.256 Newton
Encyclopedia
The .256 Newton is a high-velocity rimless cartridge
and was developed by Charles Newton
in 1913 in conjunction with the Western Cartridge Company
. It is a 6.5/06 (a .30-06 Springfield
cartridge, shortened and necked down to 6.5mm) with a different shoulder angle. However, the .256 Newton and the .30-06 are not interchangeable. It was the only commercial American-designed 6.5mm cartridge until the advent of the .264 Winchester Magnum
. Generally considered not as good for hunting as other cartridges in the 6.5mm to 7.0mm class (such as the .270 Winchester
), it is still adequate for most North American big game.
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
and was developed by Charles Newton
Charles Newton (inventor)
-History:A lawyer and firearm enthusiast, Charles Newton's experiments with cartridge design led to the creation of the .22 Savage Hi-Power rifle cartridge which was adopted by the Savage Arms Corporation as a commercial firearm cartridge. This success was soon followed by the design of the...
in 1913 in conjunction with the Western Cartridge Company
Western Cartridge Company
The Western Cartridge Company manufactures small arms and ammunitions. Founded in 1898, it was the forerunner of the Olin Corporation, formed in 1944, of which Western is still a subsidiary, and is based in East Alton, Illinois, USA...
. It is a 6.5/06 (a .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
cartridge, shortened and necked down to 6.5mm) with a different shoulder angle. However, the .256 Newton and the .30-06 are not interchangeable. It was the only commercial American-designed 6.5mm cartridge until the advent of the .264 Winchester Magnum
.264 Winchester Magnum
The .264 Winchester Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. Apart from the .257 Weatherby Magnum, it is the smallest caliber factory cartridge which uses the standard length Holland & Holland belted magnum case...
. Generally considered not as good for hunting as other cartridges in the 6.5mm to 7.0mm class (such as the .270 Winchester
.270 Winchester
The .270 Winchester was developed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1923 and unveiled in 1925 as a chambering for their bolt-action Model 54. The cartridge is based upon the .30-06 Springfield...
), it is still adequate for most North American big game.