Which cartridges that were written or talked about made you want to get it?

For me it was the .22/6mm written about by John Haviland in the April 2002 issue of Handloader. I had one made on a Interarms Mark X action and it is my primary coyote rifle.

Another was the .338/378 Keith/Thompson written about by Ross Seyfried in a Guns & Ammo article. Still would like to have this one.


Craig Boddington writings about the 8mm Remington mag was another cartridge I longed for. I had an 8mm mag for a short time in a Remington 700. It had a (IIRC) a 23" barrel as the first inch was rusted or something.

For me it was a couple. 40-odd years ago after reading and re-reading Landis' ".22 Caliber Varmint Rifles" I had an urge to to acquire an R2 Lovell and/or a .219 Donaldson Wasp. I did both, in a pair of custom Winchester High Walls. I stuck with the R2 Lovell chambering in a succession of rifles (currently two- another High Wall and an '03 Springfield single shot), but the Wasp was a once-and-done proposition although I wouldn't mind another one.

Rick Jamison's articles, when he began the development of what we now know as the 300 WSM. He asked for suggestions on what to name it from his readership.I was hooked from the start. I had been longing for a cartridge to add some horsepower to my 308 loads. I wanted to keep it in a short action. Despite Jamison's issues with Winchester over it, the 300 WSM is one of two of my only magnum cartridges, the other being the 7 Weatherby.


Somewhere along the way I became interested in the 280 Remington due to Ron Spomer. When that fascination evolved to 280 AI, I sold my 280's for the two Borden 280 AI's I now have. They are Borden/Lilja barreled actions cobbled by Kampfeld Customs.

I had planned to build a .224 Texas Trophy Hunter based upon the local talk about it. But, when the .22 Creedmoor appeared my build took that side road. It is due to deliver any day now.

Layne Simpson enticed me to build a 308 XP100. I now have three awaiting said build.

Ross Seyfried did an article on the .340 Wby in G&A that made me want one. Also Craig Boddington writing about the .340 and .338 Win didn't help me much on wanting either those two cartridges.

Ross Seyfried, Craig Boddington, John Wooters articles on the .416's in the late 1980's had me lusting for those also.

i was always hoping Winchester would have made a 25 WSM instead of the 25 WSSM . i read plenty about the 35 Whelen so a rebored a rifle to 35 Whelen this year 2023 . thanks Jes Rebore Company,Pete53

7-STW

Layne Simpson's writings (and sketchy loading data) made the STW something of legendary proportions.

If you use Simpson data to load...........it kinda IS.

When I was in my magnum phase I wanted a 7mm STW because of a Layne Simpson article. Of course when the round became standardized and real pressure testing was done it wasn't as hot as initially reported. I never did anything about that want anyway.

I did wind up with a Remington 700 Classic in 300 Savage when my interest was piqued by an article in Handloader magazine.

Francis E. Sell made me want a .348. Had one, but it’s a lot of gun for skinny whitetails, so someone else has it now.

Not even gonna think about anything else until some of the ones waiting patiently here get bloodied. Anyhow, cartridges all work pretty much the same under the conditions I hunt in.

The illustrious 9.3x62. Having spent over a decade killing everything with a .375 once I read JB on the 9.3 and realized I could have the same thing in any '06 sized gun, the die was cast. The theory was proven to be correct, and now after a decade of killing with the 9.3x62 I must say it's about the wisest cartridge choice I've yet made.

Jim Carmichel was one of my favorite authors. I have not read any articles from him in quite a while. He wrote about the 280 and the 338 Win Mag. I had to have... I replaced the 338 with a 300 Weatherby. But still have 280's.

I've purchased a couple 270's after reading MD's articles on the 270 (same with the 204 and the 17 Hornet). I didn't care for JOC and I didn't have a 270 for quite a while.

I don't recall who wrote about the 350 RM, but I needed one right after reading about it. Layne Simpson? Ken Waters?

Don’t know who wrote it but as a teenager in the early 90s I read an article about the 280 in Outdoor life. Author made it sound 10 times as lethal as a 270 and I lobbied my dad HARD for one as my first bolt action. My grandfather ended up giving me a 270 a few years later and I never did scratch the itch. Perhaps a 280 AI one of these days….

Jack O'Connor, 270, 7x57 and 257R.

I wanted all of them I read about. I got most of them and found many to not be anything special. Only a few truly earn my admiration.

I bought a bunch of rifles over the years thanks to MuleDeer and the like! I remember reading an article about the 6.5x55 in particular and had to have one, got one in a matter of weeks. As a married father of three at the time, reading everything I could get my hands on and buying rifles (almost all Win 70s) was simply part of my entertainment. Eventually sold most to feed the habit of buying new and different stuff. I'm pretty sure I acquired a 7x57 thanks to MDs efforts with the pen!

7-08 and 6x45. I don't need either one but I always thought they have that "cool" factor going for them.

kwg

7x57

The 6.5-06, 7mm ultra mag, 338 Federal, 270 WSM, wanted them, because I read about them. I want a 338-06, but haven’t gotten to it yet.

I wanted a .333 OKH Belted, got one, used it a few years, foolishly sold it. It was built by Charlie O Neil. I miss that rifle. I sold an Iver Henriksen rifle at the same time but I was lucky, got it back.

I wouldn't give up on the .280 Rem. as is. For one thing, factory ammo is deliberately underloaded by the factories as Remington SAAMI to list it that way. Properly handloaded it's a horse of a different color. I've gotten 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams to 280 FPS with sub-MOA accuracy and long case life. I used IMR7828SSC and the max load from Nosler's #8 manual. I read articles by various gun writers so when I decided to build a custom rifle I went with the standard .280 rather than the AI. Barrel 24" BTW.

I'd read all the accolades for the 7x57, mostly stuff by Jack O'Connor, some by Mule Deer and others over the yeas but got my first one back in 1973. The only ammo available was Federal 175 gr. round nose so that's what I went with. I'd ordered brass and dies but that hadn't arrived in time for hunting season so went with the Federals. Got an easy shot about 8AM opening day and lost the deer. The wife and I looked until the sun went down but never found it. I found it the next day by the birds. It had traveled a lot farther than we thought. Coyotes didn't leave much. I stupidly sold the gun.

I'd heard and read comments on the .35 Whelen and what a whiz bang round it was mainly by Elmer Keith. Always thought about send a spare 06 ot for a rebore. The Remington brought it out as a factory load, again deliberately underloaded BTW at big "R's" request. Found a Ruger M77 at a gun show, bought it, found a Remington 700 Classic at another show about a month later and bought someones custom rifle at another show about six months later. It felt so good when I shouldered it that I didn't even try to dicker on the price. It's been my favorite elk slayer and is first choice when I go.
PJ

I have, or have had, a 25-06 and the 35 Whelen because of articles written by Bob Milek

Most of them….😁

It's interesting how when pressure tested data becomes available, cartridges often lose some of their luster. The same thing occurs when a new wonder powder comes on the market (for example, RE-17 being loaded to the gills in all sorts of cartridges when it came out). Suspect we will see something similar happen now with SAAMI testing of the 22 Creedmoor.

