Because of marketing, timing, contractual agreement, financial support, advertising, legislation, etc, some cartridges have done much better than others, and it probably hasn't always been the ones with the best ballistic performance. Do you think the current most popular choices in handgun and long arm ammunition are the 'right' ones?
Say, if firearm manufacturers did not have a limitation based on production capability or trade dress, the calibers magically appeared at roughly the same times, and shooters somehow had equal access to them, what do you think would be the calibers being argued for service sidearms, hunting rounds, military standard issue, etc?
Would there be much discussion of different diameters, different velocities, different action lengths, or would there be some commonality in brass, caliber measurement, SD, BC, etc? Instead of 9x19, 40 S&W, 45ACP, would we be talking about Dillon, 10mm, and Rowland? Would the 38 SPL and 357 both be on the market, or would SAAMI just expand pressure ranges and gun manufacturers build for one brass length? Would the military use the same bullet in 6.8 and 270 brass, or blackout and 308, or the same brass with different neck sizes? Would the 5.7, Tok, TCM, etc be the talk of the town for sidearm and PDW? Should the 223 be mentioned when we have the 243, is the right -06, 08, 6/7mm- getting the highest numbers rolled and sold?
IOW, if things are not optimal now on the best seller lists, which calibers do you think provide the best ballistics, feeding, reloading, recoil energy, mag capacity, ergos for semis, bolt action, etc - but just fell to the wayside due to concerns outside of the performance of the round and more to do with who was trying to sell it and what they were up against from a business and political standpoint. Who do you think should have come out on ballistic twins, or ballistic cousins, or in wildcatting, or reinventing the wheel?
Please don't view this strictly as a 'your favorite caliber' question, as I think at least some of you select favorites based at least partially on availability and price. I'd like to know which rounds you'd rather put on you lists because they were common enough to have the same availability and price as those you buy/load now. If you like things just fine as they are, please mention that as well.
Say, if firearm manufacturers did not have a limitation based on production capability or trade dress, the calibers magically appeared at roughly the same times, and shooters somehow had equal access to them, what do you think would be the calibers being argued for service sidearms, hunting rounds, military standard issue, etc?
Would there be much discussion of different diameters, different velocities, different action lengths, or would there be some commonality in brass, caliber measurement, SD, BC, etc? Instead of 9x19, 40 S&W, 45ACP, would we be talking about Dillon, 10mm, and Rowland? Would the 38 SPL and 357 both be on the market, or would SAAMI just expand pressure ranges and gun manufacturers build for one brass length? Would the military use the same bullet in 6.8 and 270 brass, or blackout and 308, or the same brass with different neck sizes? Would the 5.7, Tok, TCM, etc be the talk of the town for sidearm and PDW? Should the 223 be mentioned when we have the 243, is the right -06, 08, 6/7mm- getting the highest numbers rolled and sold?
IOW, if things are not optimal now on the best seller lists, which calibers do you think provide the best ballistics, feeding, reloading, recoil energy, mag capacity, ergos for semis, bolt action, etc - but just fell to the wayside due to concerns outside of the performance of the round and more to do with who was trying to sell it and what they were up against from a business and political standpoint. Who do you think should have come out on ballistic twins, or ballistic cousins, or in wildcatting, or reinventing the wheel?
Please don't view this strictly as a 'your favorite caliber' question, as I think at least some of you select favorites based at least partially on availability and price. I'd like to know which rounds you'd rather put on you lists because they were common enough to have the same availability and price as those you buy/load now. If you like things just fine as they are, please mention that as well.
