So did anyone else bring out a comparable cartridge at that time? I don't know myself but it would be an indicator of public demand for a small diameter high power hunting round.
Not that I know of, but there was a small hot bed of wildcatters experimenting with .22's back then. The .32-40 was a popular base case for a lot of those guys like Niedner, Mann, etc. Nothing went mainstream for another 15-20 years. Note too, all .22 experimentation in the 'teens was with .228 bullets. That was the standard for .22's until the Golden Age of .22CF's that the Hornet kicked off. The .22WCF, .22-15-60, etc. set the trend with what we think of as oversize .22 bullets starting in the late 19th century.
Savage pretty much created a demand for small caliber high velocity factory offerings all on their own. Winchester and Remington came close with their .25-35's and .25 Remingtons, but they didn't carry the panache of the Savage offerings. I mean seriously, which would you rather smack a tiger between the eyes with- a .25 Remington or a Savage .22HP?!
