So who shoots the oldest? What is the oldest Cartridge you load for?

For me I think it is probably just the good old 45-70 dating back to 1873.

1867 .43 Spanish in my Rolling Block Rifle.

45-70 as well as the 44-40, which was also 1873, 25-20, 38-40, 32-20, + just about everything since then, factory + wildcats.

I guess we virtually all have shot .22, which is one of the oldest metallic cartridges, originating from the work of Flobert around 1845.

But the centerfire primer was only invented in 1868 (Berdan) and 1869 (Berdan), and I feel was the start date of what most of us would call reloading now.

I currently load for .577-450 (1871), 450 no. 2 Musket (a year or two later and not to be confused with the .450 No. 2 Nitro Express), .44-40 (1873), 7 x 57 Mauser (1892) and .310 Cadet (1900).

I suspect that within 20 years of the invention of smokeless powder in 1894, there were suitable cartridges for just about any purpose, and everything since then has been judged as superfluous by somebody somewhere.

While the term "reloading" probably doesn't apply, I did once experiment with paper cartridges for a Witworth rifle I once owned. This was patented in 1854, but of course paper cartridges are much older than that.

Well, I used to load for both the .577 Snider and its younger brother, the .577-450, AKA the "fat boy." I will be loading for a .44-77 once I put all the parts of my rolling block together.
I loaded for the .56-50 Spencer in an Armi-Sport carbine, but as far as I know, the center-fire version didn't come out until after the war.
I also loaded for a Second Model Maynard carbine in .50 Maynard, but it was not a centerfire as it required a musket cap's flame to penetrate the tiny hole in the rear of the case.

i believe the 45 colt predates the 4570 .. i shoot both

I guess my oldest would be a 45-70 double rifle I bought from a gentleman here on AR.

22 short is the oldest metallic cartridge we still have. So, all of the above, are newcomers. 1857, Smith and Wesson, the oldest metallic cartridge in the US.
Colt didn't even think the bored through cylinder (Rollin White patent) was ever going to catch on so they didn't buy it. Smith and Wesson, did.

.22 short and long rifle (haven’t seen a .22 long in forever, but have guns that shoot them- still have a case of old .22 shorts that I use from time to time… .44-40, .45 Colt, and .45-70.

The newest cartridge I shoot is the .300 BLK or the 6.5 Creedmoor (not sure which is newer).

I shoot the 45/70 and the 45 Colt but at todays velocities.
Both are underrated classics.

I guess that's why they are still around in use.

50-70, replaced by that new fangled 45-70.

58-60 rimfire in a 1st Allin conversion Springfield.

rcraig: Please tell us more! Sounds fascinating.

I have a S&W No1 and No3 in 22short 45 colt 45-70 and 38’S&W

I know that the 22 short has been around for quite some time, but I thought the original question was the oldest that we LOAD for.

quote:

LOAD for

I load the cylinder all the time. You are correct.

.577 Snider (1866) and 11,43x49R Romanian Peabody (1867)

Was the 50/70, but sold it and now it the 45/70. Both guns Shiloh sharps.

Ah! Load for, is the topic. Not Shoot. Since I never read the question before posting the answer, I am exempt from that rule. Saves a lot of time.

Oldest I load for is 45-70, 45 Colt, .38-40, and 6.5x55 (1894 if I recall). Forgot about 38 Special. Not sure when it was created but have a 1906 S&W MP 1905 that I loaded up some original lead round noses for. It's a hoot to shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
rcraig: Please tell us more! Sounds fascinating.

I had Bob Haley in TX make some brass. He used (IIRC) 28 ga brass shotshells using 22rf blanks for the priming. I loaded them with black and 58 cal Minie Balls. They are a bit of a PITA to reload but work quite well.

quote:

Originally posted by Norman Conquest:
I know that the 22 short has been around for quite some time, but I thought the original question was the oldest that we LOAD for.

Load for, shoot. I dont care. I didn't really realize how antiquated some of those rimfires are. Good stuff.

Not reloadable, but I got a kick out of this Taofledermaus examination of the 6mm Flobert cartridge -- the very first, circa 1845. I was frankly surprised.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny4VQQB23o0

At one time I had 2 pinfire guns Don’t know caliber someone has welded plugs in the chambers. Gave them to a guy that collected them.

Wstrnhunter, Well the 22 short is a very quiet cartridge + I understand that it is a great "after hours" deer round, but I wouldn't know about that.

Hmmm. . . I guess mine would be the .45 "Long" (sic) Colt, at least in a handgun round.

For rifles, without looking it up I'd say that the 7x57 is a few years older than the 25-20 and .32-20, but not sure of the exact dates of introduction.

I helped a friend get set up to load for his original Win 1876 in .45-75, but since I never did the actual loading I won't claim that one.

7x57 introduced 1892
(Dixon, European Sporting Cartridges p118)

.32-20 introduced 1882
.25-20 introduced 1895
(Venturino, Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West pp129-134)

Randy, I once chatted with an old Columbia River gillnetter (salmon fishery) who told me that the reason you so often found an old Winchester gallery pump .22 on board those boats was because it was the tool of choice to very discreetly "earhole" sea lions that wreaked havoc on the fish.

My grandpa, a farmer, always had 22 shorts on hand, and with his tube fed 22 pump could have used long rifles instead. He said it was because 22 long rifles bounced off a hog's head, while a 22 short would penetrate and kill it when they were ready to butcher one. Anyone else experience this?

quote:

Originally posted by whelenite:
My grandpa, a farmer, always had 22 shorts on hand, and with his tube fed 22 pump could have used long rifles instead. He said it was because 22 long rifles bounced off a hog's head, while a 22 short would penetrate and kill it when they were ready to butcher one. Anyone else experience this?

Thats an interesting claim. I haven't experienced it. But I do know that listening about how tough some of todays critters have become, the 300 Savage (another oldie I still enjoy) has killed way more Elk than it ever had a right to. 180 grains @ a meager 2300 fs, everyone knows that is way too slow for Elk armor.

full range of .22 cal.
45-70 and 45-90.
.405 WCF.

I forgot to mention that I shoot and reload for the 7.65x53 mauser also, I think it dates back to 1894??? It won't be but a few years that the .270 Winchester will hit the 100 year mark.

The 7,65x53 was introduced along with the 1889 Mauser as adopted by Belgium and many others.

That the .270 is nearly a century is making me feel pretty old...

quote:

Originally posted by Rapidrob:
1867 .43 Spanish in my Rolling Block Rifle.

+1 exactly

38-40 WCF Win 73 and 92..45 Colt//