Obsolete/little used cartridges

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mcb said:
I am loading 38/200 Mk I and 455 Webley Mk II for my two Webley revolvers.

I load a very hot 38 Short Colt for USPSA competition, but shoot that in a modern 357 Magnum revolver.

I will be loading 30 Remington AR when I run out of factory ammunition since I expect the Vista owned Remington ammunition might not continue to support that cartridge any more.
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Send me a PM and we may can work out something, I have several boxes of 150 Core Lokt for 30 Rem AR.
 
I reload 6.5x54 Kurz Mauser and 32-20 WCF.

32-20 cases have been available but I have not checked recently. I have a good inventory on hand.

I have a 1890's vintage Winchester 1873 and a 1920's vintage S&W K-frame chambered in 32-20.

6.5x54 Kurz Mauser cases need to be made. 7x57 Mauser is a good place to start for full length 6.5x54 Kurz Mauser cases. 308 Win or 7mm-08 cases are a good alternative but they are a couple millimeters short in the overall case length.

My 6.5x54 Kurz Mauser was a WWI bring back from my paternal grandfather. A nice rifle with set triggers and three folding leafs for the sights for different ranges.

I have an Encore rifle barrel chambered in 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. It was meant to be a 6.5x54 Kurz Mauser but the web site that advertised the barrel was in error. 6.5x54 M-S was not obsolete when I got the barrel but may be now 15-20 years later.

I recently built a rifle on a Savage target action chambered in 22 Bench Rest. Factory ammunition or cases are not currently available so that may also be considered obsolete. Cases can be made from 6mmBR cases. The rifle is meant for prairie dogs.
 
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HowieG said:
I don't consider the Hornet to be obsolete or little used.
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Nor do I, but I knew a guy that made loading for the Hornet interesting by casting his own bullets for it and kicking them out at 22 LR velocities. Being the avid handloader I am, if I ever run across an inexpensive 22 Hornet, I think I'll give that a try myself. It would surely be a lot more fun for me than shooting ground squirrels with store-bought 22 LR ammo.
To get back to the original question though, while neither my 308 Norma Mag nor my 41 Rem Mag are "obsolete" (yet) they're both a little "oddball," and that's one of the things I like about them. On top of that, I've been hankering for a 38-55 Winchester for a while now, and I'll probably get myself one before long - I "need" one for mule deer hunting.;)
My wife has a Model 94 32 Special. It's kinda fun too.:)
 
For me there is the 9x56 MS last loaded in the US in the 1930’s. Then the 30 remington for my model 14. Got lucky when the 6.8SPC first came out Remington did a run of 30 rem brass and I got 200 cases. Then there is the 250-3000 savage. As long as the 22-250 remains popular I will have plenty of brass. I also load for my son’s 300 savage.I really enjoy getting the classics back up and out in the woods doing what they were made to do. When there’s no game about I just admire the lines and feel of those 100 year old rifles.
 
My odd-ball list:

.30 Luger
6.5x57
8.15x46R
8x68S
.40-70 (2.4")
.45-90 (2.4")
.45-100 (2.4")

Modern components are available for all of them, so there's not much difficulty in loading.
 
HowieG said:
Anybody else out there like to piddle around loading and shooting cartridges that are little used and/or actually obsolete?
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There are some I couldn’t even shoot if I didn’t reload. One of my favorite rounds, 7mm BR has been pretty much extinct since it came out. Wikipedia said it died 23 years ago after a 20 year life.

Obsolete, being no longer produced, is a great reason to save brass and reload.

Often threads come up about reloading 9mm, 223 or other ammunition, that is, in times of plenty, cheaper to buy than reload but the “odd balls” are always money savers, when it comes to reloading.
 
.308 Norma said:
Nor do I, but I knew a guy that made loading for the Hornet interesting by casting his own bullets for it and kicking them out at 22 LR velocities. Being the avid handloader I am, if I ever run across an inexpensive 22 Hornet, I think I'll give that a try myself. It would surely be a lot more fun for me than shooting ground squirrels with store-bought 22 LR ammo.
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I bought a 22 caliber bullet mould with just this in mind but I have not cast any bullets yet. Some day.
 

