Most Underrated Cartridge

[Don A Parsons]

The Return of the 45/70 is on a come back up here in the Northern part of North America.
I was suprized to learn that it is a contender into 1000 yard long range,,, it surely delivers the mail down range with those 300+++ gr bullets.

A few folks up our way in Western Canada took this caliber on for bush Harvesting,,, they have the short barrel units for this.
One fellow has the great plains buffalo rifle with the Tang site pin and peep hole rear.
It's pretty accurate off the 2 sticks.
Yes,,, those big lead wads are pretty slow, but the big diameter frontal of bullet hits like a freight train.
Lead or jacketed dosen't matter as they perform on big game up close to mid range,,, Deer fall like domino's.
I never owned one, but I've had my go with the 50 caliber black powders shooting mimes.
The 45/70's have the advantage of fast loading and a fraction of good accuracy,,, I've good luck with the BP.

Yuppers,,, the old work horse has held its own,,, sure nice to see it's come back.
I'm sure that someone with first hand know of this cartrage will chime in with a write up.

Don't know what it is, but old school cartrages catch my fancy.

Western Canada Pal Don

 

[MudRunner2005]

The .444 Marlin was also a very underrated cartridge. It's almost all but died, other than a few folks still keeping it alive, thanks to the vast amounts of Marlin rifles built in that cartridge, and the folks hunting bears and dangerous game.

 

[Don A Parsons]

The .444 Marlin was also a very underrated cartridge. It's almost all but died, other than a few folks still keeping it alive, thanks to the vast amounts of Marlin rifles built in that cartridge, and the folks hunting bears and dangerous game.

There is a fellow up our way that has gone after Buffalo with the 444.
I was suprized how well it works.
Funny how the 444 and the 45/70 darn near dropped off the beaten path,,, I see them coming back on line.

Folks can cast their own bullets and stuff any kind of charge behind them to harvest anything that is furry.

Many of these old school cartrages broke grounds long long ago,,, its kinda like being reborn once again to pave the way into our future.

Watching the old fellow on YouTube proves there worth as he slowly Chambers each cartrage and cranks that metal gong down range like nothing.
Iron sights on top of that.

Smooth steady hands Ye All.

Don

 

[Switchback2]

The .444 Marlin was also a very underrated cartridge. It's almost all but died, other than a few folks still keeping it alive, thanks to the vast amounts of Marlin rifles built in that cartridge, and the folks hunting bears and dangerous game.

The 444 blew up about 8-10 years back in the South when they changed our Primitive Weapon season allowing us to use a exposed hammer single shot in 38cal are above, they have since changed it to 35cal are above and some guys went to a 35 Whelen but the 444 is hard to beat and carried daily by thousands in MS/LA

 

[Canhunter35]

Just read a post about hornady releasing a 230gr 338cal eldx. A 338 cal eldx bullet is made before a 25 cal. What gives, maybe I should email them again. Lol. I realize if they did make a 25 cal eldx bullet it would be to stabilize a 10 twist barrel, but I would love to see a heavy high bc bullet, maybe 130gr requiring an 8 twist barrel for my 257 wby.

 

[Swamplord]

Couple years ago a gunsmith that used to contribute to this forum regularly explained why he no longer participates...

" It no longer is a long range hunting forum ! it peaked 5 years ago and crashed downhill fast ......"

after reading this entire thread I fully understand what he meant .....,

guys are yakking about cartridges that will NEVER be "long range" even if you aim at the sun high in the sky and calculate the drop correctly, but even then won't have enough poop to properly kill the animal anyway ......

When the member count grows the members who were passionate about the groups "long range hunting" origins get trampled by the wild eyed bubbas with their run of the mill 100 yard pokers and the mission is derailed and compromised

pretty sad, but aside from all that .......,

the 300 RUM is the most underrated "long range hunting " cartridge ... it runs with the 338 Lapua, 338 Edge and 338 RUM with ease

a large bull moose crashed at 1270 yards this past season by way of a 300 RUM ....
a bunch of the cartridges mentioned in this thread have zero chance of doing that at half that distance, with some far less than that ....

 

[Canhunter35]

It unclear by how u wrote it, but if u killed a moose at 1270, nice work!
It's true that most of the cartridges listed are incapable of taking a moose at those distances, but nothing was stated what critters were to be hunted. Many of the cartridges listed are capable of taking coyotes at long range, which is still hunting.
Heck, coyote hunting was why I got into lr hunting, when them buggers sit down on me and won't come in I can get them!
The point of this thread was to have some fun reminiscing/appreciating cartridges of bygone.
I agree, some posts are puzzling, lol but that's okay.

I would also point out that there is the elr forum.

 

[gohring3006]

I agree with swamplord,
Everyone is screaming 300 Norma!!!
And I was sitting here with a 300 Weatherby and 300 RUM wondering what the fuss is about.

 

[Canhunter35]

I have a 300 wby, with a enough magazine/action length there isn't much that you can't do with it. Definitely an underrated cartridge

 

[Biggs300]

358 Winchester. It is a very efficient cartridge that is easy to reload and there is a decent selection of bullets to choose from. It is a hard-hitting round than can be used on pretty much anything in NA with the right projectile.

 

[JW74]

Where I grew up in B.C. there was an older Swedish gunsmith that used his 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser to take just about all game imaginable back home. He would build the rifles on a modern sporting rifle platform and hunted with various rifles in that caliber for 50+ years.

 

[Antonio m]

I chose the .303 British but believe the 7x57 is close behind.It is a better round than the 7mm/08 and could easily fill its spot. A modern rifle , long throated rifle would be superior in just about every way.

 

[Jud96]

.308 Norma Magnum. It was introduced before the .300 WinMag, but the lack of factory ammunition at first, the limited European rifles chambered in it, and Winchester's introduction shortly after with the .300WM really killed it off. My primary Long Range rifle is chambered in .308 Norma and exceeds my old barrel, in .300WM, by 100fps and I am burning a few grains less powder. Bertram also makes .308 Norma brass and I find it to be way better than any currently available .300 Win brass. If they ever stop producing brass for the Norma, all it takes is running .300 brass through the Norma FL die and trimming it to length. The Norma is also around .060 shorter than the Win Mag and has a longer neck, really fits well in unmodified LA mag boxes even with long, heavy, high BC bullets like the 208gr ELD Match that I shoot. Overall it's an excellent cartridge and the best balanced .30cal out there in my opinion!

 

[Jud96]

Couple years ago a gunsmith that used to contribute to this forum regularly explained why he no longer participates...

" It no longer is a long range hunting forum ! it peaked 5 years ago and crashed downhill fast ......"

after reading this entire thread I fully understand what he meant .....,

guys are yakking about cartridges that will NEVER be "long range" even if you aim at the sun high in the sky and calculate the drop correctly, but even then won't have enough poop to properly kill the animal anyway ......

When the member count grows the members who were passionate about the groups "long range hunting" origins get trampled by the wild eyed bubbas with their run of the mill 100 yard pokers and the mission is derailed and compromised

pretty sad, but aside from all that .......,

the 300 RUM is the most underrated "long range hunting " cartridge ... it runs with the 338 Lapua, 338 Edge and 338 RUM with ease

a large bull moose crashed at 1270 yards this past season by way of a 300 RUM ....
a bunch of the cartridges mentioned in this thread have zero chance of doing that at half that distance, with some far less than that ....

That's a hell of a shot! May I ask what bullet and what velocity you're running with your 300 RUM? My cousin just built one with a 28.5" Brux and he's just starting load development. Defiantly a serious LR hammer!