375 H&H and 458 Win. because of Peter Capstick and "Death In The Long Grass".

35 Whelen cause of Milek and Keith

7 Mashburn Super cause of Hagel and BobinNH

338 Win cause of Hagel and Keith

7 Rem Mag cause of Hagel



My list is probably alot longer, but those are the ones that jump out.

Peter used a 470 double rifle, not a 458 Winchester

I believe most of us are influenced by writers to a point, unless we jut followed family tradition passed along by family members which today is very rare.

Grew up reading Jack O'Connor, therefore the 270 and the 7X57

When I was very young there was a Field & Stream (probably) in the barbershop. Inside was a deer hunters story mentioning his "flat shooting 6mm" Rem.

Must have been twenty five years later I bought my own first deer rifle. 6mm ADL with gorgeous wood. Stock has changed but am still loving it. 243 never interested me. Silly, but there ya go.

The .444 Marlin...

Yeah, that Barsness fellow is a bad influence! His writing about the 6mm Lee-Navy cartridge & rifle got me to start bugging a buddy who has a minty one. I think I'm wearing him down.....

it's hard to find on the interweb thingy, but it is one of the first wildcats, the 35/30-30. Winchester screwed the pooch of not making the 35/30 factory rifle. i believe the 35 Remington cartridge would be in the dust bin of history, IF Winchester would have done 35/30, but they didn't.

the 35/30 ballistically comes close to the 35 Rem. where the 35/30 shines is the bullet selection, 250-280gr bullets. when i first got the 35/30, i was going to get 270-280gr WFN GC mold. but i already had a 200gr RCBS FN GC mold and no rifle in that caliber. i use 200gr RCBS FN GC and 2400/tuft of dacron going 1726fps and kills deer, 1 buck and 2 does were in my freezer. the buck was 53 yards and the 2 does were 20-30 yards away. after the shot, they will jog about 15 - 20 yards, stand there and then fall over. i could take take the bullet speed up to about 35 Rem level, but why bother. the recoil is nothing to talk about and the aperture is already set at 100 yards.

the brass, whether new or old, is easy to find. i'm told that 35 Rem dies are all that you need. i guess that whatever makes the .358" 180 to 200gr RN or FN bullets (Hornady, Speer....) still makes them? i do bullet molds and the alloy is either COWW and a smidge of tin or Lyman #2 and a smidge of tin or 10 lead and .1 or .2 lbs of tin. that is the way i was taught.

i use 35/30 CH4D dies and 30-30 Starline brass. i gave my youngest son the old 30-30 brass (Remington, Winchester, Federal...). JES Reboring does an awesome job on the rifle. i put on a Williams FP aperture sight because my eyes ain't what they once were.


shooting in the 35/30

Jack O'Connor/Finn Aagaard/Ross Seyfried/Wayne Van Zwoll/etc...

The .270 Winchester/150 gr..

No complaints.




GR

Same pretty much as everyone just never had as much money to satisfy that. I got in the habit early on of getting those guns if I could get out of them for more than the buy price. If the purchase was just going to depreciation from the get go I didn't bother to buy. Buy low, use as you want, sell high. Win/ win . Wait until you get a deal. Yes sometimes you just plain miss the boat.
Mb

.375 H&H
.450/400 NE 3"
.404 Jeffery

2 outa 3 'aint bad...

Right after college, I moved to South Texas in 1980. In need of a deer rifle, I was swayed by an article by John Wooters that his first custom rifle was to be chambered in the 7mm Express. Thus, I purchased a Remington 700 BDL in that chambering.

I always wanted a 256 Mag, just because of reading how badly it flopped in old reloading manuals when I was a kid. I never have gotten one, though.

30-06 because of Jeff Cooper and Finn Aagaard.
44 Magnum because of Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton.
45 Colt because of Ross Seyfried.
9.3x62 because of people here and at accuratereloading.com.


Okie John

I've always thought a 40mm projectile grenade and launcher would be cool.
Might have been a Tom Clancy book, not sure.

25 Copperhead, which then morphed into a 257 Kimber, and then to the 25-204 that I've been shooting for 18 yrs.

Add me to the list of people that read about the 35 Whelen growing up and got a warm fuzzy feeling. This may certify me as a looney but I secretly kinda like the lame "primitive weapons" laws here on the Gulf Coast because they really popularized the 35 Whelen (along with some other neglected big bore rounds) with a whole new group of hunters. Even though I turned in the single shot 35 Whelen for a 35 Remington because it comes a little lighter package i smile whenever I see 35 Whelen ammo on the shelf or hear other hunters talk about how much they like it.

Beyond that, the 7x57 is another I always read about and when I ended buying one to hunt with it was 175 gr RN bullets all the way. Ballistics be damned, I love the look of those big ole torpedoes!

Although I've never owned one, I read an article once on the 375/284 wildcat that really got me excited but wildcatting wasn't in this teenager's budget at the time . That interest in the 375 caliber though did lead to hunting with a couple of 375 JDJ's in a pistol and carbine configuration for awhile. With light deer appropriate bullets it was rather effective to say the least!

The 270 was my first centerfire hunting rifle, thanks to JOC. Keith hooked me on the big bores of one kind or another, as did Boddington. As a kid in the '60s I read the old Weatherby guide books and loved all things Weatherby, eventually owning rifles in about all of their cartridges. Seyfried made me want to build a 33 G&A and eventually I succumbed to Warren Page and the 7mm Mashburn.

.375 H&H - wanted one since I was in Jr. High…not disappointed! Elmer Keith and many African hunting stories.

6.5-284 Norma, wanted it when it was a “wildcat”, got it after it was a factory round, it’s supposed to be a great little varmint cartridge ……can’t prove it by me as I’ve shot it very little! ☹️

44 Magnum……Elmer Keith

memtb

Steve Timm and Ken Waters got me with their articles about putting the 221 Fireball in a rifle back in the 80s. As soon as I could afford it, my Sako L461 got a new barrel chambered in 221 Remington Fireball.

My favorite gun writer Bob Milek wrote about hunting big game with the Remington Classic in 35 Whelen. Found one, bought it, and took several Moose and one Caribou with it.

Build yourself one in a Martini Cadet. You will not be disappointed!

Mr. Keith sold me on .44 Magnum when I was a teenager, I've never regretted that. Later Skeeter & Brian Pierce convinced me of the virtues of the smaller framed .44 Specials and I don't regret that either.

My story, It was 1969 or 1970 when the 25/06 was offered in a model 700.
I read about this in Outdoor Life, and passed this info on to my favorite uncle. He was already a serious handloader/ shooter.
When he passed on it was given to me....still have it

.25-06 because of Milek.

