Cartridge With Widest Power Band? - Page 2

Pathfinder45 · January 23, 2020, 02:30 AM

I know,.... 35WCF....yeah, everything that the 35 Whelen can do in a '95 Winchester, and you can use light 357 bullets for small game too. Now were really onto sumpthin'!

Paul B. · January 23, 2020, 04:00 PM

Well if I was looking to go that route, which I'm not, I'd first work up the main load and then do the search for the light load. Whether one can get both to hit at the same point of aim at some chosen distance is a whole nuther something else. What I would do is set my sights for the big game load and work up the light load to where you can hit spot on at say 25 yards. Old Col. Whelen did that with his high powered rifle and had the light load for taking small game while on his extended hunts.
When I had a Marlin 45-70 I ran a 300 gr. cast bullet over 10.0 gr. of Unique. Probably wasn't quite as fast as a .22LR as I never chronographed the load but out about 30 yard it would knock a jackrabbit exhaust pipe over tea kettle..
Paul B.

SHR970 · January 23, 2020, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Pathfinder45 wrote:And again, show us your lever-action 378 Weatherby, or else you are off topic.

The OP wrote:
Posted here because I am mainly thinking leveraction.... but what rifle cartridge has the widest possible muzzle energy powerband?

OP does NOT exclude bolt actions. The second part of his sentance puts me COMPLETELY on topic.

Now to my question: Is that enough power range for you? If the answer is YES and the OP WANTS a lever action; then the OP first needs to get a modern reproduction model 71 Winchester (preferable a Japanese made one) Chambered for 50-100-450. You would be outside of SAAMI for that old BP cartridge but one can load one of these up close to those power levels with smokelss loads. Or wildcat a 348 Win (which is based off of the 50-110 case) and make something with bullets that can handle that power like a 450-348 Ackley style wildcat.

So how much bandwidth does the OP want and how much is he willing to spend to get it.

ThomasT · January 26, 2020, 12:39 PM

Here is a good article on light loads in big game rifles using lead bullets. You already know what the top end loads will do so this will give light load data.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/pa...ll_charges.htm

January 23, 2020, 04:00 PM	#27
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,801	Well if I was looking to go that route, which I'm not, I'd first work up the main load and then do the search for the light load. Whether one can get both to hit at the same point of aim at some chosen distance is a whole nuther something else. What I would do is set my sights for the big game load and work up the light load to where you can hit spot on at say 25 yards. Old Col. Whelen did that with his high powered rifle and had the light load for taking small game while on his extended hunts. When I had a Marlin 45-70 I ran a 300 gr. cast bullet over 10.0 gr. of Unique. Probably wasn't quite as fast as a .22LR as I never chronographed the load but out about 30 yard it would knock a jackrabbit exhaust pipe over tea kettle.. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

January 23, 2020, 02:30 AM	#26
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	I know,.... 35WCF....yeah, everything that the 35 Whelen can do in a '95 Winchester, and you can use light 357 bullets for small game too. Now were really onto sumpthin'!

January 26, 2020, 12:39 PM	#29
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	Here is a good article on light loads in big game rifles using lead bullets. You already know what the top end loads will do so this will give light load data. http://www.leverguns.com/articles/pa...ll_charges.htm