Most Revolutionary Rifle Cartridge of the last 150 Years?

[Swampman]

Title pretty much says it all. What single cartridge did the most to bring rifle shooting to where it is today worldwide?

 

[DocRock]

8mm Lebel. First smokeless rifle cartridge in the world.

 

[film495]

.22 Newton, first small caliber high velocity cartridge

 

[earlthegoat2]

So help me if this is another attempt at a thread like this one......

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/how-the-6-5-creedmoor-changed-shooting-forever.863136/

 

[rskent]

30-06

 

[ZGunner]

“To bring rifle shooting to where it is today...”

22 LR. It was the first cartridge I ever shot through a rifle or pistol, and can’t imagine I’m the only one. So I’ll go with the one that started my personal journey.

 

[WisBorn]

I would have to say the 30-06! Especially in the US. Most people can handle the recoil. It will ethically kill most game. The exception would be the big bears, but has done it also.
It served our military very well. All other cartridges are compared to it.

 

[Buckeye63]

6.5x55 , 7 X57 ( which US used to develop the 30-03)

I think in the USA the 300 Savage
First short action cartridge that nearly duplicated the 30-06 .. Later the US Gov. used the 300 Savage as a template to develop the 308 Win.

 

[jmr40]

6.5x55 , 7 X57 ( which US used to develop the 30-03)

Almost every cartridge developed since the 1890's can be traced back to modifications of these 2. And I'd propose that nothing developed since then under .375 caliber is really an improvement.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Almost every cartridge developed since the 1890's can be traced back to modifications of these 2. And I'd propose that nothing developed since then under .375 caliber is really an improvement.

I agree on the first part. Using less powder, increases case life, same performance in a shorter action are all improvements though.
You could argue they aren't necessary.

 

[Dibbs]

30-06

Yeah, I have to agree. Both qualitatively and quantitatively, it's become a major parent cartridge, resulted in the spawn of the more "efficient " 308. It's not optimal for, but will take
even African game. One heck of an overall cartridge. IBTL

 

[dave951]

Ok I'll play. You guys are looking at relatively modern cartridges but I think you need to look further back.

In 1845, a guy named Louis-Nicolas Flobert invented the first self contained metallic rimfire cartridge. His invention led directly to the first cartridge usable for more than indoor target shooting- the 44 Henry rimfire of Civil War fame. Without these developments, all the cartridges you guys have listed would never have occurred.

 

[entropy]

That's more than 150 years ago, as was the .22 LR. I agree with Doc Rock, 8mm Lebel.

 

[rule303]

The 8mm Lebel introduced the world to smokeless powder, the 8x57mm Mauser gave us the modern rimless .473 head diameter case still being used. I'll say the .250 Savage (itself a descendant of the Mauser case) started the race for velocity.

 

[Jim Watson]

I will go with the 8x57 '88.
Smokeless powder was coming, the French got there first by the expedient of necking down the 11mm Gras and putting it in a tubular magazine.
The German commission danced around for a while before adopting the rimless case for a clip loader. We still use its "standard" diameter rimless case for a multitude of rifles, right up to the hot .277 Fury.

 

[<*(((><]

6.5 Creedmoor it has to be

8mm Lebel gets it for me.

but can see good logic with this below:

6.5x55 , 7 X57 ( which US used to develop the 30-03)

I think in the USA the 300 Savage
First short action cartridge that nearly duplicated the 30-06 .. Later the US Gov. used the 300 Savage as a template to develop the 308 Win.

​

 

[indy1919a4]

. Without these developments, all the cartridges you guys have listed would never have occurred.

Hell with out the Flobert invention, they would still wrapping their rounds in paper

 

[crestoncowboy]

Once we got to smokeless, brass cased ammo I dont feel like anything is a huge improvement in that area. Some can do the same with less powder. Some can do it farther but more because of stronger rifles that can handle 300 mag, 338 Lapua, 50 bmg etc. But we have pretty much stuck at that point, from an ammunition standpoint. Pretty amazing considering that guns, their metallurgy, function, manufacture etc have evolved so much but the ammo has remained.

100 year old cartridges can and do set records when loaded with today's components. (A couple years ago a production 308 shot 3 inches at 1000 yards. A savage at that.) If the 6.5 had came out 100 years ago it would have been just as inaccurate as anything else in most rifles. If the 30-06 had came out last year there would be no inaccurate 30-06s. Rifles are just that consistent and accurate now and components are made that good. Just IMO.

 

[Legionnaire]

7x57 Mauser. Read the history. The Lebel may have been the first smokeless cartridge, but the 7x57 was among if not the first designed for smokeless powder, and it's success led to the development of the .30-06.

 

[CraigC]

The self-contained metallic cartridge was the big revolution. Everything since has just been incremental improvements.

 

[Dr T]

30-30 Winchester. It introduced high velocity (by the standards of the day) sporting ammunition and guns to the masses. This creates the underlying demand that spurred the latter developments. The Lebel, x57s, 06 were all
Military rounds converted to sporting use.

 

[theotherwaldo]

6.5x55 , 7 X57 ( which US used to develop the 30-03)

Gotta agree.
Between these two rounds and the .22lr, almost all modern shooting needs are covered.
What's left are based on extremes like elephants and brown bears or heavy machine guns.

 

[illinoisburt]

Another vote for 7x57. The cartridge AND rifle together represent the foundation for all our successful bolt guns of the past century.

 

[Newtosavage]

30-06

Which was a direct copy of the still-superior 7x57 Mauser, which IMO is the most revolutionary in the past 150 years.

 

[Newtosavage]

Yeah, I have to agree. Both qualitatively and quantitatively, it's become a major parent cartridge, resulted in the spawn of the more "efficient " 308. It's not optimal for, but will take
even African game. One heck of an overall cartridge. IBTL

Actually, the .300 Savage spawned the .308 from everything I've read.