7x57 because of Seyfried. A Ruger 1A so chambered because of Barsness.

.45 Colt because of Seyfried and Pierce.

.45-70 because of Pierce.

I think gunwriters drive a significant portion of the economy, now that I think about it…..

The original social media "influencers".

Layne Simpson got me interested in the 7mm Shooting Times Easterner. But I never followed through on it

Agreed!

Elkhunternm: In no particular order:

17 Mach2
17 HMR
17 Remington
204 Ruger
221 Remington Fireball
220 Swift
280 Remington (7m/m Express at the time)

I "used to" pay a lot of attention to what was written by gunscribes - that tendency has diminished a lot of late.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Basically all of them. It is hard to tell sometimes looking back whether I read the article because of interest or I developed interest because of an article. I'm sure that articles deepened my interest in some cartridges. (.17 Remington would be one.)

how 'bout 50 BMG M2...........?

The original 17M2 is way under rated

How 'bout a 50 M2 from Pac Nor

https://pac-nor.com/chambers/

PO Ackley made me own a Swift, tho not till many years after reading.

The Weatherby catalog made my dad get a .300 Roy. But it was Seyfried's G&A article on the M-700 in .300 Roy that forced me to buy two. Both are more accurate than the German Mk5 we still have.

Aagard's Rifleman article on the .375 H&H made me get one, if a M-700. Sold it few years later. The itch remained, but ended up with a .375 Ruger. Think Pearce had something to do with that.

This is what I've come up with so far:

.17 Mach 2—John Haviland
.17 HMR—too many to remember
.17 Hornet—P.O. Ackley
.220 Swift—Jim Carmichel
.243 Winchester—Warren Page
.250 Savage—Townsend Whelen
.25-06—Bob Milek
6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer—W.D.M. Bell
6.5x55—Finn Aagaard
.270 Winchester—Jack O’Connor
7x57 Mauser—Jack O’Connor and Finn Aagaard
7mm Shooting Times Westerner—Layne Simpson
.280 Remington—Jim Carmichel
.280 Remington Ackley Improved—Chub Eastman
.308 Winchester—John Wootters
.338 Winchester Magnum—Elmer Keith, Bob Hagel, Dave Petzal
.358 Winchester—Norm Strung
.358 Shooting Times Alaskan—Layne Simpson
9.3x62 Mauser—Chub Eastman
.375 H&H—Jack O’Connor, Finn Aagaard and many others
.416 Rigby—Robert Ruark and Harry Selby

Carmichel's OL article on the 6.5 Panther and Bobcat sent me down the .26 caliber road 25 years ago.

Jim Carmichel- .22 CHeetah

Jack O'Connor- .270 Win, 7x57

Bob Milek- .25/06

My Granddad- .30/06

BobinNH- 7mm Mashburn Magnum

I own a Marlin 1895G .45/70 thanks to the writings of Dave Petzal, among a host of other gear. Can’t say I was ever disappointed with any of it.

Last few years this joint and Mule Deer combined have been costing me money, recent 6.5 Creed fitting the OP.

Swift-Carmichel

280-carmichel

338 win mag-Carmichel

Ah ha! It was that same RS article that led me to build a 340 which for twenty years was my elk rifle. Many fond memories as I loved the cartridge and the rifle I cobbled up. And it slew elk like Sampson did Philistines.

25-06 I blame Milek - wasn’t his phrase Radar-like accuracy?

308 was directly inspired by Wooters Sako with a full stock - can’t remember the model.

300 Weatherby - Jack O’Connor - can’t remember the book but he was blowing huge chunks off of rocks?

338-06 Fin Aagard & Steve Timm/Dogzapper

340 Wby - Bob Hagel

First of only 2 blown primers in my career - Bob Hagel

Holy smokes! That was Good To Go. Laughed me butt off.

Yep, Bob liked to light 'em up!

One of the magazine editors Bob worked for during his career told me that Bob's handloads had expanded the chambers of at least a couple rifles the editor knew of.

Got to add Bob Hagel along with Ross Seyfried and Craig Boddington who lit my fire for the .340 Wby.

It took me awhile, but I finally bought a Weatherby Fibermark in .340 Wby because of that Ross article.

One I never got but was fascinated about was Bob Hagel's writing about his dad's Win M1895 in 35 Winchester. The pics, the story and the performance of the cartridge were great. Wonder what happened to that heirloom.

His wildcat 338-300wm story was interesting but seemed like a lot of work for little gain.

It was Bob fuel-the-booster Hagel 😮 that was responsible for me building a Gentry 270 Wby. Thankfully I didn’t follow up the 378 Wby, another of his favorites.

8mm rem mag

Haha.

As I typed my 340 remarks, the blown primer
came immediately back to my mind. I was just chasing some ‘practical ballistics’ looking for a ‘Game Load’ and nearly crapped my early 20’s pants. Had to add it.

Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08 - Great advertising for the Model Seven in the 1980s

250-3000 - 7X57 Mauser - 257 Roberts - Sportman's Arms and Ammunition Manual by Jack O'Connor circa 1951

308 Winchester pre 64 Model 70 Featherweight specifically because of this forum

and also the 9.3x62 because we all dream of Africa

I was also growing an interest in the 25-06 from Milek articles. Then, at the shooting range I noticed a guy with some young teens and they were all having fun shooting a 25-06. They let me shoot theirs and I noticed how light the recoil was and I wanted one for sure!

A bunch of them were talked about in ways that made them appeal to me. I got into firearms in the late 50's and early 60's (I graduatedhigh school in 65). It was a great time.

.308 Norma Magnum; This was the darling of my uncles and gun writers who bemoaned the failings, perceived or real of the .300 Winchester Magnum. It is still one of my favorites.

7x61 mm Sharpe and Hart; A girlfriend had one. her dad was a big fan and educated me. I regard mine as the equivalent of a .280AI, Maybe a bit more. It is about done though.

.35 Whelen; Most of the early 60's gun writers had a lot of good to say about it. I really liked it but I used my .338 more. A nephew has it now. It is headed to Alaska with him.

1899 .250-3000 TD - the whole package. I suppose Francis Sell should get some credit.

.32-20 H.V. in an 1892 Winchester - A gift around 1956 from my oldest sisters husband. He had used it to kill all his deer until he bought a .30-06 760 pump as a junior in high school. Elmer Keith even liked it. We lived in Foster Oregon at the time and lots deer around. Usually shot at closerange. Probably 25 yards max. I never got to use it on one though.

I have always wanted a 300 H&H.

Still have the itch but have not got it done...yet.

260 REM because of WVZ.

My Dad subscribed to Outdoor Life as he was a huge Pat McManus fan. We really couldn’t afford that subscription but my mom always renewed it without complaint. I read them cover to cover again and again. But I always read Jim Carmichel first and most. I think I’ve read every article he wrote for them. Consequently I always had a soft spot for the 280 and 338 Win Mag.

