Best Caliber That Never Took-off

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Get a TC barrel from their Custom Shop or other custom barrel makers.

Grab a set of dies. Just the reloading ones, not the forming ones.

Call Lee Precision and get a .30 Luger/Mauser sizing die.

Lube the .357 Mag brass with Imperial sizing wax. Use the .30 Mauser sizer to neck the mouth down to .30 caliber. Not too far down, maybe .125 inches down. Then use the .256 full length sizer die to finish the job and set the shoulder. Trim to length. I've been loading like this for many years and never split a case yet.

The first time you load it, it will have a slight radius to the shoulder. Don't worry, it will fire form your first time you shoot it. Best dies are the Redding deluxe dies with the FL sizer, neck sizer and seater. Use the FL sizer as above for the forming process but then neck size only after that. When it gets tight to chamber use the FL sizer die to kiss the shoulder back until it chambers again.

If you get set up for it, PM me and I'll send you a few pieces of formed brass to use as a guide for setting your dies.
 
yeah, I cannot think that anyone would be serious about the 30-06 being "unpopular"

me, I don't even have one, but it is a real fun gun
whenever I am at range, plinking away with my 22 rimfire, and the guy at next bench is shootin' his 30-06, it never fails to thrill me a little bit
love the way it rearranges my hairdo; not a complaint, just makes me chuckle a little, never fails
 
That poor ole .45 ACP...What a shame...just never caught on... lol
For real, though...the .41 mag...and one has to wonder what the .327 is yet to do...or if it will...
 
I kind of like the 6.5mm Grendel and the ideas behind it regarding combat between two-legged creatures (similar to the .280 British that also never took off).
 
RhinoDefense, you didn't put a name to your cartridge. It sounds like it might have possibilities in a modified Blackhawk 30 Carbine or a S&W 32 Mag.

(One of my gripes with the 32 mag or the 327 is that they just can't bring themselves to make the case mag length and get some real performance. Would make a fabulous small game round for a handgun.)

I'm already shooting the 357-44 B&D out of a S&W but it's a bit overpowered for cotton tails.
 
.480 Ruger

It will do everything that the .44 Magnum will do with with 85 more grains of lead.
It was totaly eclipsed by the .500 S&W.
In my opinion neither one of these rounds are really all that practical for handguns because they require such a large heavy revolver. Where they shine is when they are chambered in a light handy carbine with an 18 to 20 inch barrel. This converts all that extre muzzel blast and noise into a several hundred fps gain in velocity.
A 400 grain .475" diamiter XTP started at 1,500 fps can handel anything in North America at close range and do so from a .30-30 sized carbine.
 
Agreed, besides the fact the 30-06 was adopted by the military as its primary service round with the Springfield and the Garand it was also a popular hunting round. I could go in the local pawn shops and find a dozen 30-06s easy. Not only is it mainstream, I think you could argue it is one of the major calibers of this century.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

And while we're at it, why hasn't the .22LR caught on? You'd think that for such an inexpensive round it would have more of a following.;)
 
.38-45 Clerke/Safe Stop; or .38 Casull
The .45 ACP necked down for 9mm bullets. Originally developed as a target load that nobody took seriously for anything but target shooting. Ended all feed problems even when loaded with those nasty Cirillo wadcutters. Ballistics blow the .357 SIG and 9x25 Dillon into the weeds. A long-slide 1911 will launch a 124gr bullet at close to, if not over, 1900 fps; a 5" barrel reaches 1800 fps with a 124gr and 1650 fps with a 147gr.
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/review/38-45_safestop.htm
 
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Phased Plasma rifle in the 40-watt range? ;)

as far as "hard to find in my area" goes, I'd have to say 44-40, I know it was popular in the past, but now, the only source is Black Hills and that stuff's expensive, I can't even find bullets locally, and I have 44-40 reloading dies, I may have to place an order with Missouri Bullet....
 
I like the 41 mag, but don't feel that it really didn't catch on. I doubt it would ever be as popular as a 44 mag. The 41 mag today is probably more popular than it has ever been.

480 Ruger because Ruger didn't support it's own creation. 327 mag will likely be in the same shape in a couple of years. The 480 Ruger is a great revolver caliber. Very potent!

35 Whelen in a rifle caliber. It should have done much better in the US. I still want a Remington M700 in that caliber. The 358 is another one that should have been more popular.
 
.30 lugar, aka 7.65x21
.30 mauser aka low power tok (like .38 and 357, only goes one way) 7.62x25mm

Sorry Rhino, not the same thing.
 
.276 Pederson
And the cartridge that the Brits came up with... .280 or something along the lines
 
It's the .280 Ross I think what you're referring to.

Win goes to the gentleman that stated the .276 Pederson.

Second win goes to the gentleman that stated the .357 Maximum. I cast a 220gr LSWC-GC and push it to well over 1600fps in the Max. It's my favorite rimmed cartridge of all time.
 
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