What caliber would you bring back from the dead?

[matt85]

Bertram’s make brass for them.
Gumpy

The only commercial 8-bore brass I know of is shotgun brass. Bertram doesn't list it on their website, do you have a link?

 

[FlowHamed18]

8x57…the grandpappy of so many. Doesn’t get the love it deserves

Oh, it does. I cuddle with mine almost every day... Got 4 of them, so a lot of love is given

I would like to add the 8x64S like some of you already mentioned. Nearly dead, but what a great cartridge it is...

 

[rdog]

It has never been a factory round, has it? Great concept all the way!

No never a factory load , i do not understand why , maybe Hornady should and name it the 416 PRC !

 

[93marlin]

7x61S&H / Super

And .475 NE


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

+1 7x61 S&H

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

The only commercial 8-bore brass I know of is shotgun brass. Bertram doesn't list it on their website, do you have a link?

I’ve got a list somewhere, I know they definitely make 4bore as they are $55 each (Australian) . May need to email them and ask for a price
Gumpy

 

[EBaker]

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.

I'd go with the 244 h&h magnum. In fact I did bring back my own version of it. My version uses a normal .243 caliber bullet where the original was a .245. The original loading was a 100 grain bullet at 3500 fps mine is a 115 at 3510 from a 28 inch barrel. It took some playing with to keep from running pressures too high and it's pretty sensitive to environmental factors but I love it. It has the same case as a 375 h&h but for whatever reason I'm still not quite sure on, I could never get 375 cases to work so I neck down 300 h&h cases and fireform them. I start necking them down with a 264 die then neck them down with my 244 die and trim. Here's a picture of my case progression with an extra one thrown into the picture for some reason and a loaded round next to a 300 win mag for scale.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

We could also bring back the 256 H&H magnum as well……I may happen to have an original barrel and dies, including forming die. They only made about 200 of them.
I unscrewed the barrel off a 98 action for another rifle build…..could always put it back on an action…..
Gumpy

 

[ofbiro]

.303 British.
I am surprised that nobody from the former British Empire proposed it.
With two world wars and innumerable local conflicts under the belt, the old soldier doesn't deserve to fade away.

 

[EBaker]

We could also bring back the 256 H&H magnum as well……I may happen to have an original barrel and dies, including forming die. They only made about 200 of them.
I unscrewed the barrel off a 98 action for another rifle build…..could always put it back on an action…..
Gumpy

That would be a cool one too. I haven't seen anything on that cartridge before. Assuming it's the same case as the others it'd probably be pretty close to 257 weatherby ballistics with modern loads and that's a great cartridge. I found out about the 244 h&h from reading through my dad's cartridges of the world book as a kid. When I realized if I ever did find an original it would be out of my budget, I just had one built.

 

[Pondoro]

If Kynoch (Kynamco) could, pardon my french, get their shit together, and actually produce and export the ammo on their list we would be helped a lot..

One could also dream that ie. Norma would make .577NE and .600NE..

 

[ZG47]

I

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.

I understand that most of the .350 Rigby rifles built by Rigby have been rebarrelled and rechambered by that firm to .375 H&H.

 

[ZG47]

Its certainly not popular with the cool kids anymore.

Feeds and extracts more reliably than the .308 Winchester and derivatives thereof, every day of the week.

 

[Mark R]

450 NE 3 1/4” isn’t dead, it just makes things dead.

 

[Sarg]

.303 British.
I am surprised that nobody from the former British Empire proposed it.
With two world wars and innumerable local conflicts under the belt, the old soldier doesn't deserve to fade away.

You may not have read the whole thread ?

It was by one lol !

 

[Jack Stevens]

* * * For me it would be the 450NE (the 3 1/4") for DG, and the 350 Rigby for PG.
* * *
-I think the 350 Rigby with modern loads and powders would be one of the great all around calibers.

I did that with the .350 Remington Magnum in my “light rifle,” a Remmy model 660. It’s my “all-arounder” and dedicated PG rifle.

Ballistics of my 250grn load (@/near 2460fps) replicate the ballistics of both the 318WR and Rigby’s .350 Mag with the same weight bullet. Both were so successful on PG, and became so popular quickly, that Holland introduced the .375 Mag as its answer to Rigby for an “all-around” African rifle.

Plus, Holland went a bit further by offering three separate factory loads (235grns, 270grns, & 300grn) for the end-user to select, depending on the species being hunted.

 

[375er]

@Rolland
If my memory serves me correctly the 6.5x53R is the 25-35 wcf under a European name the same as the 22 Savage high power is the 5.56x 52 R by a different name.
I maybe wrong as usual tho
Bob

Close Bob, it is the 6.5x52r you are thinking of.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

That would be a cool one too. I haven't seen anything on that cartridge before. Assuming it's the same case as the others it'd probably be pretty close to 257 weatherby ballistics with modern loads and that's a great cartridge. I found out about the 244 h&h from reading through my dad's cartridges of the world book as a kid. When I realized if I ever did find an original it would be out of my budget, I just had one built.

Selous had one

Bonhams : A very rare Holland-Woodward patent .256 falling-block rifle by Holland & Holland, no. 21873 Built for F.C. Selous

The action using H.W. Holland & T. Woodward patent no. 17,578 of 15 September 1894, the sides of the action-body with the makers name engraved in an oval surrounded by best bold foliate-scrollwork, the underside engraved with the patent number, virtually full hardening-colour, the bright...

www.bonhams.com

It’s hard to find information on it, mine was on a Mauser action
Gumpy

 

[MS 9x56]

Oh, it does. I cuddle with mine almost every day... Got 4 of them, so a lot of love is given

I would like to add the 8x64S like some of you already mentioned. Nearly dead, but what a great cartridge it is...

I just joined the 8x57 fraternity last year with a commercial Mauser 98 proofed in 1940 with half round half octagon barrel and double set triggers. She is a wonderful example of the gunsmiths art.

 

[Ravensview]

Looking at all these cartridges on resurrecting, makes me wish that the older guns that they used could be brought back, at the prices that they originally sold for without any adjustments for inflation, We can only dream on that though.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

7x57R in a lightweight single shot and/or double rifle.

Safe shooting