Part of that was I really liked rifles that appeared in several articles. It always made it a better read. So his Biesen 7x57, Nelson 280, and Miller 338 were favourites. Nothing was a bigger disappointment to me than seeing a “prop” rifle on a hunt. It, in a way, ruined the article for me.

As I started to buy my own magazines I read a lot of Craig Boddington. He is a lefty and so am I. The rifle I always liked to read about of his was his Webernick 300 WBY. Built on a LH SS Winchester Model 70. I wanted something similar. With its grey synthetic stock and fluted barrel it looked all business. Someday I might duplicate it in 7MM Remington Magnum or maybe a 338 Win Mag.

257 Roberts. touted by several gun writers n the late 60s. My father, shortly before his passing, bought a model 77 liberty in 1976, and I fell in love with it.

From reading the Savage forum here, .250 Savage and .300 Savage - I now have them both in Savage 99 takedowns.

Also from reading other forums here, next in the list is the .35 Whelen.

Finally - B&L 3200-4200 / Bushnell Elite 3000-4000 scopes and the Weaver K4/K6 60B scopes.

In the '70s, I used to cut Carmichael's cartridge columns out of OL, sort them and keep them in a three ring binder.

Tis how I discovered there was other than 30-06 and 30 Rem/30-30. Jim guided me to purchase my first rifle, a 22-250 in a MIJ Wea MK V deluxe Varmint master. A beautifully scaled mini action.

I learned from JC to appreciate max point blank range, and high velocity cartridges. My next new rifle was a 25-06.

Still due to JC's tutelage, I laid eyes on a box of 264 Win cartridges in 1980. I thought that was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. It took me over ten years to finally find the rifle in a local gunshop. Nobody was chambering for 264 at that time. But finally a Win 70 classic came into the LGS, and came home with me. The story would have been the same had it been a 257 Wea, which I had spied first. same/same

Layne Simpson convinced me I needed a 7MM STW. I finally found a Ruger #1 at Sportsman's.

I can not really blame anyone for my affinity for the 260. I simply liked the idea of a 120 gr 6.5mm at a moderate velocity without burning 60 gr of powder. (as in the 264) Though history shows, once again, JC was largely responsible for development of the cartridge.

I never had any exposure to Keith or JOC. JC is primarily responsible for my wayward tendencies.

The Remington Classics are nice! It’s made in 300 H&H

As a left-handed shooter, there are a few cartridges that appear to have never been made in LH models. So of course I wanted them because they were unobtainable without building it myself (still a possibility!) or stumbling across a rare custom at auction. Two that leap to mind are the 257 Roberts & the 35 Whelen. Two classic calibers that a lot of people are fond of but for the most part, right-hand only.

.338-06 - Definitely Steve Timm's article.
7mm-08 - Haviland - I'd already been using it, but his writings about his boys taking elk always provided a little reassurance about its abilities.

Honorable mention to Finn. Everything he wrote about made me want to try it.

It is possible, though I am not conscious of it.

7x30- Ken Waters
250AI- PO Ackley

About 10 years ago.....6.5CM......becuase unbiased and nonderanged people like John Barsness who actually know WTH their doing presented the facts, and they were and correct, and remain so.

I was lusting for a 7mm STW after reading Mr. Simpson’s articles and found a beater 7mm Weatherby at Marks Outdoors in Vestavia Hills, AL annual Sanford & Son gun sale to rechamber to STW. I thought I should shoot it to check the barrel before spending money on it. It shot great and factory ballistics were listed just a fuzz less than the STW. I took it to a well known gunsmith in Lynwood, WA and he was very opinionated against building STW rifles, so I scrapped the project and went on to kill several deer and elk with the MK V. I still have it and even acquired a second one. Three more Weatherby’s later, the saga continued…

A model 12R savage in 22-250. Read articles about the cartridge and gun. I purchased one and it was as good as they claimed. Still have the gun but with a 6br barrel. Shoots great. Edk

35 Whelen from hunting forums
7mm-08 from this forum
6.5 CM from this forum
280 from hunting forums

I sure would like to find a classy B-29 because of the ballistic miracles JB reported...

here is one more cartridge a read about and seen some videos on the computer a 25 Creedmoor that i call a 257 Creedmoor and it has turned to be a great unique cartridge. some of those videos were not competely true on how to load or reload this cartridge but with the help of using Widden die company dies then loading and reloading and talking with Widden employee 1st too the 257 Creedmoor has turned out to be a very fine cartridge and very accurate too.

308Norma-George Shriber. A very experienced hunter . It was the talk around the lunch table. It was special.

Skeeter Skelton and the .44 special. Have to say it’s as good as advertised

7x57

7X57....JOC
308....Largely due to Wooters
338-06...Steve Timm
25-284...this forum years ago

Perhaps with a disclaimer, that classic article needs to be in the next Gun Gack

A 257 Weatherby (specifically in a Vanguard Classic) compliments of Mr. John Barsness:)

The .270 Win based on Jack O'Connor's writings as well as the 257 Roberts. The 6.5 PRC from a magazine article.

7 STW - Layne Simpson

Right after the article came out, I sent my left hand 7mm Weatherby off to be rechambered. It came back all dikked up, so I rebarreled it with a Lilja in 7 STW. Still shot like crap. Had it pillar bedded by KDF. Still shot like crap. Sold it at huge loss. I still have a Rem 700 L/H SS in 7 STW as well as a Sako 75 SS, wood stock.

Tony

Your question is interesting.

Every cartridge I have wanted was the result of someone writing about it or telling me about it.

I too have a 22 CHeetah, MKII version from Jim Carmichel and Fred Huntington. I dont hear or read much about this figuration. Does anyone here have experience with one?

Biggest one for me was the 308 norma magnum with many more like 7mm stw ,the linebaughs both 475 then 500 257 Roberts plus others but one that I ran accross because ammo was always available during the recent shortage made me look up and read about then decided I needed to have a rebore done to the trusty 9.3x62

Writers cost me like many others alot of money but no regrets

Purchased:
.30-06 - dad, grandpa, JOC and mostly Larry Benoit.
7mmPRC - Joseph Von Benedikt, and if I'm honest, Mr. Stick.

On The List:
9.3x62 - Mule Deer.
.308 - Mule Deer.

257 roberts... mule deer
6.5x55... havilland

Everyone talks up the 35whelen and 9.3x62 so that interests me. A local person gave me a new set of Hornady 35whelan dies so I'm already kitted up for that. Trouble is I already have an 338RCM, 338win, 348win, 348 ackley imp, 375 Ruger, and 375h&h. It's one of those things where I don't "need" anything but another middle bore would be cool.

For me it was a savage 99 in .300sav from an article in pa game news.

