Most Overrated Cartridges

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by 270person

Uhhh. No. 7RM is overrated? 300wm? 300wby? A lot of hunters and shooters would tell you different. The stalest discussions involve dead is dead and ammunition availability at Ben's Hardware store in La Crete. First is great, you're an accomplished shooter. Second is great, you're an idiot for leaving your ammunition at home/a crap shooter and ran out.

It's no different than drivers buying high performance cars on specs. An extra 5 hp, 2/10's off a zero to 60, or 5 ft shorter braking distance from 100k. Who cares? Its fun and all about personal choices.

Your right it’s fun and personal choices too....all listed above the 30-06 is equal..equal as in dead game....they should have called it the 30 magnum....would have been an even bigger seller

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Your right it’s fun and personal choices too....all listed above the 30-06 is equal..equal as in dead game....they should have called it the 30 magnum....would have been an even bigger seller

And some would say that the 308win will do anything that the 30-06 will do, dead is dead.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

And some would say that the 308win will do anything that the 30-06 will do, dead is dead.

yup, steeper shoulder angles, a little more powder and its a short mag

[Pathfinder76]

Out to 500 yards it really isn’t going to matter much. Bullet choice is of far greater concern if you are worried about killing something.

[SuperCub]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Exactly. How long has the 6.5 x 55 Swede been doing the same darn thing, and doing it well?

That would make the 6.5x55 overrated as well then, would it not.

[SuperCub]

Originally Posted by Phil McCracken

And yes...the 6.5 Creedmoor is overrated!

I don't think the 6.5CM is overrated at all. It does as well as a whole list of other chamberings that we would not call overrated and is in some practical ways better.

No fanboy here ...... I've never even fired one but I make the distinction between overrated and overhyped. It has been overhyped, but hype aside it remains a fine cartridge for most shooters.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by SuperCub

I don't think the 6.5CM is overrated at all. It does as well as a whole list of other chamberings that we would not call overrated and is in some practical ways better.

No fanboy here ...... I've never even fired one but I make the distinction between overrated and overhyped. It has been overhyped, but hype aside it remains a fine cartridge for most shooters.

Given that it has received so much praise/marketing, it would have to be much, much, much better than every other cartridge, to not be considered overrated. I have never seen a cartridge praised/hyped like the 6.5CM. This isn't a knock on the cartridge, just recognizing that the cartridge was hyped/praised to a level that no cartridge could live up to. And I consider all the hype/praise as a rating by everyone from the manufacturers, to the magazines, to the websites. I can't see how the hype isn't considered a form of rating.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Given that it has received so much praise/marketing, it would have to be much, much, much better than every other cartridge, to not be considered overrated. I have never seen a cartridge promoted/hyped like the 6.5CM. No cartridge could possibly live up to that much hype. This isn't a knock on the cartridge, just recognizing that the cartridge was hyped to a level that no cartridge could live up to.

There is a distinct difference between hype, marketing, and rated though...

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by SuperCub

That would make the 6.5x55 overrated as well then, would it not.

I've seen lots and lots of post dissing the 6.5 CM because it's the same as "ABC". They then proceed to praise "ABC". Logically, makes no sense, if they are essentially the same, you should love them both the same, with the slight edge going to availability and price.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Trochu

There is a distinct difference between hype, marketing, and rated though...

I don't see a huge distinction between hype and rating, if everyone is making huge claims about how great something is, I take that as a form of rating, as well as hype.

[SuperCub]

Originally Posted by Trochu

I've seen lots and lots of post dissing the 6.5 CM because it's the same as "ABC". They then proceed to praise "ABC". Logically, makes no sense, if they are essentially the same, you should love them both the same, with the slight edge going to availability and price.

+1 .... That's exactly what I'm sayin".

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I don't see a huge distinction between hype and rating, if everyone is making huge claims about how great something is, I take that as a form of rating, as well as hype.

Fair enough. Tough to define it for a cartridge, much easier on a tool or vehicle, but I guess I look at from a factual viewpoint.

