MoBoost,
I'm with you on the not needing it to start with ".30". Not saying .30 is a good caliber. I have three rifles, 5.5mm, 6mm, and 7mm. Particularly fond of both the 6 and 7.
If for some reason we had to have only one rifle to do everything with, the cartridges you mentioned would be great compromises for everything. But the simple fact is that we don't. I can have a .22-250 for prairie dogs and other long range vermin hunting, I can have a .338 Lapua for killing anything in the crosshairs at 1500yds, and I can have a 7mm-08 for short-to mid range deer, and a 7mm wsm for long range. Why limit yourself to just one?
As to metallurgy. There have been advancements, like it or not.
As to the test pressure, .22-250 has operating pressures up to 63.7ksi, .243 WSSM has operating pressures up to 63.8ksi, both more than 33% higher than the max operating pressure of 46k of 7x57, and only 3% less than TEST pressures for the 7x57.
I'll give you this: while we may not have had much in "revolutionary" firearms development in the last century, how long was it previous to that before the last "revolutionary" period of development? Centuries wasn't it?
From muzzle loading smooth bore black powder I see the revolutionary advances being:
Rifling
Self Contained Cartridge
Breech Loading / Repeaters (made possible primarily by above)
Self Loading
I know it's been worked on, but I would have to say I see the next big advancement coming in the form of "caseless" cartridges.
I'm with you on the not needing it to start with ".30". Not saying .30 is a good caliber. I have three rifles, 5.5mm, 6mm, and 7mm. Particularly fond of both the 6 and 7.
If for some reason we had to have only one rifle to do everything with, the cartridges you mentioned would be great compromises for everything. But the simple fact is that we don't. I can have a .22-250 for prairie dogs and other long range vermin hunting, I can have a .338 Lapua for killing anything in the crosshairs at 1500yds, and I can have a 7mm-08 for short-to mid range deer, and a 7mm wsm for long range. Why limit yourself to just one?
As to metallurgy. There have been advancements, like it or not.
As to the test pressure, .22-250 has operating pressures up to 63.7ksi, .243 WSSM has operating pressures up to 63.8ksi, both more than 33% higher than the max operating pressure of 46k of 7x57, and only 3% less than TEST pressures for the 7x57.
I'll give you this: while we may not have had much in "revolutionary" firearms development in the last century, how long was it previous to that before the last "revolutionary" period of development? Centuries wasn't it?
From muzzle loading smooth bore black powder I see the revolutionary advances being:
Rifling
Self Contained Cartridge
Breech Loading / Repeaters (made possible primarily by above)
Self Loading
I know it's been worked on, but I would have to say I see the next big advancement coming in the form of "caseless" cartridges.
