Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The Most American Cartridge

jwall:
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope this finds you and yours well, warm and dry on this second last Saturday of February.

While it's most likely breaking several written and unwritten 'Fire rules, I have indeed read all the posts in this thread and have what I believe is a slightly different take on a few of the origins of the cartridges mentioned. Please understand as well that I'm not a professional historian, more like a serious student of it and all things arms related along with that.

Great Britain adopted the .303 British in 1888 and since they were at that time the "empire whereupon the sun did not set" they got to use it in many far flung corners of the globe. As was common practice in those times, US military observers were present at a few of the dust ups, went home and made reports on same and that gave input into the US developing a repeating rifle for it's military.

One doesn't have to look very long at a .30-40 Krag cartridge beside a .303 British to see the lineage - or at very least admit the similarity.

Of special note I would say would be the Spanish American war of 1898 and the Boer Wars beginning in 1899 where both armies found the rimmed cases of the .30-40 Krag - for the US troops that had one and still didn't have a .45-70 Springfield - and the .303 British came up lacking when compared to the 7x57 Mauser cartridge which the Spanish and Boers used in 1895 Mausers with deadly effect.

The British were in the throws of developing their own 7mm cartridge with a more Mauser than not Enfield rifle and the US lengthened and blew out the 7x57 in order to keep the same diameter bullet as the .30-40 had, but in the 1903 Springfield which again was Mauser if you said it fast, more or less...

When WW1 broke out the British abandoned the experimental cartridge and eventually the Enfield Pattern 14 as well, but the US of course had the powerful, albeit a bit long .30-06 up and running and the rest is history.

Therefore - I'd say that to answer your question, I'd likely nominate either of the .45 military rounds - .45-70/.45 LC as most American martial round or as Brad noted the .270 Winchester for a sporting round as it wasn't really something seen elsewhere.

As always, it's just a few random thoughts from a Canuck and nothing more sir, but thanks for generating some interesting opinions on this thread.

All the best to you and yours as the days get longer.

Dwayne

30-06

Pros:

Can use heavier bullets
Velocity is slightly higher due to more powder capacity
Many reloading options with larger shell casing and wider range of bullet weights

Cons:

Needs a long action rifle
Rifles are slightly heavier
Fewer options in semi-auto rifles
Less accurate at longer ranges
Ammunition is more expensive
Costs more to reload



308

Pros:

Fits in short action rifles
Rifles can be made lighter due to shorter cartridge length
There are many more options in semi-auto rifles chambered in .308
Slightly more accurate at long ranges
Factory ammunition is less expensive
Cheaper to reload


Cons:

Cannot use heavier bullets
Lower powder capacity


Conclusion:


The argument of the .308 vs .30-06 has been raging for decades and is still a hot topic on some shooting and hunting forums. For the most part, it’s guys and gals just sticking up for their cartridge of choice. The reality is, when looking at factory loads of the two cartridges, is that they are much more similar than they are different. From our research, there is nothing that jumps out at us to choose one of the other. And you know what the greatest part of all of it is?

You can have both.

If you have to decide between the two, so be it, but if you can, get some experience with both. They are great cartridges, and there is a reason they have been a mainstay in the shooting and hunting world for decades with no end in sight.

Define "The Most American Cartridge".

30-06

Afternoon Dwayne.

Thanks for your post and qualifiers.

In the op which you quoted I said we are privileged to have MANY cartridges that are particular to America.

I chose and said, IMO, the 30-06 is the most American IN RELATIONSHIP to it use over the years in BOTH W Ws
and Korea. AND on top of all that it became not only an American hunting cartridge but is/has been hunted around the world.

Later someone mentioned the 45 Colt that I had not thot of and it certainly deserves consideration.


As I closed the OP I also said, "What do you think would be the Most American Cartridge?"
There really is NO wrong answer, but IMO some suggestions range far from the original idea.

All of us are entitled to our OWN opinion.
Thanks again and I hope you and we all have a GREAT year playing & hunting with our CHOICE of weapons.

Jerry

I read your longer answer & reasons.

Since there is NO wrong answer, you’re good.

ATST, I like my answer better. LOL. LOL

Thnx

Jerry

Elmer Keith verifies everything you said in Sixguns by Keith.

I didn't know Keith had a six gun book, but it just got ordered on Amazon. Thanks for the heads up. I teach a class about the western frontier on film, so we talk a lot about fact vs. fiction vs. myth in the Old West.

It's a good book. You'll like it. He clears up a lot of misconceptions.

Since we are a nation of immigrants, this only stands to reason.

jwall;
Good evening to you sir, thanks for the reply and further thoughts on the matter, I appreciate both for sure.

Honestly when answering I was being a tad on the side of devil's advocate as for years I personally hunted with an '06 so am fully aware of it's capabilities as a hunting round. Here in BC, I've taken black bear, sheep, mulie and whitetail bucks with it as well as helped cut and wrap moose who died in front of an '06. In Africa I was witness to game as large as a decent cape buffalo bull and a good sized zebra stallion taken with a single .30-06 round each too.

I'd also opine that if one was going to travel the backwaters of the world, one would be able to scrounge up ammo for a .30-06 in a sporting goods store or outfitter's tool box more than any other given round.

Truly local favorites might be in the backwater stores too, so when I was a kid in very rural Saskatchewan one would find .30-30, .303 British and .30-06 - as well as Imperial branded .22 rimfire if they had any ammo for sale at all.

When in Kenya in 1975, the chap we were visiting used a .30-06 for most hunting and shot his .458 less both because of the cost and availability of good ammo - which had to be factory ammo then by the way.

Anyway that's just a couple examples from a Canuck who paid attention to such things since I was able to read. Funny how we don't always change that much over half a century is it not?

Thanks again for the thread and all the best to you folks once again sir.

Dwayne

5.56

^^^^^^^^ is on P 11

I’m wondering now how many times you’ve entered. ??

Jerry

You know sharps that you CAN make 8X57 cases from 06

You CAN NOT make an 06 case from 8X57.

Think about it.

Jerry

5.56

Really !, I'd never have guessed ! LOL


Jerry

Yes sir, I am fully aware of that and it holds no significance for me. What'd I do...get my mind in front of my fingers again and get it backwards? One of them is slowing down, maybe/probably both!

Rifle: 30-06 or 308
Pistol: 45acp
All around: 22lr

excellent answer ! AGREE X2