Hype: I took my 6.5 CM hunting and got two deer in one shot, waited till they lined up at 800 yds and one shot downed them both!

Rating: This caliber is rated for deer.

kinda thing.

[SuperCub]

Originally Posted by Trochu

Fair enough. Tough to define it for a cartridge, much easier on a tool or vehicle, but I guess I look at from a factual viewpoint.

Hype: I took my 6.5 CM hunting and got two deer in one shot, waited till they lined up at 800 yds and one shot downed them both!

Rating: This caliber is rated for deer.

kinda thing.

Hype ..... This cartridge is supernatural.
Rating ..... This cartridge is as good (and better than some) as a whole list of others.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Trochu

Fair enough. Tough to define it for a cartridge, much easier on a tool or vehicle, but I guess I look at from a factual viewpoint.

Hype: I took my 6.5 CM hunting and got two deer in one shot, waited till they lined up at 800 yds and one shot downed them both!

Rating: This caliber is rated for deer.

kinda thing.

I owned a 6.5CM, as well as a 260Rem, 6.5x47L, and a couple of 6.5x55 rifles. Truthfully, I didn't see a lot of difference between them, other than the hype.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I owned a 6.5CM, as well as a 260Rem, 6.5x47L, and a couple of 6.5x55 rifles. Truthfully, I didn't see a lot of difference between them, other than the hype.

Between these, do you have a personal preference? And if so, any particular reason?

I think a lot of stuff is personal preference as with anything, but I like to understand peoples personal reasonings to better apply that knowledge to my real world setting, especially when I have some confidence in the persons knowledge and experience.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by tirebob

Between these, do you have a personal preference? And if so, any particular reason?

I think a lot of stuff is personal preference as with anything, but I like to understand peoples personal reasonings to better apply that knowledge to my real world setting, especially when I have some confidence in the persons knowledge and experience.

If you are depending on factory loads, then the 6.5CM offers much more selection, and the 6.5x47L is out. For a handloader, there really isn't a huge difference in ballistics, and Lapua makes cases for all of them, so I would likely be swayed by the rifle more than the cartridge. And for a hunting cartridge, I prefer the 6.5PRC over any of them.

[Smokinyotes]

Hmm so what you guys are saying is the 6.5 CM is almost the same as a 6.5x55, 6.5x47 and 260 Rem? I have to admit I’m a little disappointed as I thought the 6.5CM, with all the hype was the only one that defied gravity.

[Twisted Canuck]

No, it is the 6.5 *GRENDEL* that defies gravity. Easy mistake to make. I thought you Stinky/smokinyotes knew this stuff?

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

No, it is the 6.5 *GRENDEL* that defies gravity. Easy mistake to make. I thought you Stinky/smokinyotes knew this stuff?

Oh that’s right it’s the Grendel. Thinking of getting one if I go on a brown bear hunt. With it being the most efficient cartridge ever built it should be good bear medicine, even on the largest browns.

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Oh that’s right it’s the Grendel. Thinking of getting one if I go on a brown bear hunt. With it being the most efficient cartridge ever built it should be good bear medicine, even on the largest browns.

Just need to use the right bullet. Maybe one of those ballistic tip grenade jobs.

[fps plus]

The best cartridge at the time is the one you picked otherwise you probably would not have picked it .

[Phil McCracken]

All these calibers/cartridges, bullet weights...trajectories/energy...reloads/factory ammo...etc...etc..don't mean nothing, when it comes to most hunting situations...Really.

To the ones that choose the long range hunting niche, or long range target shooting, excellent. All these numbers may mean something. I salute you.

I'm talking about the most common usual hunting situations, when one may actually have to stalk an animal to get a decent shot under 200-300 yards (or less), which most can relate to. Yeah I know...sometimes may be a little longer, under the right conditions...

Get the appropriate caliber suitable for the game you hunt.

Go out to the range regularly and get used to that rifle/caliber. Once you know what your rifle/caliber can do for you, and you are comfortable with it, go out hunting and place a shot where you know you will get an ethical kill.

