It may have been something Remington came up with to take a run at the Sharps 45 2 7/8 cartridge. Those long straight cases don't work particularly well in a roller. Guessing they used 50 2.5 cases for the base. Given the time frame it supposedly was trotted out was at the end of the "creedmoor" era, the country was still in a deep depression, so money was scarce and long range shooting was just to much expense for the average shooter. That's why Schuetzen became so popular, smaller cases, smaller bullets and less powder. Plus the shorter ranges were easier to keep around than the longer distances.
