Crummy advertisin' was one reason. Tellin' the customer that it was the equal of the .270, then stuffin' it in that shortest of all Remington actions, cost the round 200 fps, and the customer didn't want to give it up. Then the gun writers started givin' it bum reviews about the long bullets takin' up too much powder space. If Remington had countered with a full length 700 action they might have saved it, but then Big Green ain't known for marketing genius.