That article has cost me allot of money over the last fifteen years

This and the 45-70. Although I can’t remember the rancher dude who wrote about taking the 45-70 to Africa.

Instead of the CHeetah, either one, I had a Savage 112 chambered for 22-243 AI. It was an interesting round. I ran 60 gr Hornadys in a 14 twist. I did not stand on it as hard as it was capable. The barrel did not last long anyway.

It shall be resurrected as a 22 Creed.

Reading Jack O Connor in the 60’s I had to have a .270 and a 30-06, still have both. And a .44 mag from Elmer Keith

Since I've always been a gun nut, and none of my friends or relatives were as enthusiastic as me, I got most of my inspiration about new hunting rifle cartridges from reading about them. That's what led me to the .222 Rem, .257 Roberts, .25-06, 7x57, 7x64, .35 Whelen, 9.3x62, 9.3x74R, .375 H&H, and .450-400 3" Nitro Express. The 9.3x62 and .375 are also used by my brother. Other than those two, NONE are used by friends or relatives, but I like and use them all.

.222 because of anybody I read that talked about its accuracy.

7/08 - Carmichel

308 Win - I think that was Wooters.

45-70 - Brian Pierce

Jamison had me hot for a short mag for a while. Never did get one though.

44 mag - Keith

44 special - Skeeter

back when Col. Boddington (2000 ?) wrote about the 7.82 Warbird, I absolutely had to have one and it didn't dissapoint, it was the 30 caliber velocity king and still is, although the brass was the weak link (and still is)

there is something magical about 180 gr bullets zipping out at 3500 fps and 200 gr bullets at 3350 fps

1k moose & black bear killing is precision drilling

It's been fun reading though the first 6 pages of this thread - brought back a lot of memories:

.25-06—Milek
6.5x55—Aagaard
.270 Winchester—O’Connor
7x57 Mauser—O’Connor, Aagaard
.280 Remington—Carmichel
7mm RM—Hagel
30-06—My Dad, and a bunch of others
.35 Whelen AI—Sitton (and also responsible for my one and only blown primer - back in the day)
9.3x62 Mauser—Aagaard, Barsness
.375 H&H—Everyone and his brother
.45 LC—Seyfried

i told you about my 35/30-30, now i can tell you about a rifle that my family has. it is a 1898 Springfield Armory (1903) in 30-40 Krag. my great grandfather bought it. he killed deer with that rifle. then my grandfather (Pappy) had it and he killed deer with it until the early 1950s when he bought a Remington m760 (pistol grip and ribbed forearm) on '06. my dad (RIP), when he was young, had it and he killed deer until the 1970-71 Remington m760 in '06. then his brother (my late uncle) when he was young had it, until he got a Remington m7600 in '06. Pappy kept it and the Krag was given to me (2013) a year before he died. the rifle will be given to one of my sons, i'll let them decide.

i looked the rifle up and i found out that it was made in 1903. then Bannerman or the NRA cut the barrel to 22", put the front sight on, cut off the stock and then sold it to my great grandfather. sometime in the early 1960s, my Pappy had a Bishop or Fajen stock put on it. i didn't find the "original" stock a few weeks after he died. it was in the basement and he put it up in floor joists. i tried to wash it off, but i ended up with black stock, so i refinished it with 4 or 5 coats on Minwax Antique Oil and 3 coats of Poly oil/mineral spirits. i put on a Redfield 102K aperture sight before i found the "original" stock.





i wanted to shoot cast bullets, so i did clean the barrel down to bare steel. 6 or 7 days (throughout the 2 or 3 weeks i had it), 8 - 10 hours using Sweets, Shooter Choice and Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. i scrubbed out black gunk, copper, black gunk, burned powder, black gunk, spirals of copper, black gunk, cupronickel, black gunk and some black gunk. after i and my arm were done, i did a lead slug and it measured .3085" or a .311" cast bullet. i shoot a 165gr Ranch Dog (173gr avg) and H4198 going 1930fps. i have killed about 13 or 14 deer with the Krag, while my oldest son has killed 8 deer, including 173 yard shot, the furthest cast bullet shot (my sons and me). the youngest son has about 2 or 3 deer. i mostly take deer around 30 - 40 yards, but i shot a doe in the overgrown field that was at 154 yards.


mostly i don't go off on what the gun writer says, but i liked John Wooters, Kieth McCafferty, John Barsness, Ed Zern, Gary Sitton, Pat McManus, Brain Pierce.....the old timers who used to tell a story, instead of crap they write today. "how good is the Remchester 297 Super Dooper Magnumitis with a 300gr Noseerday Super ballistic bullet with platuim in it and it goes faster than speed of light," that kinda crap. thats the reason why i have not bought a gun rag for 25 some years.

7mm-08 Remington
.44 Special
.375 Ruger (good luck finding brass for it)

Now passively on the lookout for a S&W .41 Magnum, just because I want one. I have zero need for one, but whats that got to do with it?

Allways wanted a Shiloh Sharps Long Range Express chambered for 50-140 3.25". Followed the adds in the gun magazines for years allways just a little more money than I could afford and of course the price just kept going up. One afternoon when I was done working I slid by my lgs. Knew all the guys there. At the counter one of them showed me a cartridge and said bet you don't know what this is? I said you'd lose because it is a 50-140 Sharps that some dipshit put a greaser in. He shook his head and laughed hard " you're right it is". I said to bad you don't have the rifle we could do a deal. He laughed , reached behind him and picked up the rifle and handed it to me. Awe struck I finally said how much? He couldn't quote me one yet as that was up to the boss. I asked for first right of refusal. That he granted. I ended up with it at a price I really couldn't afford but sometimes in life it will pass you by if you don't jump on it. I jumped. That was 32 years ago thousands of rounds out the barrel , hundreds of pounds of lead and with less than 50 shots to a pound of powder several cases of that. Mule deer, antelope and a cow buffalo. Targets to 800 yds what a cartridge it is the one I still marvel at. 10 lbs 3 oz that 34" Shiloh let's you know when it goes off, you never have a problem spotting your misses. It was just an add in the back of a magazine no one writing about it.
Mb

Cool story Bob. That has to be a helluva case!

Not so much a cartridge, but for years I have read about Carlos Hatchcock and the evolution of the Winchester and Remington sniper rifles in the U.S. and have always wanted one.
I owned a CAF Parker Hale sniper rifle for a bit years ago and liked it, but it and the T model Lee Enfield do not hold the same attraction for me- probably because to build a T model is out of my budget! LOL!
I may build a M70 clone this winter however......
Cat

Anything I've ever got an interest in something, I got one or had one built.

I can't give credit to any gun writer, or magazine.

If I was ever motivated by any gun writer, it would have been Finn Aagard.

I had thought about doing a Marlin 1894 in one sone years ago, before they got stupid expensive as a donor.

If I were to do one now, I'd probably use a Ruger #1 or a repro 1885.

