Do we need more new "Factory" cartridges?

[Ivan the Butcher]

Or can we get along with what we have and all the wildcats?

One of America's favorite varmint cartridges is the 22-250 Remington. It was originally a Wildcat, the 22 Varminter. It became so popular that Remington standardized the chamber and loading.

That is natural selection! Not like Winchester, dumping the Short Winchester Mags, on us. Now everyone has found that there was no advantage to the "Fat Pigs" except Winchester sold some extra rifles so everyone could find out for themselves! Of course, the gun writers got to make a living telling us how great these new whiz bang rounds are. (Like most advertising people, "Lying with a smile on their face", has become their way of life!)

So now days, 6mm as well a 30 cal are getting the New and improved treatment. 10-20 years ago, it was 7mm. I remember the 20 and 17 fad. there was a 14 and 19 fad too, but nobody fell for those.

Tell us how you really feel!

Ivan

 

[sigp220.45]

Its on their dime, not mine, so the more the merrier.

They are always going to be trying out new stuff to see if it takes off. I bought a pair of .260 Remingtons when they came out and I love them.

I just don't get the harrumphing when a new round comes out. People will trot out the idiotic "answer to a question nobody asked" line, despite the fact somebody asked it somewhere. Please folks, give that one a rest.

Arguably all you need is a Model 10, a 10/22, a Remington 870, and a bolt action 30/06. But what fun is that?

 

[CH4]

To my mind, there haven't been any "needed" new cartridges since about 1955, many would argue 1925 or earlier. However, many since 55 are very cool, 280 Rem, 358 Win, etc.

 

[pharmer]

......Arguably all you need is a Model 10, a 10/22, a Remington 870, and a bolt action 30/06. But what fun is that?

.308 instead of '06 and all bases covered. Should be standard issue to all Americans on their 18th birthday. Joe

 

[rockquarry]

I've worked with a lot of cartridges (only about ten handgun chamberings) over the last fifty-five or so years including many wildcats. Enjoyable and interesting work doing load development for all of them until you one day come to the realization that there are so many duplicate and overlapping cartridges.

Yet it's hard to put a practical perspective on all this. It's fun and keeps boredom in check when you hunt with a 7x61 Sharpe & Hart Magnum instead of a dull 7mm Remington Magnum despite the two cartridges being ballistically identical.

 

[murphydog]

Just replace the word "need" in your thread title with "want", or better still "seek", and that probably tells why the factories keep making new chamberings.

 

[Peak53]

Arguably all you need is a Model 10, a 10/22, a Remington 870, and a bolt action 30/06. But what fun is that?

Wow! I've got that, so I guess I'm good to go Only except the 10/22 is a Marlin 39 which is more better in its own way. Gotta go make dinner now.

 

[venomballistics]

About the only hole in the spectrum is a rimless centerfire between 25 and 32 cal in about the 1200 - 1700 fps range.
There's been a few tries, usually squandered in some pistol.
Essentially, it'd fill the role of the 22LR, but be reloadable and cast lead friendly

 

[Nevada Ed]

I must old fashioned since my favorite rifles to shoot are the
little .22
bigger 22/250
bigger 270
and last but not least, my old
1903 custom 30-06 rifle, with scope or iron peep sights.

However a 6mm or 7mm is nice if you have them.

 

[twodog max]

I bought a 270 WSM on a spur of the moment and soon found out it was mostly a big nothing over the standard 270. I like to have never got a fool to relieve me of that turkey. Glad it is gone.
I feel the same way about most of these new introductions. The 6.5 Creedmore is a prime example. It will not do one thing better than the 6.5X55 Mauser or the 260 Remington. It has just gotten loads of hyped up press. Nothing wrong with it but nothing new either.

 

[pantannojack]

I experimented with a 7mm Rem Mag, just to see for myself, if it was, or could be, better than a 30-06. I decided: Yes, at the camp fire. Otherwise: No, because of the exaggerated muzzle blast, the bbl heat, the shorter bbl life, the short brass life... If ya can't be happy with what puts meat in the freezer than don't complain about engineering. Also, how can it be that I won the leg match at phoenix 2001 using a M1A, 7.62 over all the other Matty Mattel black guns?

 

[Panhandler80]

Bought (actually gifted) a 270wsm in about 2005 and honestly I have found it to be a great gun.

 

[vonn]

Never met a rifle that I didn't enjoy shooting. Have shot some that I decided I didn't want to fire again after feeling the recoil. Variety is good.

 

[Goldstar225]

If the manufacturers didn't come out with "new and improved" cartridges occasionally they would go broke. Gotta give people a reason to spend their money on something even if it duplicates the performance of an existing cartridge.

 

[4barrel]

I am in the 22-250 -308-223-270 crowd. You can get supplies everywhere.<except primers>The administration put a halt to primer imports several years ago. I have never owned a 270 but I visited a small town in Missouri close to Jeff city during deer season and drove around and everyone had a deer hanging in their front yard. We had a social meeting that night <mayor and all>

and all the deer were killed with 270's. Maybe it was a city ordinance. AND 30-06- If you went to dcm meets you could shoot 147 grain for free. You could buy a container 260 rounds fmj in clips for $50 and it set on the shelf. I bought some and didn't even have an 06.

 

[Rpg]

I've killed big game with a 270, a 308, a 30-06, a 30-40 Kraig and a 350 Remington Magnum. After all, that's what they're for.

They all work just fine. I can't imagine how their performance could be improved in the field.

Seems like the industry markets new cartridges to sell new guns. Since precious few buyers actually use their rifles on game, they're limited to bragging on their new gun at the range. That's where trivial ballistic differences come into their own: marketing new guns.

A significant portion of the market for new cartridges is shooters with little or no experience actually using ANY cartridge in the field. These folks form their opinions on those trivial differences in ballistic table velocity (and energy). The thing these folks miss is that these ballistic differences aren't noticeable in the field.

Of course, the industry motivation for new cartridges is increasing sales of guns: need a new gun to shoot the new cartridges.

 

[78bagger]

Good grief! Take a deep breath. For one thing some of us don't hunt anymore and prefer benchrest for it's own sake. It's a different sport where the trivial is what it's about. The rifles we use are not what I would hunt with. Although I'm always looking for a nice Winchester 70 Featherweight in .308

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The only reason I have a few different cartridges is the fact I like the rifles. Example, 45-70 levergun and a Trapdoor. THE 303 British because I like the Enfield. There are a few others but I think I made the point.

I like the 38/357, 12 GA shotgun, 22lr guns of all types and the 30-06.

 

[Sevens]

"Need" ?! What means this odd term?

We're talking gun stuff, yes? Unless we are discussing oxygen, food, water or sleep, let's leave the off-topic and silly words like "need" out of the conversation.

 

[ProCarryNAustin]

Do we really need people to tell us what we really need?

I like the variety. In fact, diversity of caliber has served me well during ammo shortages.