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Shaman-
I appreciate your dissertation that my query somehow prompted.
I suspect that as a spiteful response to the 270, a 256 Newton would have exceeded the 270. Based on a slightly modified 30-06 case, Newton's cartridge was introduced about the same time (1913) that the 270's long gestation began. At true 6.5mm cartridge, it's what the 270 wants to be when it grows up and loses 0.013" of baby fat. Admittedly, because one can't buy cartridges for the Newton at the local Mart, it's not quite as practical as the 270.
I'm uncertain what role practicality may play in a shamanesque environment.
--Bob
What role? I would say as little as possible. I once had a college professor who had "Through Absurdity, Truth." written in Latin up on the wall of his office. One of the chief purposes of the shaman is to do just that.
Or as one of my colleagues once said: "I provide comfort to the disquieted, while disquieting the comfortable." The trick is to stay on that ragged edge; you don't want them putting you on IGNORE, just enough to keep them tuning in to see what the crazy bugger is going to write next.
.256 Newton is rather neutral in my book, and I'm quite well disposed to 280 Remington. I suspect the 270 thing was due to reading too many magazines in the barbershop, and doing so at such an impressionable age left me with lasting scars.
They're not necessarily permanent either. I was similarly vitriolic about 308 Winchester until about 15 years ago and now a 308 WIN rifle is my favorite deer gun. I suppose if someone went back and researched it , they could find the issues of Outdoor Life that did this too me-- probably starting the summer of '64 or thereabouts.
