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Odd/Obsolete Calibers

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348Winchester

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Do any of you ever hunt with any off the wall calibered rifles?

I collect classic deer rifles and hunt with them frequently. Some of these rifles come in odd calibers that must be reloaded for or fatory ammo is scarce and pricey.

There is a particular pleasure that arises from hunting with a rifle from another era. Some of the calibers I have taken deer with are...

348 WCF
32 Spl
25-35 WCF
30-40 Krag
44-40 WCF
38-55 WCF
401 self-loader
 
First rifle I ever carried deer hunting was a borrowed 32 special. Didn't get to shoot at anything but it was a nice old rifle. I'm thinking it was a lever action Winchester?
 
I have killed deer with a .44-40. Killed a bunch with .35 rem, but that is not as unusual.
 
I have an old 25-20 that belonged to my great grandmother. I've always wanted to kill a deer with it but ballistically it's the worst caliber ever made. For a 500 yard shot I think hold over is something like 18 feet.
 
I shot my biggest buck with my great-grandfather's Remington Model 14 pump-action in 32 Rimless, which he purchased from the Montgomery Ward's catalog in 1914. I had to find reloading dies and reload the rounds myself.
 
Mike Belt said:
I have an old 25-20 that belonged to my great grandmother. I've always wanted to kill a deer with it but ballistically it's the worst caliber ever made. For a 500 yard shot I think hold over is something like 18 feet.
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I never killed a deer with it. 50 yds though it would shoot good.
 
I don;t use any odd ball calibers. I do have some military guns though. one is 7.62 x 54 I think it is called the Russian 30-06. I found soft point ammo for it and may give it a whirl this year.

As an aside. I don't think i have ever heard of the calibers listed in the original post....
 
Several in my family use wildcat rounds. We've got a 357 Herrett, a 7x30 Waters, and a 7mm TCU.
 
KENBOB10 said:
I used to have a 25/20. Good shooting rifle, but shells were hard to find. The "Jordan" buck was killed with this caliber.
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i've got my grandpaw's old rifle in that caliber. never fired it though.
 
One of the 1st guns I hunted with was a 7.7 Jap rifle. Got it because it was cheap. I soon found out why it was. Ammo was outrageous. $42 a box and that was long ago. Great shooting gun though.
 
I love lever actions and use a few that are odd ball.
444 Marlin
.375 Winchester(souped up .38-55)
.45-70
In a bolt action I love the 8mm Mauser. I have a Remington 700 Classic chambered for it and its a neat rifle.

All of these are made better thru reloading but that keeps me involved year round and makes it even more fun.

Would love to have a Model 71.348 Winchester and I still kick myself for not buying one back when they could be had for a mere grand.
 
I once had a .30 herret, a .357 herret in tc contender. I now own what used to be called a .25 Nieder I believe. trivia question... anyone know what it is called now?
 
My three odd ones to pass on that were passed to me
30/40 Krag
351 win
22 JetMag killed my first deer with this
 
bigrob said:
BSK that 7x30 waters is a bad to the bone round. I have one In a TC contender
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Yup, love that round. And all the wildcat calibers I mentioned are for Contenders. Myself and my two brothers all hunted exclusively with Contenders for awhile.
 
Bone Collector said:
I don;t use any odd ball calibers. I do have some military guns though. one is 7.62 x 54 I think it is called the Russian 30-06. I found soft point ammo for it and may give it a whirl this year.

As an aside. I don't think i have ever heard of the calibers listed in the original post....
Click to expand...
mike bellm is rechambering these now in the tc encore
 

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