Who loves the oddball chamberings?

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1907 Savage 99 in .303 Savage
1889 Winchester low wall in .32 WCF
Rem 700 classic in .35 Whelen

I don't want to be like every other guy on the range with a .223 or 30-06 or whatever the -in- combination happens to be. Ordinary guns in unusual calibers are just as neat, I guess. I love it when someone comes down and says "what is that gun?". My rolling block gets alot of attention, even if it's a .45-70, because it doesn't look like anything else on the range. (Stoked with BP cartridges, it doesn't sound like anything else on the range, either) I like different guns, guns with character, with a history. Sometimes the cartridge that particular gun is chambered in happens to pose a few challenges. No big deal, I reload. I'm losing my taste for stainless/synthetic wonderguns, and discovering blued steel, case hardening, and oiled walnut are so much more interesting... for me at least.
 
You'd really have to be into reloading to like most of these loads...

I am all for reloading, but not a big fan of any oddball calibers.
 
9mm x 18mm Makarov
10mm

and for something completely different.....

11mm blackpower for the French 11mm Model 1873 (Chamelot Delvigne) revolver (I don't have one, I want one).
 
I have a contender. What do you think?

Hint: Barrels take up less space than whole guns in the safe.
 
How about my...

6mm Flobert Garden Gun
OldRifle036.jpg
Made in Belgium, note the Warnant Action.
A 6mm round can hit a tin can at 10 yards and NOT knock it over.


And for fun, let me add my .32 Colt
Colt021.jpg
A Pocket Positive.

Colt008.jpg
Any good gun store will sell one or two boxes of the .32 Short Colt per year.
 
50 GI........made by Guncrafter Industries in Huntsville, AR. A true 50 cal pistol that is fun to shoot.

45AR.........Fires the 45 ACP using moon clips and the 45 Auto Rimed
 
Quote:
6.5 Carcano - nobody in their right mind takes this one serious

Please tell me that wasn't a LHO joke.
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No. Not a joke and not a reference to Lee Harvy Oswald nor Left Handed Operators. :D
Asside from its historical significance as the caliber used in JFK's assassination, the 6.5 Carcano is of little significance. Few manufacturers load for it and the gain twist seems to make it temperamental for handloading, too. Personally, I have never seen one in a deer camp nor being used for compettition.

Nothing personal, and no offense is/was intended. For hunters and serious competitors, there are much, much better choices. JMHO

I bought my Carcano for about $85, IIRC. I find it interesting just because it is a mild, light recoil, easy on new shooters 6.5 caliber. Like I said, I have a soft spot for the .264's. :D

Waddison
 
Stick around in this sport long enough and the "oddballs" and wildcats become on-the-shelf commerical cartridges.

The year before fire was invented, I owned a 10mm Auto. I had to either cast my own bullets or use those intended for a black powder 38-40.

And the same thing happened to me. I also shoot a 22-250 and I can buy commercial ammo by the case if I choose.

And owner reloader tells me he knows that cartridge as "the 22 Neider."
 
Stick around in this sport long enough and the "oddballs" and wildcats become on-the-shelf commerical cartridges.
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Definitely true. I inherited a .22-250 from my grandfather, and it included a set of dies labeled ".22 Varminter" and a whole bunch of brass headstamped .250 Savage.
 
JesseL, I'm glad you agree with my end of the debate, but did you have to mention that the information came via your grandfather?

Yikes, I trimmed enough gray hairs out of my moustache this morning.:D

Back to the debate, I actually believe that the reason we have so many wonderful cartridges is that somebody, somewhere did a lot of homework.

We know about Elmer Keith, but there are lots of guys, like P.O. Ackley for example, that many younger reloaders might not know.
 
If I was ever to get into a wildcat or oddball cartridge, i would go for the 264 winchester magnum.

2,800 ftlbs of energy at the muzzle. still has 1,000 ftlbs at 900 yards. ;)
 
The Tourist said:
Back to the debate, I actually believe that the reason we have so many wonderful cartridges is that somebody, somewhere did a lot of homework.

We know about Elmer Keith, but there are lots of guys, like P.O. Ackley for example, that many younger reloaders might not know.
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I wonder sometimes if there's any unexplored territory left for that kind of development and experimentation anymore. It seems like every cartridge has been necked up, necked down, shortened, lengthened, and improved so much that there's no frontier anymore.

I might have to get cracking on my idea for a light gas varmint gun just to open up some new fields of ballistic development.

Sorry about hitting a sensitive spot re. age. I'm feeling a little myself touchy over turning 30 next week :D.
 
ieszu:
I custom built a single shot action, and for reloading I simply annealed the neck of about 100 cases, sized them down and started at 230gr of H50BMG powder (by Hodgdon) and worked up from there. We clocked the round going about 4700 ft. per sec.

Makes a huge bang, kicks like a mule and knocks over boxes of ammo a few tables down at the range.
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Haha! disintegrating bullets mid-flight. You ever shot anything with it? I'd like to see what it did on impact. I imagine weight retention didn't really occur, more like powder after impact moving about 4000 fps.

Still you would think it could have an application? I wonder what distances you could reach with heavier bullets...
 
Haha! disintegrating bullets mid-flight. You ever shot anything with it? I'd like to see what it did on impact. I imagine weight retention didn't really occur, more like powder after impact moving about 4000 fps.

Still you would think it could have an application? I wonder what distances you could reach with heavier bullets...
Click to expand...

From what the studies I have seen, it seems like either some new alloy would have to come on the market for it to hold together, unless the government allows me to try depleted uranium bullets. :)

I am not sure of potential applications, but given the speed (and a way to keep weight retention at a maximum) it could be possible to be able to hit targets at 2-3 miles, and still penetrate armor plating.

Hmmm..... Perhaps using GPS/satellite technology to figure out where to shoot, with a computer and GPS system to aim the gun.... could take down a target without anyone seeing muzzle flash or directionality...

Not sure, lots of potential problems I can think of (GPS isn't accurate enough for one).


What do you think?
 
I just bought a Wildey in .45 Winchester Magnum, which is not too common. So uncommon, I have not been able to secure ammunition for it just yet. I will have to let you know if I like it or not. Other than that, my most odd cartridges are 8mm Mauser (FN49) and .41 Magnum which are not all that odd, but not regularly stocked most places either..
 
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