Have you ever looked at all the available options for cartridges and wondered why there are so many different options? If you haven’t, I bet that your wife certainly has. Here are some of the main reasons so many different cartridges came about.
First and foremost, the gun companies need to sell another gun to continue staying in business. A newly developed cartridge is big reason people buy new guns, guys especially like tools, technology, and toys. If you can develop a better tool, even if it is only slightly better, than it will have a market.
Secondly, a major buyer (usually the military or a large law enforcement agency) has a specific requirement and the different companies make what they hope is the winning entry. Lots of great cartridges started as a military cartridge, the 45/70, 30-06, 308, and 223 all go back to military origins. The new military cartridge the 6.8x51mm, the Army is beginning to field is a prime and current example of this.
This would also apply to states with odd cartridge rules for deer seasons resulting in new cartridges like the 350 Legend and the 360 Buckhammer. These sell well if the markets are big enough and they usually are. My brother lives in Iowa and has had quite a bit of success with the 350 Legend out of an AR platform.
Third, improvements to older designs. This could be pressure limits increasing, better twist rates on the barrels, slight changes in shoulder angles and neck lengths, removing belts, etc. In these cases, the reloading practices or a new barrel with a different twist could probably produce the same results, but they wouldn’t work in every gun and as a result cannot be a factory option, so it is safer and wiser to make a new cartridge.
I think the 7mm PRC is a great example of this, the 7mm Remington Magnum is a great cartridge but my applications for a fast seven would be much better met with Hornady’s 7mm PRC, better ability to load high B.C. bullets, better twist rates from the factory it seems to be a winner, if you are shooting medium or larger game past the 200 or 300 yard mark.
The 22-250 is a great older cartridge, but the 1-14 inch twist rate prevents most bullets that weigh more than 55 grains from being used. Which has resulted in a whole bunch of fast .224 caliber rifles with quick twists coming out. The ability to shoot a heavier bullet makes the 22 centerfires more viable on medium game and they perform better at longer ranges.
Fourth, making a new option for a specific gun design. The AR-15 series has spawned a whole bunch of new cartridges, which are making a popular rifle more versatile for a variety of uses. The same thing happened when lever action rifles and bolt action rifles were introduced as well. A new favorite tool came out, so there are more options being offered for them.
The 350 Legend, 300 Blackout, 6.8 SPC, etc. are all examples of this. If you like the AR platform there are so many different options out there for niche cartridges. Just like the bolt action 30-06 spawned the 270 Winchester and a pile of other cartridges we are still using to this day.
Fifth and lastly, there was a real or perceived void in the available options. Wildcatters, hobbyists who create a new cartridge by necking an existing cartridge to a larger or smaller diameter. Or perhaps they change some of the cartridge case geometry to perform to their requirements are examples of this. This is how many of the factory cartridges started, the 22-250 was a 250 Savage necked down to a 22 caliber bullet.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is the current famous example of this. Hornady wanted an off the shelf cartridge and rifle combination that would win shooting matches, so they made one. Resulting in one of the most popular recent cartridge designs.
All the different cartridges can be overwhelming if you are just getting into shooting or hunting. There are choices for every single niche use out there. The old standbys are still producing clean and consistent results too. You can easily get lost in weeds nitpicking the slight differences. If you are a beginning shooter or hunter and don’t know what to get, then I would pick a cartridge that has been around for awhile, where all the local stores have it available on the shelves. If all the locals are using it, then you know it is getting the job done there.
Innovation is good, just don’t piss your wife off a buying one of everything.
-Joseph
Outpost 95 