Ask Ian - What Was the Best WW2 Rifle Cartridge?

I can't believe nobody's mentioned 7.62 by 54r longest produced and still deployed cartridge in the world

.45acp

7.62 x 54R

8mm mauser was a beast

30-06 Springfield for the win.

Japanese 6.5 mm?

There’s something awesome about .30-06, a popular hunting round, being used in the M1 Garand, Springfield, BAR, and M1919.

30-06.

Not 30-06?

The best WW2 cartridge was 30-06.

6.5 Japanese or 6.5 Swedish for bolt action and semi auto rifle.

Why not 7,92 × 33 mm?

Can't argue with Ian. Although, my first thought was 7.5 Frech. Its almost 7.62 Nato, which dominated for the next couple of decades. After that I would have gone with 30 carbine. Admittedly, It is a bit underpowered for most expansive battle fields but jungles and in urban settings, it does well.

7mm Mauser is my pick

30.06 😊🫡

Which cartridge jammed the less?

The cartridge that won.... 30-06

British .303 and the mad minute would disagree

The army wanted to develop the 276 cartridge back in 1926 . Mcarthur said no . He wanted to use up existing stockpiles of 30.06. In .276 it was more rounds per man and more rounds per clip.

6.5 carcano was the most advanced. Gain twist rifling and a very good ballistic coefficient. Much like 6.5 creedmore today only withbigger longer bullet facilitated by gain twist rifling

Well if we're gonna go with 8mm mauser short, then I would say the MG34 or 42. Based on fire power and lethality over a longer range VS a medium ranged cartridge. Not to say that the stg.44 isnt a fantastic and very lethal and effective rifle,,, but,, If I can effectively suppress and take out a threat further out,, then I would feel a lot more safer than having to use a less effective at longer range cartridge to do the same at some targets that are much closer and pose much More of a threat.

Prefer .30-06 myself

German 8mm - end of discussion.

I take GP11 🇨🇭❤️

I haven’t this yet but knowing Ian its probably French 🤷‍♂️

.303 for me delivered via enfield, mad minute

Easy 3006

What about the 7.5 Swiss ?

7.62x54r seems to be the most widely used cartridge. Its definitely the oldest with ma y different variances..Being used in many different Countries.

This would have been a far better and more effective discussion had you had examples of what you were talking about either on display in front of you or in cuts to images of the ammunition with yourself as narrator in voice-over. Your knowledge is reduced to pedantics because you are unable to visually confirm your opinions with concrete examples.

G.K. USA. I pick the 6.5 Swedish and/or the 7mm. Mauser. Save the 30-06 for the machine guns. I think that the powder charge for the M1 Garand ammo had to be reduced to prevent excessive wear.

So..a .308 Garand or BAR.

The question was "What was the best cartridge for the infantry rifle" NOT which is best for the war effort. So - ignore machine guns. Anyway - you're wrong - it was the .303. It had more power.

Commonality with the squad machine gun. Has to be full power. In the hands of the average squaddie they all do much the same. 7.65 x 53 Mauser with WW2 powders, or alternatively, whatever you have a lot of. There’s no such thing as the ideal cartridge but the 8mm Kurz is a great pick for a personal weapon. All of this with 20/20 hindsight! 👍🏻

30.06

Why didn't the Italians design a semi-auto carcano?

Swedes did a BAR in 6.5x55mm + made it belt fed... eventually became the GPMG (MAG58)

Disagree. 6.5 Arisaka had low recoil, low flash, excellent ballistics, and excellent terminal performance.

❤

I've fired the 7.35 Carcano, and while it might not be as powerful as the 30-06, that light rifle and metal buttplate combined with a still powerful cartridge, made my shoulder hurt so bad I sold the damn rifle in short order.

Good video.

Trying to use 1 cartidge for everything from a sub-machinegun (like with the AK) and AA machine guns was just never going to work.

Before I watch this I’m guessing 30.06

Visualization could be so nice...😢

6.5mm Swedish was actually used in most army machine guns and in the Swedish BAR. It worked splendidly. However the powerful 8mm was used in (twin) AA-machineguns, in fighterplanes, tanks and boats.

I find it pretty funny that despite not even being mentioned as a contender or being any good and discredited for being a rimmed cartridge, 7.62 by 54 is the only one still in standard use.

.30 carbine.

Spain, 7mm Mauser.

Best cartridge depends on many factors.