If you could breathe new life into an obsolete or overlooked cartridge, which would it be and for what firearm would you chamber

[Edward J. Palumbo]

If you could breathe new life into an obsolete or overlooked cartridge, which would it be and for what firearm would you chamber it?

[Edward J. Palumbo]

I still own a Winchester Model 70 Lightweight Carbine in .250 Savage (.250-3000), and it's one of my first choices for a "general purpose" rifle/cartridge in my corner of Oregon. I'm still a fan of the .300 Savage and .30-40 Krag. An older cartridge is time-tested, not rendered obsolete by passing decades. Any other favorites?

[FirstBubba]

I've never activated the primer on one, but I have seen the .25-20 Win cartridge.
I immediately thought of a Ruger Single-Six size handgun so chambered. I would even like to see the little jewel in a Handi-Rifle configuration!
No specific purpose, it's just a neat looking little round and I think it would be neat to plink with and reload for.

[Treestand]

Hey Ed..Good Call, I like the Old 219/Zipper or the 218 Bee come back loaded by Hornady with his new powers and Teck..had a good High School Buddy take his first Deer with the 219/Zipper...The Old School Cartridges.

[etexan]

7 X 57 and/or 257 Roberts in a Remington Model 7.

[Edward J. Palumbo]

It seems like it has been a great while since I've seen limited production runs of some old favorites, and I don't know (in this economy) how responsive arms manufacturers will be to those shooters who haven't forgotten how good some of these cartridges may be, or how willing handloaders would be to keep them in service.
Some of the single-shot actions, like the Martini or the Winchester High & Low Wall, or the rolling block are no longer available in quantity and are regarded as collector items. On the other hand, gunsmiths will be happy to rebarrel a tired old barrel in any chambering appropriate to the action.
I'd think the cylinder of any revolver chambered for a cartridge length like the .357 Magnum could accommodate the .25-20 or the .218 Bee. The .219 Zipper was a nail-driver, and I'd think a Ruger #1 or #3 would be a great foundation for that cartridge. I still think highly of the .225 Winchester for many of the same reasons.
I don't regard the 7x57mm or the .257 Roberts as anywhere near obsolete and I've owned bolt action rifles chambered for both of these fine cartridges. They deserve to press on for another generation or more.
With all the new cartridge introductions we've witnessed over the past 20 years, I'd like to see a resurgence of interest in cartridges that have earned their place in the field, but I'm well aware that a new generation of shooters (my son is 21) regards these as cartridges that have long been eclipsed. Some of these opinions are based on availability. "If they were that good, why aren't they made any longer?" If they were made again, perhaps shooters who haven't worked with some of these cartridges would embrace them again. It's difficult to gauge the market we have today.

[Sarge01]

My buddy was looking for a new .222 and I could only find one model Savage and one model CZ that chambered for the .222. It seems like that the .223 has almost smothered out the .222. I always liked the .222 and I think that I would like to have one now.

[Edward J. Palumbo]

Sarge, I have a Remington Model 600 in .222 Rem that is still a varmint-buster. I used a Rem 700 barreled by Clyde Hart in 1970-71 that printed one-hole groups and a Sako "Vixen" in .222 that was the bane of Northeastern woodchucks. I agree with you, it's too good to bury. I think there's a photo or two of my Rem 600 in my profile. I bet the CZ in .222 is a nail-driver!

[jhjimbo]

I was looking for a Remington in 5mm but now with the Winchester .17WSMag coming i am going to wait and see how the reports are. I have the perfect 4x12 scope just waiting for it.

[Ol Krusty]

Good question, and honestly I don't know what one specifically I would resurrect. I guess today I would say a 7x57 in a 98 Mauser with a Mannlicher stock topped off with a 1.5x5 Leupold VXIII. Tomorrow I might say a 250 Savage in a model 99, or a 300 H&H in a pre 64 model 70. There are a whole bunch of "oldie but goodies" out there.

[jhjimbo]

Ed
Where did you shoot woodchucks in the northeast?
Also, do you have a relative who is a hunting guide in the northeast?

[Edward J. Palumbo]

The 5mm Remington seems to have been ahead of its time. To the best of my knowledge, only Aguila still produces ammunition for it, and I haven't seen it locally (Pacific Northwest) so I wonder if the cartridge is more popular in Europe than it is here?

[Pmacc60]

I would love to see the 222 rem come back in a 700 or model 7,its a perfect little round also I would love to have a new Winchester 88 in 284 win.

[Edward J. Palumbo]

Jhkimbo,
My favorite areas were around Delancy-Delhi-Oneonta in the late '60s and early '70s, but I relocated to the West Coast in 1972, only to return to the East to visit.
Regrettably, most of my family were completely unfamiliar with the shooting and outdoor sports, and few could find their way out of a mens room or a supermarket, so I'd doubt if any of them were proficient as guides, but there are quite a few who are remotely related who are fine people.

[Ga hunter]

I am also a big fan of the .300 Savage, and would love to see a modern lever action rifle made in that caliber. The Model 99 is a great gun, but it would be neat to also see it in modern rifles too!