The Martini does have a real panache factor, though. I've thought having one in 300 Rook or 300 Sherwood would be cool for small game. I just ended up getting a Henry BBS carbine in 32 a few years ago instead because it's cheaper and way less hassle to load for.

The .250-3000 and the .257 Roberts for me.
My experience with the .250 has been great; I've owned several and all but one, a 1953 99F, were very accurate and easy to load for.
The Roberts, much as I love it on paper, has been less satisfactory; I've owned several, but never one that was as easy to load for as the Savage round.

For me, it's basically every cartridge Finn Aagaard ever wrote about, up to and including the 300 WinMag.

I don't have a 22 Hornet or a 7mm-08 yet, but I'll get there.

Mike Venturino led me on the quest for a Shiloh 44-77

Not many will probably be familiar with the name Jim Kjelgaard. He wrote fiction geared toward boys. His most famous work was Big Red. Anyway I was in love with his books as a kid and the main characters in his books almost always used 30-30 rifles. Even though I grew up in a 30-06 family his books are responsible for my lifelong love affair with the 30-30. And he wasn't even a gunwriter.

Did you read Firehunter by Kjelgaard? My favorite of his.

I can't remember that one specifically. Was that more about prehistoric hunting? I may well have. My local library had so many of his books and I read them all. I still have a half dozen or so that I purchased of his.

Moosemike, yes it was. A young, prehistoric man and injured girl are banished from the group, and fend for themselves.

250 Savage and most definitely Larry Koller.

Pretty much all of them, but a few special mentions


280 Rem - pretty much every gun writers of the 80s/90s favorite. Still one of my favorites

35 Whelen - Milek and Boddington wrote some articles on the Whelen when it first came out and had a young rifle loony( at the time) dreaming of one. Still think it is great!

257 roberts - O’Connor / Mule Deer had me hankering for one. After trying several, never stuck with me

7-08 - Haviland - John’s articles of hunting with his kids with one got me wanting one. Despite still thinking it is about the most sensible deer round never stuck with me either

7x57 - O’Connor, Mule Deer, Aagaard - very similar story to the 257 Roberts with me. Classy round but moved on as never caught the bug

Lou

25-35 because of Olive A. Fredrickson's book with co-author Ben East, Silence Of The North.

250-3000 because of Larry Koller

257 Roberts and 7x57 because of JOC

256 Newton because of EK

6.5x54 because of Roy Chapman Andrews

6.5x55 because of Francis Sell

I suppose I could blame Jim Carmichael for the first 260 Remington I purchased. The 4 or 5 that followed were all me. Guess that's what makes a rifle loony.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all

This just unlocked a core childhood memory. Another of his books that was really cool: Boomerang Hunter.
Along those same lines of fictional books leading to wanting a cartridge, Deathwatch by Robb White. The young hunting guide in the book carries a 22 Hornet, which I thought was just so cool.

I have Boomerang Hunter. But my faves were Big Red, A Nose For Trouble, Trailing Trouble, Stormy, and Wild Trek. And the main characters all used 30-30 rifles

9.3X62 ,but I think it was the old Hunt America site that put it on my radar.

Now I have to reread some Kjelgaard

The "clients" rifle in Deathwatch was quite a mashup: a Mauser action, Winchester stock and a Weatherby barrel in .340, IIRC.

35 Whelen: from my crazy uncles on the campfire.
7mm-08: from reader suggestions made when I was a pro-staffer at Deer & Deer Hunting.
308 WIN: again, from my crazy uncles on the campfire. They were all pushing me towards a 99 in 300 Savage, but I decided to buy the 308 WIN and download the rounds to 300 Savage levels. I couldn't be happier.
44 Magnum: You'll laugh, but Clay Harvey convinced me that I wanted one.

Oh no, I'm not falling for this again. Some writer somewhere sometime had talked me into getting a .410, .221 Fireball, .222, .222 RM, 6mm, .25-20, .257 Roberts, 7mm-08, .300 Savage and a .35 Remington. Then because none of them was a 12 gauge, .223, .243 or a .308 the ammunition became obsolete and or so prohibitively expensive that I didn't even want to shoot up what I had. The used market for a firearm with no available factory loaded ammunition was as dead as the cartridges. Like most of you, I have hankered for lots more rifles than I've bought, but thank goodness I've stifled that urge and only saddled myself with ten relics from the past. I see all the whiz bang new cartridge offerings in the last couple of decades and can only wonder where they will be in a few years?

I have it in my mind that the client had a 358 Norma Mag, but it's been a long time since reading the book.

Rick Jamison 300WSM
John Jobson 257 Rbt & 270 Win

👍

John Taffin convinced me that life w/o a 475 Linebaugh wasn't worth living - my first custom revolver

PA Benchrest shooters made the 300 Wby a must have

Tom Gresham is currently forcing me to re-explore the quarter bore and mainly a 257 Roberts

A gun shop employee pushed me towards a 416 Wby

IHMSA made me get a 445 SuperMag and 357 Maximum

"Hondo" Taylor or another "ol time" PH writer convinced me the the 6.5 bore was the cat's meow. I'm still a 6.5 fan even though the CM almost turned me against it.

376 Steyr - Jeff Cooper. Shot it 3 times and sold it

When I was a kid, I wanted a.264 Win Mag because they “..made a helluva noise and packed a helluva wallop…” I outgrew the urge long before they became no more than a glorified.270.

i don't like magnum cartridges. altho i shot several magnums, i never owned one. BUT when i was young kid, my dream rifle was a Winchester pre70 in 264 Win Mag. as i got older (17yo), my dad's friend and i were sitting in homemade tree stand (had walls, roof, windows, 3 folding chairs, coffee percolator, electric heater and lights. he put electricity in to the tree stand by taking a wire from his electric box to his stand about 150 feet away.) when a doe comes out. he takes his Rem m721 in 270 Win out and gives it to me. he says "the doe is about 365 yards, aim at nose and then you'll have her." i, not knowing the wind would make the shot drift, think to myself, the nose? what for? oh well, i'll do it and miss my chance to get a doe. so i aimed at the nose, pulled the trigger and.........the bullet went behind the shoulder and the doe dropped.

the 365+/- yards was measured by my dad's friend's eye. he knew the deer was a little over his locust fence pole (350 yards to his tree). so he added another 15 yards. there was no such thing as a laser range finder back then. just an eye and the size of the deer.

Our son just took his first elk yesterday morning with that round. DRT.

