Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Retro/Obsolete Cartridges

Does anyone here like to use cartridges that are considered "obsolete" or "retro"? I don't consider the 30-06 or 270 in this catagory, even though they are old. Mostly because they are still very popular and standard. I'm looking for odd-ball cartridges. I haven't gotten into retro yet, but I'm really leaning that way. Just to be different. Here are some cartridges I've been thinking about: 6mm Rem, 257 Bob, 6.5x55 and 7x57.

I have two .250-3000s (Ruger Ultralight with tang safety and a Model 54), a .257 Roberts, a 7x57 and a .222 (much nicer than the .223). Also a .35 Whelen. Also a .280 and a .30-06. All are good rounds. I do have a very soft spot for the old .250-3000. Mine get used on pigs, foxes, crows and the odd fallow deer. You wont find any short, super short or ultra magnums in my gun safe. Not when the old classics still work ok. I also drive an old truck and live in an old house.

Thank you very much.

The closest I come is 7.62X54R. We have a couple of Mosin Nagants in the inventory. They're really not bad for deer rifles. I slugged both mine and they take 308 bullets. I have a 30-30 level "Yute" load for Angus, a 308 Win level load for Moose, and I split the diff with a 300 Savage-esqe load for myself.

I sawed off an inch or so of stock on an M44 and made a Yute gun for Angus. I'll keep adding material back under a slip-on shoulder pad until he gets big enough.

My plan is that after Angus grows out of needing a Yute gun, I'll take the bubba-up stock, and spray bed liner on it and turn it into an all-weather back-up deer rifle. The stock can be adjusted so that it will fit any number of layers.

We also have a Model 91/30 that handles somewhat like a KY Long Rifle-- monstrously long barrel. It's biggest problem is that there is massive vertical stringing as the barrel heats up. Shooting it is a bit of a novelty.

38-55 out of and old old Win94.

Whatchu need a whiz bang for? Just wait or get closer.

BCR

I got a 6mm, 350 rem mag, 35 whelen, and a 264 win man.

My 45-70 Ruger would probably be considered retro. Also have an 06 and 450 Marlin. The 450 will be going away.

Never quit using my 6mm Remington, even though my youngest son somehow seems to think it belongs to him now... Nice cartridge for varmints - mule deer. Much like the .243 Win performance.

Also have used the .45/70 a bit from a Marlin lever gun. Lots of fun, makes big holes all the way through stuff. Kind of a kick, loading 300 - 425 gr bullets...

.30-30, 45-70.

For deer I use a 300 grain bullet in a loading that emulates the trajectory of the .30-30. I really like that big round.

Nothing here I feel obsolete . .32 special , .35 rem . 38-55 , 32-20, .222 rem. Critters don't read gun rags so they still fall when holes are punched through them even with calibers that have been around for a few years.

Edit to add : the triple 2 isn't one I grab for deer , but if it was all I had and the right bullet ...

250 Savage, 300 Savage, 284 win...and 30-30 (which is starting to look obsolete) all had field-time in 2008

250 Savage

I prefer the term retro.



Mike

Yes. 6mm Rem, 6.5 x 55, and a 45-70. The other neat thing is one can walk into a store and find brass and bullets for these still on the shelf. I stocked up on slugs and 100 rds of brass for the 6.5 this past Sunday.

I could do all the hunting that I would ever care to do with a 300 Savage, 7X57, 222 Rem., and a 16ga shotgun.

I have a 22-250,257Roberts,264 Win Mag, 300 Win Mag, 338-06 and a 450 Marlin for hunting. The 257 is my favorite in a stainless mannlicher stocked Ruger M77 MKII.

Robert

The 256 Newton was ahead of its time and must be close to the perfect case capacity for a 6.5mm/.264" bore medium game cartridge.

Jeff

32 WS doesn't suck...

.45-70; 6.5X55 (2); .222; don't really consider them retro, maybe I'm just old. .303 Savage and .22 HiPower, yeah, they're kinda retro. Most of my shotguns are 16 gauge, but again, that's not retro, just good sense in a bird gun.

I have used at various times the 25-20, 32-20, 38-40, 38-55, 45-70, 30-30, 32 Special, 35 Remington, 250 Savage, 300 Savage and some others I am forgetting. In fact, I rarely use any cartridge designed less than 80 years ago it seems. I have no need for belted magnums or short magnums etc.

I have a 348 Win and 358 Win...a 35 Rem too but that's still fairly popular. The 358 Win seems to be making somewhat of a comeback, it's a great underrated round.

I kilt my deer again this year, flat top, meat, with the 110 Sharps. Black powder ofcourse. Iron sights, which I think is still a challenge. Darned if I didn`t have a hard time picking her out in the bush. Dead real quick.