What about the old classics?

[1899]

Well it seems that a new era is here (welcome to last year!) with the ubiquitous WSMs, Ruger's offerings and to a lesser extent the RSAUM. What about the oldies? The ones that were suitable in days gone by but are now overshadowed by the new offerings. Some of these oldies are still chambered, but they are few and far between.

I'm talking about the following (and others that I probably missed):

.250-3000
.257 Roberts
6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer
6.5x55
7x57
.300 Savage
.303 British
.30-40 Krag
.300 H&H
.35 Remington


Do you like and use any of these older cartridges? IMO many of them offer all we need and have mild recoil to boot. Some like the .35 Whelen and the 9.3x62 seem to be enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

I am curious if the younger generation enjoys and uses these cartridges, or is it, for the most part, those that have been around for a while.

 

[Ormachek]

I'm 25 and shoot 6.5x55 and only just recently stopped hunting with my .303

 

[6.5x55swm]

6.5x55mm and .35 rem . and .222rem thats all i use for everything

 

[mmattockx]

I'm carrying a 6.5x55 for my first ever deer hunt in a couple of weeks.

Mark

 

[220Swifty]

I own a swede but the rifle it is in isn't quite the hunting rifle i desire.

I do have interest in classics like the 300 h&h, the 250-3000, and the 257 bob. I also have my eyes on a nice little ruger 77 in the 7x57. I missed the first deer i shot at with that round, and now i need to make that right.

 

[GeoTrekr]

I'm 25 and have a .223 and .30-06.

I know the .223 is a fairly recent invention, but the old .30-06 is a classic cartridge that works fine for me, and is conspicuously absent in your list .



Once a rifle manufacturer or more importantly, the ammunition manufacturers discontinue production of a certain chambering or cartridge, that moment marks a significant blow to the future of that chambering, as not everyone is a reloader, and certainly most beginners do not reload either.

A lot of the classics are going strong because their existence is justified. Most times, an older cartridge is replaced when several genuine advantages are gleaned in a new but similar design. Most "flavour-of-the-week" cartridges die off quickly because they are only 100fps faster than an existing and more popular design, and similar in every other way.

The only reason a beginner might use an older and possibly inferior cartridge no longer in popular use would be for nostalgic reasons, or because the first gun they were given to use was chambered in such a cartridge. A beginner like myself starting from the ground up with no family history of firearms has no such attachments.

For better or for worse, availability of factory ammunition was a primary reason for my choices.

 

[catnthehatt]

.303 Brit, 577/450 Martini Henry, .577 Snider, 6.5X55 Swede, brass cased 12 and 16 gauge for my original cartridge shotguns.
Yup, I'd say I like "old stuff" !
Cat

 

[Fassteel]

Well I have a few of the ones you listed, 6.5x55,7x57, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 257 AI. 222, 22 Hornet. My 7x57 is as fine a shooting rifle as a guy could ever hope to own. FS

 

[Kano]

I have a .250-3000

 

[gunrunner100]

Well, I'm one of the older folks, so one would expect to see some of these in my vault-
6.5x54 MS
6.5x55
7x57
303 Brit

 

[bogie]

Looking for a 300 currently and talking to a guy about it. Currently shoot 30-06,308, and more recently 38-55. About to learn to load cast for that old girl. 110yrs old-made in 1900 and looks and shoots like a 30yr old rifle. Love my 223 as well though and load for all of them. I would also like a newer(better twist rate) 250-3000 to load too. Lots of brass at the gun shows and I can get my hands on lots of Savage brass right now. Man am I glad I learned to reload. No going back now....

 

[Applefarmer]

30-30 and 303, haven't had a 6.5 swede for some time, need another.

 

[jimmyjazz]

Some great choices I here's my list -
- 22 LR
- 7X57
- 30-30
- 30-06
- 300 H&H
- 375 H&H

Looking for 222, 257 Roberts and that should cover me.

JJ

 

[kevin.303]

25 and my favourite hunting guns are .358 Norma Mag and the 6.5x54, got a .30-40 Krag i fiddle with and have been lusting for a .25-20 for years.

 

[Johnn Peterson]

I don't think I've ever come across a caliber, new or old, that I really didn't like but I admit, I do tend to favour some of the older 'classics'. Being from the premetric era, some in that 'category' that I have tucked away in my gun safe are;
- 22LR in a BSA Martini
- 221 Fireball in a Remington XP-100
- 219 Donaldson Wasp in an old custom Winchester High Wall
- 7x57R in a Brno OU
- 7x61 S&H in a Schultz & Larsen
- 30-06 in a Husqvarna Feather Weight
- 303Br. in a pair of Jungle Carbines
- 308 Norma Magnum in a Schultz & Larsen
- 348WCF in a model 71 Winchester
- 45-70 in an Marlin 1895GS

 

[PGM449]

I have several
303 british
30/30
30/06
and one "new" kid 7mm mag
303 is my favorite tho

 

[Jimbobob08]

23years old, 30-30 and 6.5 swede cover my hunting needs

 

[bigbull]

I have used all of these and still own most.

.250-3000
6.5x55
7x57
.300 Savage
.303 British
.35 Remington
350 Rem.Mag
222 Rem.
6x47
220 Swift
8x57
32-40
30-30
22 R Lovell

 

[Noel]

I'm talking about the following (and others that I probably missed):

.250-3000
.257 Roberts
6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer
6.5x55
7x57
.300 Savage
.303 British
.30-40 Krag
.300 H&H
.35 Remington


Do you like and use any of these older cartridges?

Me likes. These ones too! Used all but the 32 so far in season. Wish I had the time to play with a 6,5 and a 10,75 too.

25 Rem
32-20
9,3x57
41 Swiss

 

[Workin Man]

I have rifles in 303brit, 9.3x57 and 45-70. The rifle that gets to go hunting the most however is chambered in 7mm Rem Mag.

Jim