When I was a kid it would fall under the heard category
30-06 and 30-30
Seemed every bodies dream gun was a 700 BDL in 06
Or Marlin or Winchester in 30-30 with the edge given to the Marlin
6MM Had a solid following and 7 MM mag was gaining popularity
I only knew one fellow hunting with the 7 back then , but his passion for it was so great with it , it stuck in my mind
The see through rings were big then too , guess it carried over from the earlier years of optics failing
Cheek weld ? You say ?
What the hell is that?
Hunting sure has progressed over the years , thank god
Kenneth

270 Winchester, 375 H&H 500 Jeffery.

Jeff Cooper - 10mm Auto
Finn Aagaard - .338-06
Rick Jamison - .300 WSM (I never did get one, though)
JD Jones - .300 Whisper (I never did get a Whisper, either, but I do have a couple of Blackouts)

24hr Campfire - .223AI, .22-250AI, 22 Creedmoor, .25-284, .280 AI

I don't remember who authored the articles, but I picked up a .400 Cor-bon and a .357 Sig based on articles written about them. I don't have either one, anymore, though.

25/06 Bob Milek, John Wooters.
270 O’Connor
But would have to go through the other 50 or more rifles to try remember where the influence came from.

I ended up with three 351 win SL and one 401 win SL from some interest in obsolete calibres.

I spent many an afternoon reading his books. Truth be told did it as a kid and as an adult escaping back to simpler times! Stormy is probably my favourite!

.257 Ackley, a short action .25-06, according to the clerk at the gun shop I frequented in my 20’s. Built one on a VZ24 action. Shot it a while, it was OK, sold it, because of minimal gains over a standard Roberts. Guy I sold it to pushed to make it a .25-06 and blew it up.

Old70

260Rem. Remember reading an article in Field & Stream about it some 30 years ago and thought it sounded a great cartridge. Never did get one and have since had a couple of the improved version - 6.5CM.

👍

In no particular order but somewhat chronologically:
243 Winchester- Warren Page
6.5x54 & 7x57-W.D.M. Bell
256 & 30 Newton- Charles Newton, the father of high velocity
7x61 Sharpe & Hart, 308 Norma mag-because I like Shultz & Larsen rifles!
220 Swift- reading "Alaska's Wolf Man
223-every American needs at least 1
30-06- for the same reason
300 & 338 RCM's-because I like the rifle
338 Winchester Mag.-Keith and Hagel
6.5x55-Aagarrd and my Scandinavian spouse
35 Whelen-Keith & Whelen

I'm building a 6mm ARC...I need another upper like I need a hole in my head!!!!

my best friend's grandfather (RIP) had a Winchester 1892 in 25-20 as a farm/tractor gun. he shot a lot of deer with that rifle. after he died, his son in law didn't want it and he asked me to buy it from him. being a green dummkopf and didn't handload at the time, i said no, even tho he only wanted $100 for the lever. i was 16 or 17yo and now regret giving him the $100, real smart, dummkopf, real smart.

I read an article about the 7mm RM when I was around 18 or 19 in the early 90’s. I believe John Kronfeld was the author. I bought a Savage 110 shortly after. I hated that rifle and traded it along with some cash for a M70 FW Classic in 270 a few years later. I still have that one.

I read a book by Jack O’Conner from the school library in 65. It took mea year to save $105.00 and bought a 700 BDL in 270. It wore a K4 Weaver in Redfield mounts. My son has it now.

Here lately the 7mm PRC

257 Roberts, Mule Deer and Ed Matunas

257 weatherby. Because of Uncle Bill Moyer , he had several boxes of brass someone ordered but didn't pick up at his shop. So he made me a deal on the brass if he built me a rifle. I told him go ahead. Man I miss talking with him.

25-06 Bob Milek

44 Magnum Elmer Kieth

45 Colt Ross Seyfried

This says it all

I just thought of the 450 Marlin. I don't remember who was hyping it up in the pages of American Hunter back in 2000 but they convinced me I needed one. And I got one

.275 Rigby because of W.D.M. Bell and Jim Corbett

Writer of article knowing all well that the following attributes were always in place long before the 450M.

45-70 Gov = 450M
458x2 American = 450M

450M was an unnecessary addition and provided nothing new. However it is a hard hitter and the equal of the two aforementioned chambers. Drawback is always going to be proprietary brass that is no longer in demand, thereby making it somewhat obsolete. Get as much 450M brass as you can. It’s still a good cartridge on either the 1895 or Winchester 94 platforms.

during 1964 Marlin came up with a powerful lever action rifle, the 444 Marlin. in those years, the 45-70 was about extinct. i can't remember the year, but the Marlin m1895 in 45-70 came out later than the 444.

i've used both, a 45-70 Handi rifle (i had 3 of them) and a TC Encore with a 23" MGM barrel in 444.

the 45-70, i got them all cheap (1991 to 2018) and they were a good killing deer gun. i'd use jacketed and cast bullets, BUT, it wasn't for me.

in 2013 or '14, i got the 444 Marlin (TC Encore) and i fell in luv with it. i'd use 265gr Hornady FN and H4198 that goes 2300fps+ and it would smack the heck out of the deer. i used a 200gr WC and 200gr Hornady XTP for targets. then i would take out 250gr penta HP, 255gr Keith SWC, 275gr Ranch Dog, 280gr LFN GC, 280gr WFN GC and a 300gr Saeco FN GC to use on deer. at first, i was going full speed(2300+fps) on the cast bullets, but i found out that i didn't need full velocity bullets to kill deer. 1726fps in 300gr FN GC with 2400/tuft of Dacron will kill a deer if you put it behind the shoulder. cast bullets going around 1800-1900fps will kill deer. expect the 250gr penta HP, 1500fps is plenty. i've settled on a 280gr WFN GC with Reloder 7 going 1937fps. 5 shots from a bench will go into 1/2 - 3/4" at 100 yards. since i hunt in close quarters brush, a long shot is around 50 - 60 yards, it is usually 30+/- yards from me.

A friend of my Dad's was a govt trapper, professional hunter for the CCC camps of the depression, Duncan Montgomery, swore by the Savage .22 HP. Years later I found one at a price I could live with. Apparently I wasn't as good a shot as the old trapper, because I had some failures on smallish deer. The rifle was plenty accurate at the ranges I encountered deer, but anything less than a ribcage fairly precision shot was a crapshoot whether it would turn into a drama. I hate animals suffering, gave the rifle to my son, 20 yrs ago, I doubt he has shot it. Too bad, but the cartridge just doesn't have a lot of margin for shooter error. Sometimes tempted to borrow it back and try Mule Deer's tip of shooting .224 bullets in the .228 barrel...but maybe not, deer hunting is hard work where I live nowadays...long gone are the days when you would pick and choose which one to kill.

1973 was the return of the 45-70

Interesting. I have Harry Caldwell's book. He thought the .22 HP was perfect for Tigers. I always wondered how effective it actually was

I wanted an 1885 Highwall, since the 70s. Back then I hunted with a man that used the 30-06 in an 1885 Highwall. Very accurate and he killed a lot of deer with it.
4 years ago decided to get a "primitive weapon" for Louisiana's season. To qualify it must be a single shot with an exposed hamer in 35 caliber or larger.
I bought a 30-06 and sent it to Jess Rebore and he rebored it to a 5 groove 1 in 10 twist.
I litterly love that rifle and cartridge.

