When a cartridge fades away, it doesn’t happen overnight—it slowly disappears between ammo shortages, lack of rifle options, and shrinking demand. Some calibers vanish because they were never practical to begin with. Others simply get replaced by something that does the same job better. If you’ve spent enough time in gun shops, you’ve probably seen a few lonely boxes of these rounds sitting on the back shelf, gathering dust. They’re the ones you forget existed until you see an old rifle chambered for them—and then you remember why they never caught on.
.280 Remington
The .280 Remington had everything it needed to succeed but arrived at the wrong time. It sat awkwardly between the .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield, two cartridges already cemented in American hunting culture. On paper, it was efficient and accurate, but it didn’t stand out enough to steal loyalty from either side.
Even when Remington rebranded it as the “7mm Express,” the damage was done. Ammo makers still load it now and then, but good luck finding more than one or two choices on shelves. It’s a solid performer that history left behind simply because it never had a strong identity.
.264 Winchester Magnum
The .264 Winchester Magnum was Winchester’s high-velocity darling in the 1950s, meant to deliver flat trajectories and long-range power. It did, but it also burned out barrels fast and developed a reputation for short barrel life. That killed enthusiasm in a hurry.
Hunters who tried it found it accurate but finicky, with loads that demanded careful tuning. By the time the 7mm Remington Magnum came out, the .264’s days were numbered. You’ll still find it among collectors and diehards, but the ammo’s hard to locate, and factory rifles chambered for it are long gone.
.225 Winchester
The .225 Winchester was supposed to be Winchester’s answer to the .22-250, but it never stood a chance. Released in the 1960s, it was accurate and fast, but Remington’s .22-250 Remington was already dominating the varmint scene.
Reloaders appreciated the .225’s rimmed case for single-shot rifles, but most hunters preferred the versatility of rimless designs. Today, the .225 is little more than a reloading curiosity. If you find a box of ammo for it, it’s probably been sitting since Reagan was in office.
.307 Winchester
The .307 Winchester tried to modernize lever guns by giving them .308-like performance. It worked—sort of—but feeding issues and limited rifle options doomed it. Winchester chambered it mainly in the Model 94 Big Bore, a rifle that never gained mass appeal.
Hunters liked the idea of a powerful lever gun, but the .307 was too niche. Ammo costs were high, recoil was snappy, and alternatives like the .308 or .30-30 were easier to find anywhere. It’s one of those cartridges that made sense on paper but never caught on in the field.
.284 Winchester
The .284 Winchester was ahead of its time—short action, fat case, and solid ballistics. It was meant to compete with the .270 and .280 in a more compact package, but the rifles chambered for it never took off. The semi-autos it appeared in, like the Winchester Model 100, didn’t help its reputation.
Shooters who handload know it’s capable, but most hunters never gave it a chance. The 6.5mm craze could have revived it, but the modern crowd went for the 6.5 Creedmoor instead. The .284 Winchester now lives quietly among reloaders and old Winchester fans.
.32 Winchester Special
The .32 Winchester Special was introduced as an alternative to the .30-30, offering slightly larger bullets and easier reloading. In practice, though, it didn’t do much the .30-30 couldn’t. Accuracy suffered with black powder residue, and over time, the .30-30’s dominance buried it.
A few loyalists still shoot it, mostly out of nostalgia or because it belonged to their grandfather. Ammo exists, but it’s sporadic and expensive when you find it. The .32 Special isn’t bad—it’s just redundant, and that’s a death sentence for most calibers.
.300 Savage
Before the .308 Winchester came along, the .300 Savage was king of the short-action hunting world. It was powerful, compact, and made the Savage 99 a legend. But once the .308 showed up, the .300 Savage started fading into obscurity.
It’s still effective, but it can’t match modern cartridge availability or velocity. Today, it’s a handloader’s round and little else. Ammo shows up in small batches, usually for nostalgia’s sake. The cartridge that once set the standard now survives mainly in gun safes and memory.
.338 Federal
The .338 Federal promised big-bore energy in a short-action rifle, and for a while, it caught attention. It delivered solid power for elk and bear without magnum recoil. But the hype never lasted, and the ammo supply dried up fast.
Federal still lists it occasionally, but it’s hard to find on shelves. Most hunters stick with the .308, .30-06, or .300 Win Mag—rounds that do the same job with easier logistics. The .338 Federal had a loyal following, but not enough volume to survive in modern gun stores.
.35 Whelen
The .35 Whelen had a cult following for decades—big bullets, classic power, and a straightforward necked-up .30-06 case. But as magnums and modern cartridges took over, the Whelen’s appeal shrank. Most new hunters didn’t see the point when .338 and .300 mags did the same thing.
It’s still a great cartridge, but ammunition’s increasingly rare. Remington used to offer it regularly; now it’s a seasonal run at best. The Whelen hasn’t vanished completely, but it’s disappearing from shelves faster every year, fading from mainstream memory.
.22 Hornet
The .22 Hornet once ruled the small-game world—quiet, accurate, and effective out to 150 yards. But times changed. The .223 Remington took over everything the Hornet used to do, with cheaper ammo and easier availability.
Shooters who love it swear by its charm and minimal recoil, but modern varmint hunters moved on long ago. Ammo still exists, but production runs are limited and expensive. The Hornet’s decline isn’t because it failed—it’s because everything evolved past it.
.17 Remington
The .17 Remington had a loyal but small audience from the start. It was insanely fast, flat-shooting, and perfect for small varmints—but also filthy and hard on barrels. The tiny case and high velocity meant fouling built up fast, and cleaning was constant.
When the .17 HMR came along, it stole the spotlight with cheaper ammo and less maintenance. The .17 Remington quietly slipped into history, remembered fondly by reloaders but mostly forgotten on retail shelves. It’s still fun to shoot, if you can find the ammo to do it.
Like The Avid Outdoorsman’s content? Be sure to follow us.
Here’s more from us:
Calibers That Shouldn’t Even Be On the Shelf Anymore
Rifles That Shouldn’t Be Trusted Past 100 Yards
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
