Weatherby MK V Serial Collection: Introduced: Discontinued: Mfg. Source: Action: Model: Serial Numbers: Calibers: 1958: 1959: Wby South Gate USA: Mark V. Home / Rifles / Weatherby Model MarkV in 378 Weatherby. Includes Swarovski 4x scope. Serial Number:H139267. Weatherby Model MarkV in 378 Weatherby. Includes Swarovski 4x scope. Serial Number:H139267. Category: Rifles.
Chino, The numbers can be very confusing, although there are a few rules of thumb. Keep in mind that many of these 'rules' are broken by one or more calibers, so these are just a guideline. A 30-30 Winchester is called that because it was originally a 30 caliber bullet loaded with 30 grains of black powder. This was in the years prior to smokeless powder becoming very popular. Other examples of guns using this type of naming are the 45-70, 44/40, 38/55 and 25-20.
Some guns have a very similar name to those above, but do not mean the same thing. A 30-'06 is a 30 caliber cartridge that was standardized by the U.S. Military in 1906. A 25-'06 is a 25 caliber that was formed from the 30-'06 case.
The 6.5-284 Winchester is also an example of a cartridge named by the caliber and parent case it was formed from. However, the 250-3000 Savage is so named because it was a 25 caliber that drove an 87gr bullet at 3,000fps.few rounds are named this way. Most of the modern center-fire rifle rounds we shoot today follow the pattern of listing the caliber, or exact groove diameter, followed by the name of the company, or person, who created/standardized that round.
The 270 Winchester, 7MM Remington Magnum, 300 Weatherby and 375 Holland & Holland are all examples of cartridges named in this manner. Many of the common European cartridges are named by first listing the caliber and then the case length, both in millimeters.
The 7x57 Mauser, 6.5x55 Mauser, 7.62x54R (R being a rimmed case) and 7.62x39 are just a few of many rounds so named. Download Driver Encore N150 there. Some rounds, like the 308 Winchester are also known by their NATO designation, 7.62x51. So, as you can see, there isn't exactly a predictable pattern for how a given cartridge is named. I've always been fascinated by cartridge names, their history and how they compare to other cartridges, both old and new. American descriptions of cartridges can be rather overwhelming for a lot of people.
Sometimes they mean what they say and sometimes they make no sense at all, in my opinion. First off, a lot of the older cartridges were named by the bullet diameter and the charge of black powder used to fire the cartridge. 30-30; was.30 caliber with 30 grains of black powder. 45-70, 45-90, 45-110; was.45 caliber with either 70, 90, or 110 grains of black powder. Magnum cartridges were named after the british 'Magnum' bottles of champagne, which were larger than the regular cartridge of similar type.
The term started with the big game African hunters who needed extra powered cartridges for the large African game. Non-American cartridges, in general, make more sense. 7x57, 6.5x55, 7.62x39. They all start with the metric equivalent of the diameter of the bullet and the overall length of the case. This is the standard sizing of most of the European cartridges. Where it gets screwed up is when the American cartridge companies try to name something that either ballistically matches another cartridge or does not sound 'exciting enough' to the powers that be.
Take for instance the.44 Mag. It actually uses a.429 bullet. Where does that come from?? A 45 long colt will work with either a.452,.453, or.454 bullet, depending on who made the barrel and how old the firearm is. It has always amazed me the different names that cartidges have that use the same bullet.
For example; 6.5,.264, and 260. They all use the same diameter bullet, but they have different nomenclature all dependant upon the developing company. This is by no means a total description of cartridges and their naming history. But I hope this lends some usefulness in your understanding.
Every cartridge is named differently. In the case of the 30 -30 and 45/70, the first number is the caliber of the bullet like the 22 and the 2nd number is the number of grains of black powder they took when they were developed. Not all cartridges with 2 sets of numbers are that way though.
An example is the 250 Savage, also callled 250-3000. In that case, the original load was a 25 cal bullet pushed 3000 feet per second. Cartridges developed with smokeless powder generally do not have the extra set of numbers.