester. Very fine old target number that is sweet to load and fun to shoot. Brass is readily available from Winchester and there a decent selection of molds out there for cast boolits.

I built up this No.4 Lee Enfield in .32-40 as a squirrel bomber and plinker and set 'er up as a switch-barrel unit so as to add a second barrel in .25-35 Winchester....My second most favorite old cartridge.:)
View attachment 18330
Click to expand...

Got to hand it to you, that is the most unusual rifle/chambering combo I have heard. I have an old 1894 in .32/40, fun to shoot but I never would have come up with a Lee Enfield in .32/40.
 
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