Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Cartridges That Are Vanishing

Guess it just shows what an old timer I am that my most used cartridges are the 25-20WCF,38-55, 250-3000, .257 Roberts and the ol 270 gets drug out once in awhile. I have had an itch to build a 22 Hornet or 7x57 once in awhile. I've never had tag soup on account of the cartridge used, so I don't have much reason to change.

Somehow, I think both Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith would have avoided all WSM cartridges, including the 270 WSM.
Most of my larger game has been kilt with a 348 WCF or Ackley version of same. But I bring out an 1886 in 33 WCF
jest to amaze my friends and shock my enemies.


The Bolsheviks shot counterrevolutionaries. " The further away I get from Washington, D.C.-The more hope I have for the country."-Will Rogers

Several cartridges that come to mind to me when I read this post. Many of you have talked about them.

I will never understand why the WSSM cartridges were not a success (I don't know anything about the "law-suit"). I had a 25 wssm and loved it. No feeding issues whatsoever. I wish I had it back.

Another great (IMO) is the RCM cartridges. They were excellent to me. People always point to the fact that they didn't do anything the 300/338WM didn't do (YES, they did from a 20" barrell!!) 300WM from a 20" barrel will not do the same thing as a 300RCM from a 20" barrel. I have found that mostly in the hunting world lightweight short compact rifles mean NOTHING. Everybody seems to think they need a 26" barrel and a 6-24x56mm scope on a rifle that weighs 11lbs to shoot a whitetail at 100 yds. Give me a 20" 300RCM and a 2.5-8 loopy and call it a day!

Lastly, the 358 Winchester. HOW THE HECK IS THIS NOT THE MOST POPULAR BIG GAME CARTRIDGE ON EARTH? I have never once seen a box of 358 in any of the gun shops I visit and online its pretty scarce.

This thread is making me feel my age. I shoot deer with a variety of calibers (it's the spice of life don't you know) these are the 250/3000, 300 Savage, 38/55, 257R, 358, 7X57, 35 Whelen, 450/400, 300 H&H 6.5x55 ect. I'm thinking of dusting off the 270 and a 308 for next season. It's the hunting vs the shooting thats important to me.

RLH

Even tho I didn't think about it.... I've had a few 358s. That's another I never saw anyone else hunting.

Jerry

I know of no one who hunts with any of the cartridges I mentioned. Want to get some looks in deer camp? Pull a #1 out in 450/400 NE or a nice High Wall in 38/55.

I like my Ruger #1 in 405 Winchester. It was Teddy Roosevelt's lion medicine caliber of choice in a Winchester 1895 so it's good enough for me. With a couple hundred cases and 8-10 boxes of Hornady bullets plus 4 boxes of factory ammo this and my 450/400 (also a #1) can be fed for a long time to come.

I think what killed the RCMs was lack of components, and Hornady using proprietary powder, brass only available by Hornady, etc.... People were not getting, by handloads, what factory was claiming and achieving..

As for the 358, agree, and the 338 Federal should be a lot more popular than they are...