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Chuck R. said:
My odd-ball list:

.30 Luger
6.5x57
8.15x46R
8x68S
.40-70 (2.4")
.45-90 (2.4")
.45-100 (2.4")

Modern components are available for all of them, so there's not much difficulty in loading.
Click to expand...
Where do you get brass and bullets for 8.15x46R? I have a Gewehr 98 from between the wars that my FiL gave me. It took me chamber casting it to figure it out but it is chambered in that cartridge and one of these days I would like to shoot it. Any info would be appreciated.
 
HowieG said:
Anybody else out there like to piddle around loading and shooting cartridges that are little used and/or actually obsolete? I currently load 32-20, 300 Savage, and 405 Winchester. I maybe could count the 260 Remington in that you don't see it around much and I make brass for it. At least, I am the only one I personally know that loads for one. I like stuff that makes me scramble around a bit looking tools and for ways to procure or fabricate brass.

I recently bid on a Remington model 8 in 30 Remington, but I didn't win. I am currently considering picking up something in 250-3000 (not a 99 though), a 6mm Remington, or a 257 Bob.
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I have a 250AI 6mm Remington AI 7x57AI 6BR 30x47 all are fun nice to have something different:)
 
HowieG said:
Certainly no problem making brass for the 256. I would have one, but finding the guns is tough. And expensive.
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I have a 18" carbine barrel for my T/C Contender in the .256 WinMag from E.A.Brown. It is a shame this round was never offered in any rifles other than a Marlin Lever gun Model 63? cause it is a very accurate round and a great mid range varmint gun.
 
HowieG said:
I don't consider the Hornet to be obsolete or little used. Ruger still makes rifles chambered for it and I haven't had any trouble getting brass for mine.

I sure haven't seen any 348 in a long time. Where do you find brass for it?
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It shows up pretty regularly if you look around. I bought a bunch back in the 80s when I got my Browning(Miroku) M71, I don,t shoot it much. I did pick up some of these from Midway a couple years back just to have some new, unfired brass. They had it on clearance for a great price. I figure to have enough for the future when my son gets it. I also have the RCBS mold for it. The rifle is about in new shape. My 30-30 lever actions get way more range time. Cheaper to shoot and less recoil.
https://www.qual-cart.com/35 cal.htm
 
HowieG said:
Anybody else out there like to piddle around loading and shooting cartridges that are little used and/or actually obsolete? ...
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I got bitten by the .32-20 Bug a few years ago (started by my grandfather's old .32-20 4" Army Special).

I currently have 4 Colt and 2 S&W revolvers and one Marlin 27-S pump rifle in .32-20.

I developed two mild standard loads (100gr & 115gr Trailboss low-mid 800s) for the revolvers (also shoot quite well in the Marlin) and some Rifle-Only rounds with a little more juice (85gr & 100gr XTP IMR4227 low-mid 1400s).

The recoil & report of the .32-20 revolver rounds are so mild that even my sister (with her lifelong sensitivity to both r&r) likes to shoot them. :)

Great farm walkabout cartridge.

I found an old quick-pic that I took of the revolvers:

2v2uKstQgxAW38L.jpg
 
mcb said:
Where do you get brass and bullets for 8.15x46R? I have a Gewehr 98 from between the wars that my FiL gave me. It took me chamber casting it to figure it out but it is chambered in that cartridge and one of these days I would like to shoot it. Any info would be appreciated.
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Buffalo Arms:

https://www.buffaloarms.com/8-15x46r-cases-8-15x46r.html

But their showing out of stock now. Buff Arms is "THE" source for obsolete brass. Huntington appears to still have some in stock and RWS still makes it:

http://www.huntingtons.com/store/product.php?productid=17356

It also can be made from 30-30 brass and fire formed from 32-40 brass.
 
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HowieG said:
Anybody else out there like to piddle around loading and shooting cartridges that are little used and/or actually obsolete? I currently load 32-20, 300 Savage, and 405 Winchester. I maybe could count the 260 Remington in that you don't see it around much and I make brass for it. At least, I am the only one I personally know that loads for one. I like stuff that makes me scramble around a bit looking tools and for ways to procure or fabricate brass.

I recently bid on a Remington model 8 in 30 Remington, but I didn't win. I am currently considering picking up something in 250-3000 (not a 99 though), a 6mm Remington, or a 257 Bob.
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The most odd is 7.62x38 Nagant. I also load 30-40, 260, and 35 Whelen.
My brother runs 6mm rem and 280 AI.
My other brother has 32 spl and 444.
 
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