Fav non-standard cartridge

I woke up to this thread this AM. What a shock. Most of what I got here is non-standard. What a realization! Most calibers have already been listed. My contribution is 240 Gebby Super Varminter (6mm-06) and .9.3x57. Don't think the Big Box could help me much. Long live RCBS etc.

Toss up between 6x47Rem (or Federal, as they actually made some correctly head stamped brass), and . 250-3000AI.

I like the 6x47 because it delivers performance beyond what one would generally expect from a 222Rem Mag case. My barrels not fast enough to run the 95+vlds, but I can comfortably drive 100gr spire points to 2500-2550 from a 24" barrel (not sure what the loss of 4" will do, I'll Chrono it next time I take it out). A slippery 100gr+ vld at 2450-2500fps will shoot plenty flat and be lethal on the critters I want to shoot with the gun.


The . 250AI, is just so cool looking.... And it gets an honest 3000fps with a 110-115gr bullet.

58 cal mini ball or round ball for my enfield carbine.

444 marlin and 303 british

I haven't owned the rifle in years, but my favorite "you don't see that every day" round is still the. 260 Remington. Let's just say I predated the 6.5 Creedmore buzz by almost a decade. To be honest, the little Remington 700 Mountain Rifle had some issues, and I don't miss it. It's just fun to know I picked a caliber (not cartridge) that was cool before it was cool.

Does it count to list a cartridge we've never had but always wanted? Because I'll throw the .350 Remington Magnum into the hat. Though I suspect the recoil would make it less cool to me after the first 2 groups.

It's almost impossible to find .225 Win. ammo at Walmart or anywhere else. So shooting this Miller-Grisel single shot has become a handloading propitiation..

Not all that obscure but I'm typically on the lookout for .30-40 Krag whenever I'm at a gun shop or gun show.

300 Savage

257 Weatherby
358 Winchester

Liking old military cartridges is why I got into reloading in the first place. At $2 per bang is just insane in my book.

Some stuff while available is insane....45-70, and then in trap door loadings....just too expensive.....and it goes down hill from there. 7.7 jap, 6.5 carcano, 7.5 french...bla bla bla.

On more "normal" or common things like 3006, finding Garand loading at wally world is not going to be happening, so there is something there.....then in shooting my I will blow my face off low number springfield....again I want some soft, correct pressure and burn rate ammo so it goes bang and not kaboom.....then you can really see the differences your own work can give you.

I have harped on this before, in going from Partizan to my own loadings have brought groups from basket ball to softball size....and that is a heck of an improvement.

There are a few "hunting" flavors that I do like because of the historical nature of the guns, 30 remington (not the AR) is one....but finding people that load that...well you don't have many options. 300 Savage is another that I think you will not find for long at "real" gun shops. It is just going to go away. We are lucky that most of this odd stuff uses "normal" bullet sizes....unless you get into things like 22HP or 6.5 carcano....this is what really worries me.

Anyway I ramble....so I will end it with this.....if you like this odd duck stuff start to reload.

While I no longer own my XP-100, the 7mmBR is just accurate and easy to shoot.

7mm BR, it’s killed everything I have killed with more powerful rounds, accurate and not abusive, even in pistols.

458 SOCOM . You just can't find it sitting on the shelf at most places. If you have never shot a big bore AR, you just don't know the fun you are missing.

The 338-06 is a great cartridge. Wish I had owned one 30 years ago.

GunnyUSMC said:

458 SOCOM . You just can't find it sitting on the shelf at most places. If you have never shot a big bore AR, you just don't know the fun you are missing.

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It's on my list to build.

Mine are 257 Bob, 7x57, 8x57, and 9mm Makarov (I know that last one isn't a rifle cartridge). I've got everything I need for 6mm Remington, other than the barrel.

Matt

Don't bother to ask for .358 Norma Magnum ammo on your next visit to Wallyworld, I got their last two boxes

I have more 257 Roberts rifles than any other centerfire chambering, by far.

358 Win
35 Rem
277 Allen Mag
7.7 Jap

22 sav hp, 300 sav, 257 bob, 222, 221 fireball, 32-20, 50 Beowulf, 220 swift, 8x57, 6mm rem

30 and 357 herrett, 16ga, 45 autorim, 32 h&r mag, 38 super, 38-40, 500mag, 32 colt and 32 sw in non-rifles

6.5 Creedmoor

Olon said:

16 ga. My grandad gave me an old M12 and that's what it is, and buying $14 boxes of ammo for it is what got me into reloading
Brass cartridges were soon to follow.

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You can find 16 ga. at Walmart. Yes it is more expensive than 12 ga., but it's there.
I don't own any guns in calibers I can't find at work, and that is by design.
My favorite not carried by Walmart is .32-20, but I do not own any guns in that caliber.

I really like the 7.7 jap cartridge. I have a sporterized arisaka with the original chambering. If not for is odd bore size, metric name, and origin, it could have been a fine hunting cartridge.

300 Holland and Holland. Classic, classy and capable. The original plains game cartridge.

IronHand

Tough call as I like and search out “wierd” the ones I would call non-standard are:

32sw
32swl
32mag
327fm
38sw
.256 winmag
6.8spc
7-30 waters

I have a special fondness for the 32 family as they are all useable in some of my guns, and they are an absolute joy to shoot. 38sw is also an enjoyable round to shoot. 7-30 waters is everything that the 30-30 should be if 30-30 were not relegated to old bullet technology due to tube mags. Then there is .256 winmag. I love the .256, probably because it’s the first centerfire I ever shot, it’s what I killed my first few deer with, and it brings up a lot of fond memories. Love the .32s and 7-30, but the .256 is the one that’s the most special.

Then there’s the 6.8 coming in from a totally different realm. The 32s are revolver rounds. The 256 and 7-30 are rounds for old school lever rifles. The 6.8 is a whizbang AR round that is special as it was developed in partnership with a SF unita few miles down the road from where I grew up, partly by guys I have met.

My least common rifle chambering is 357Max. How'd I do?