Wanted a 300Wby partially thanks to an article from the early 90s. Guy who got one in his early years, joined Cali blacktails, developed a flinch, and for away from it. After shooting other rounds came back to the Wby when he could handle it and hunted successfully with it.

LOL, I think that Harry Caldwell was a preacher, reverend? in China......two things occur to me, preachers never lie or I'm not that a great of a shot.

thanks.

Reading Outdoor Life during the mid 80’s as a kid I was convinced by Jim Carmichel’s articles that I needed a .280 to hunt Utah mule deer. Dad got me a push feed M70 featherweight which I still have. Later I added a M700 Mountain rifle. And the latest .280 a NULA, that just went out a few days ago after elk.


About ten years ago I bought some Warner rings and bases from EBay. When they arrived the return address had J Carmichel TN, on it. Messaging through eBay I told him since the rings came from him, they are going on a .280 mountain rifle. And thanked him for his writing. He posted a quick reply in thanks.

Yes he was. His book Blue Tiger is a great read. He talks of how the Chinese would congregate around to get a glimpse of his Tiger rifle and they all wanted to handle a 22 High Power cartridge

I might add I think the 45-70 came back because the launch of the 444 was badly botched. Marlin introduced it in a rifle with a Monte Carlo stock and a 22" barrel with slow rifling twist. And Remington introduced the ammo with only a 240 grain bullet. Nothing about the setup screamed brush rifle or large game. I think the lever action buyer of the time was still better off with the 35 Remington in an RC configuration

no, Marlin and Remington did not badly botched it.......... ;), not them.......


yes, the 1 in 38" twist and the 240gr bullet was bad. Hornady did a 265gr FN (loaded and just bullets) to correct that. there was also a 270gr Speer FN bullet too. 300gr FN GC to 350gr Ranch Dog are iffy in the slow twist. speed is king as 444 Marlin owners says. i use a 1 in 20" twist in the Encore (which Marlin did finally use). slow or fast doesn't matter and i believe it is 450 or 460gr FN GC is about the heaviest you go in a 1 in 20" twist.

i used to go here alot.

https://www.marlinowners.com/forums/

I'm banned from there bro. Permanent

22-250- because of Rick Jamison's many glowing articles back in the 80's touting it's high velocity, accuracy and varmint vaporizing capabilities. Ironically, I never purchased a 22-250. I instead became a huge 220 Swift fanboy after purchasing one in 1992 when Remington offered it in their Classic line. Now have 2 of them and will probably never own a 22-250. The Swift just works so well.

Ross for the 270 and big bores in general. Sitton for the 35WhelenAI.
300WBY because of, well, just about all of them. A few nay sayers on it, but any 30 mag that can outdo the Winchester in the same action is pretty good.
Through the gifting of a good friend that passed, I acquired a CZ 550 in 416Rigby, 350 Rem Mag in the shark fin 673, and a 458 Win Mag on a four digit BRNO.
The last group is a bit more expensive to play with, but always fun to hand to an admirer at the range.

For me it was .257 Roberts and .35 Whelen, I've owned both but more experience with the Whelen which has been my whitetail rifle for the last 30 + years. Completely satisfied with it, does everything expected of it. Shoots cast, jacketed and pistol bullets accurately and kills whitetails with authority.

Probably the 30-06
Back in the day a lot of debate over the 270and 30-06 I chose the 06
Since I have chosen my cartridge based on the benchmark of what it will do better than the good ok 06
And kinda came full circle and use the 06 the most these days

This . Although the 270 wasn’t as high on my list as the other 2 for some reason

As others have noted, there is hardly a cartridge that I haven’t wanted at one time or another.

That said, the only one I can trace directly to wanting from only having read about it is the .220 Swift. Frank Glaser’s Alaska’s Wolf Man, and a few others suddenly created an unquenchable desire. And I have not regretted getting it either.

Other guns that I have purchased came more from hand-me-down stories from more local hunting heroes.

375 H&H, 35 Whalen, 358 Win, 45-70 Gvmt, 300 H&H: the only one I actually got was 300 H&H. Too late now

270win. Jack O'Connor

absolutely none. but there have been a lot written and talked about that I actually researched and decided for myself if I wanted them..

It seemed like you couldn’t pick up a gun magazine in the early 90’s that didn’t have a story touting the magical powers of the 280
Remington. The lack of both available factory ammo and the time to put together my own had always kept me from scratching that itch. That was until recently when a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle spoke to me.

That particular rifle/cartridge combo had held my intrigue for 30 years so enough was finally enough. The only other rifle I may have considered for my first 280 would’ve been a Custom KS. The blued & walnut Mountain Rifle are the best looking Remington 700’s ever made IMHO.

I haven’t had a chance to shoot this rifle yet, but will mount up a spare Kahles 2-7x36 sometime after Thanksgiving and see how it shoots. It will make for a handy package. I tracked down some Hornady Precision Hunter 140’s and will check out Norma’s 160 Tip Strike as well. I’m looking forward to seeing if the setup meets my expectations after 30+ years of lusting after it! I may get time to wring it out yet this year on a TX deer or hog.

6.5x55/7x57- my old time mentor got my brother and I into both of these cartridge's. He gave us a m38 husqvarna to use on the farm growing up. Had lots of fun with that rifle.

8x57/30-06/303 Brit/ 7.62x54r/7.7 jap- had a love for history from a young age. Read lots about what the axis and allies used so naturally i bought a few milsurps and sporters along the way and had my fair share of success using them.

9.3x62- caught my attention from the Speer hand loading book. Then Ted Wagner from the Yukon influenced me and got me set up with a good hand load that shot sub moa with 285gr bullets at 2440 fps.

7x64- Ken waters Pet Loads/ and other manuals/ European forums.

you can't go wrong with the 7x57. i've killed a dump truck load of deer with the 7x57.

i use a Husqvarna m46 in 9.3x57 with 275gr WFN GC and IMR4895 that kills deer DRT.

3006, 45-70, 45 long colt.

I wanted a Winchester 94 in 30-30 because nearly all the men I knew as a kid hunted with this outfit. I grew up in a very rural part of the Allegheny Highlands of Pennsylvania where annual deer hunting is extremely popular. My first 30-30 carbine was a Glenfield because the sale price was too good to pass. But many years later, my Dad gifted me with a deluxe Winchester 94 featuring angle eject which in my opinion makes an excellent deer rifle for forests and foothills. - Sherwood

.220 Swift

6.5-284 Norma

.375 H&H—Peter Capstick

.416 Rem Mag-Because I’ll never afford the next two;

.470 Nitro Express—Capstick

.500-450 Nitro Express—Teddy Roosevelt’s African Game Trails and the African hunting film “In the blood”

.408 CheyTac

All that said, I own none of them. If I had to pick one of the above its the .375 H&H.