What caliber would you bring back from the dead?

[Just a dude in BC]

I love talking about calibers, their pros and cons, the situations to use them in, their history and so forth. Above all that I love collecting them! But one of the worst parts about the history of firearms and calibers, is that some seemingly great calibers die out.
Leaving those of us who want to use them scrambling to find brass and dies and the like.

So if you found a Genie in a bottle, what caliber or two would you get him to bring back into the mainstream?

For me it would be the 450NE (the 3 1/4") for DG, and the 350 Rigby for PG.
-It is criminal that the 450NE never came back to life after the ban.
-I think the 350 Rigby with modern loads and powders would be one of the great all around calibers.

 

[Muskox]

Define dead?

I wish the 358 Norma was readily available. It is mostly dead.

Both the 450 NE and 350 Rigby are more dead than the 358 Norma, but you can get ammo. No factory rifles made for any of the 3.

What makes it dead?

 

[analog_peninsula]

Maybe the .318 WR. The 8x65r also seems like a nice fit for the kipplauf and mid double crowd.

 

[jruby]

Bring back .411 bullets tougher than what is used for the 405 winchester. I am using the barnes lrx bullet but they are not rated for the velocity I am shooting them. So maybe the 404 B&J express which will never happen.

 

[MS 9x56]

I would like to see the 35 winchester make a come back.

 

[PerH]

7x61S&H / Super

And .475 NE


And bullet Explora and Paradox in levels to find for various calibers .

 

[375Fox]

It’s not fully dead yet but the 300 H&H. Really sad to see the caliber disappearing.

 

[Vintageguy]

Another vote for the 450 NE and I share the lamentations for the scarcity of 300 H&H mentioned also.

 

[Just a dude in BC]

@Muskox I guess I would use a lose definition of:
"To run this caliber I had to build a custom gun, and I started by sourcing brass and dies before I committed to the project, just to make sure I would be able to feed it"
then I would call the caliber functionally dead.

@375Fox My hunting partner and I @BC Tal both have 300 h&h that we bought for the nostalgia. Mine in ruger no.1, and his in a custom M70 that he used to take a nice Eland. We are doing our part to keep it alive!

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Like Muskox said, dead can mean a lot of things.

For me, I think about lever calibers for which maybe guns aren't made anymore? .348, .250 Savage - things like that.

But a true dead one is my go-to, my Marlin MXLR in .338 Marlin Express. I think I read that they only produced 5000 before they shut them off? A simply FABULOUS lever gun caliber, so that'd be my vote.

 

[grand veneur]

I love talking about calibers, their pros and cons, the situations to use them in, their history and so forth. Above all that I love collecting them! But one of the worst parts about the history of firearms and calibers, is that some seemingly great calibers die out.
Leaving those of us who want to use them scrambling to find brass and dies and the like.

So if you found a Genie in a bottle, what caliber or two would you get him to bring back into the mainstream?

For me it would be the 450NE (the 3 1/4") for DG, and the 350 Rigby for PG.
-It is criminal that the 450NE never came back to life after the ban.
-I think the 350 Rigby with modern loads and powders would be one of the great all around calibers.

Thirty years ago, you could have rightly asked this question, but since then, almost everything that has proven itself in the last 150 years has risen from the dead.

 

[PerH]

12 bore with SSG and LG shot

Eley Alphamax 12 bore

.450-400 3.25 inch NE



6,5x53R Dutch /.256 Flanged

 

[Phil Giordano]

7x66 Vom Hofe Super Express.
And I'd take to the clinic my beloved 9,3x64, that is not doing too well...

 

[rookhawk]

I love talking about calibers, their pros and cons, the situations to use them in, their history and so forth. Above all that I love collecting them! But one of the worst parts about the history of firearms and calibers, is that some seemingly great calibers die out.
Leaving those of us who want to use them scrambling to find brass and dies and the like.

So if you found a Genie in a bottle, what caliber or two would you get him to bring back into the mainstream?

For me it would be the 450NE (the 3 1/4") for DG, and the 350 Rigby for PG.
-It is criminal that the 450NE never came back to life after the ban.
-I think the 350 Rigby with modern loads and powders would be one of the great all around calibers.

318 Westley Richards would be an excellent choice. Light recoiling. Efficient. Designed for the effective heavy-for-caliber 250gr bullet. Fits in a mauser 98 action.

The problem is it will never happen. In order to launch a cartridge today it must fit in a short action. It also looks unimpressive in marketing literature to advertise a heavy for caliber load at a slower velocity...speed sells.

 

[Flbt]

I would like to see the 35 winchester make a come back.

Yea the 35 wcf and the 33 wcf

 

[PerH]

7x66 Vom Hofe Super Express.
And I'd take to the clinic my beloved 9,3x64, that is not doing too well...

Brenneke make brass and ammo for 9,3x64

No idea who is US importer .

 

[FlyGuy]

Some dead, others with a foot in the grave.
308 Norma Magnum
300H&H
8x75 RS
9.3x64
450 NE
Looking at the new rifles and chamberings, 30-06 might make this list soon.

 

[BJH65]

I would say all of the Dakota proprietary cartridges: 7mm, 300, 330, 375, 404, 416 and 450 Dakota. I felt these cartridges were very innovative for the time and the rifles chambered in them of the highest quality. My definition of dead is no current factory produced ammo and no currently manufactured head stamped brass .

 

[Choupique]

30-06 might make this list soon.

Its certainly not popular with the cool kids anymore.

 

[grand veneur]

7x66 Vom Hofe Super Express.
And I'd take to the clinic my beloved 9,3x64, that is not doing too well...

The cartridge 7x66 S.E vom Hofe and especially the 9,3x64 Brenneke still have a following. Bringing them back from the dead is not necessary, rather preventing them from dying. The 7x66 is very much at risk, and with the 9,3x64, you never know. she was close to dying once, but has recovered somewhat. The problem also lies in the fact that everyone internationally is fixated on the marginal cartridge 9,3x62, although the cartridge 9,3x64 is superior and definitely more suitable for hunting dangerous game in Africa. Unfortunately, she has not the aura of the cartridge 9,3x62 and seems to be unknown to the majority.

In general, what was not reactivated did not demonstrate any clear advantages over other cartridges from the same period. This includes cartridges like the 318 WR or 350 Rigby. Ultimately, it's just a matter of personal passion to bring back from the dead an old cartridge.