Viable "gaps" in the market that a new caliber could meaningfully fill in today's factory ammo selection

[Ontario Hunter]

2850fps out of a 20" barrel with a 195gr elite hunter bullet. DAMN

20" barrel AND six pound gun = DAMN that hurts!! Figure in the field one would never be shooting into the next zip code without a bipod. Absorbing that much energy laying on the ground would be dangerous for the shooter. But of course I guess one could add a suppressor. Stuck on the end of a 20" barrel with a bipod behind a 6 lb rifle should make for a horribly out of balance gun for sure. I have carried a horribly balanced rifle hunting in the field (my brother's 300 Win BAR with bipod attached) and it isn't fun! Pulls on my shoulder and neck.

 

[YancyW]

After making my latest post on what missing gaps my current ammo lineup had, it got me thinking to the market as a whole, and if there are any missing gaps where a new caliber could fill?

I know the general answer is no, all bases have been covered.

But with the tremendous amount of marketing ammo produces spend on introducing "new and improved" calibers each year (think the PRC's, 6.8 Western, Creedmoor's, 21 sharps etc.) where is that next gap to be filled? What new purpose would it serve? what hunting niche would it fill?

Can you think of anything in the realm of dangerous game cartridge innovation? Short action .423 cal? Long action 0.577 cal for a bolt gun? Short action 0.50c al?

Or will it continue to follow the trend of introducing more efficient long-range cartridges like Hornady has been pumping out? Latest I heard they were considering the 338 PRC for their next release.

Curious as to what you can come up with.

Since the 6.5 creedmoor came out, there really isn't a gap anymore, from prairie dogs to Eland, it has you covered.

 

[Bonk]

A great comment. Everyone I’ve heard who has really used both of these rounds likes them.

If I had to posit why they have yet to take off? The name Ruger. As petty as it may seem, I think in this day and age the.l name Ruger has a smell to it that makes it hard for some to get around.

Had they been called the 375/416/458 Rimless Express and you’d see them all over.

Just my .02c.

I feel exactly the same way about the name Weatherby. I am 100% uninterested in any cartridge with Weatherby in the name. Too expensive, too fast, too noisy, and too much recoil relative to similar caliber cartridges.

The problem with 375/416 Ruger is Hornady essentially bailed on it and hunters that don’t frequent this forum have zero interest in anything bigger than 30 caliber rifles.

 

[Bonk]

A .400 cal rimless bolt action would seem to fill a hole. Not recessed. Perhaps belted case though to avoid the headspace issues sometimes occurring when reloading 404J. Or at least some shoulder. Might be able to use the 404 case and just neck it down? Keep the same case length so it could be built on standard length action. Or maybe someone has already attempted this? I like the idea of a bullet with a bit more punch than 375 and a bit more range than 404 and a lot less recoil than 416 Rigby.

Does the 400 H&H fit this description? I was mildly interested in this cartridge but as far as I could tell it was struggling to gain traction. I opted for 404J because, believe it or not, ammo and components were much more widely available than 400H&H. Plus I already have a 375H&H.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Does the 400 H&H fit this description? I was mildly interested in this cartridge but as far as I could tell it was struggling to gain traction. I opted for 404J because, believe it or not, ammo and components were much more widely available than 400H&H. Plus I already have a 375H&H.

The fact that I didn't even know there was a 400 H&H says something about its struggle to gain traction. I wonder why? Seems like 400 cal is a hole that could be filled. Perhaps the H&H case is proprietary? Weatherby got away with that but it was only part of Roy's marketing genius. And he jumped on board during the postwar flowering of wildcats before the novelty wore off (somewhat anyway).

Edit: Case is remodeled 375.

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Behind the Bullet: .400 H&H Magnum

The .400 H&H Magnum is the most popular of the more obscure Holland & Holland cartridge offerings, and for a number of good reasons.

www.americanhunter.org

It has a shoulder (or lack thereof) very similar to 404 for smooth loading but unlike 404 it's a belted case = no headspace issues. The only downside I can foresee is the 400 H&H's OAL. While it's parent 375 can be built on standard action (even 416 Rigby but that's pushing the envelope), doing so is not as "handy" as building a 404J which just fits standard length Mauser without any trimming of the ring or relocating the ejector. So building a 400 H&H typically would involve a magnum length action (= $$$$) ... but I'm not convinced it would be requisite. The big issue for the 400 H&H's lack of traction seems to be the ammo companies never got on board. However, I think it has immense potential and would be inclined to explore further, especially if it will work on standard action build. The shape of the shoulder and neck tells me it might in fact be a much easier build than 375 in spite of receiver modifications needed to accommodate case length.

 

[Northern Shooter]

Looks like Federal are out to top the 7mm PRC with this “Backcountry”.