And to the novice hunters, find out where the best kill zone is on the animal, which are all very similar.

It really doesn't need to be all that complicated.

Some may want to stop dwelling on this ballistic masturbation phenomenon for normal hunting conditions...getting old....like me...

[Pekan]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The key word being "some". In my experience, the people that tend to purchase a 270win, or 30-06, because they have compared the ballistics to other cartridges, and then chose them, are very much in the minority. By far the biggest factor, is that friends or relatives use these cartridges, the same reason that they buy a certain make automobile or vote for a certain political party. Or they want a common cartridge, so they can buy a box of ammunition pretty much anywhere ammunition is sold.

These are not terrible reasons to choose a cartridge.

[Pathfinder76]

So what do the sophisticated choose to hunt with from a cartridge prospective?

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by pathfinder76

so what do the sophisticated choose to hunt with from a cartridge prospective?

30-06

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Pekan

These are not terrible reasons to choose a cartridge.

And they aren't great reasons either. I choose a cartridge based on the performance of the cartridge for my applications. And unless you plan very poorly, or not a all, you shouldn't need to buy ammunition during a hunt, you should have enough stocked up, before the season begins.

[270person]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

And they aren't great reasons either. I choose a cartridge based on the performance of the cartridge for my applications. And unless you plan very poorly, or not a all, you shouldn't need to buy ammunition during a hunt, you should have enough stocked up, before the season begins.

Many more choices now and way more marketing for anything "new" on the scene. No different than fishing or golf gear. Reinventing the wheel via minor tweaks to the already proven but thats just companies looking for an edge via marketing.

I grew up in Southern Sask and as a non-conformist non-follower on pretty much everything, read every issue of Outdoor Life 58 times and thought Jack O'Connor was a god, so when it came to choosing my first new centre fire in 1979 it was easy. Every hunter I knew shot either a 30-06, .308, or a $20 Lee Enfield pos from McLeods, so they were auto eliminated and I chose the 270. Have never regretted that decision either. Only big game animals in South Sask then were whitetails, pronghorn, and muleys and the .270 fit all of them and the landscape perfectly. Surprisingly it wasn't that popular in my area back then but that just made it sexier. My choice likely wouldn't have been different if elk and moose were as prevalent in the grasslands as they are now either. Fort de la Corne was a long haul from where I was and hunter numbers were stupid so elk weren't an option.

Nobody chose a big game rifle based on ballistics in the 60's and 70's because there weren't many bullets available to prop ballistics, synthetic stocks were unheard of, 4x scopes ruled the world, and recoil pads were mostly made of metal. Different times.

Now my #1 rifle cartridge is #1 for a reason. The animals and areas I hunt them in have changed and it is accomplished at every single one. Its THE best fit for every variety of game in Alberta of any cartridge out there and thats the 7RM. It's quite simply the best combination of everything from long range to short range to ballistics to speed to easily manageable recoil to bullet availability and what they do when they arrive on target. My 7's aren't necessarily my favorite rifles, that will always be my Whelen, but 90% of the time they're what comes out of the safe at hunt time.

In the end its not the cartridge that makes the shooter or the hunter. IMO its the rifle. How it fits and how capably You shoot it is a lot more important than What it shoots. Your mileage may vary of course.

[Pathfinder76]

Cartridges are more alike than different.

What makes a cartridge ballistically a better choice for hunting certain conditions?

I have two very similar hunting rifles. One is chambered for the 30-06, one the 7mm RM. One shoots 168gr bullets just over 2900 fps. The other 168 gr bullets just over 3000 fps. Where does one become noticeably better in the field than the other?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Cartridges are more alike than different.

What makes a cartridge ballistically a better choice for hunting certain conditions?

I have two very similar hunting rifles. One is chambered for the 30-06, one the 7mm RM. One shoots 168gr bullets just over 2900 fps. The other 168 gr bullets just over 3000 fps. Where does one become noticeably better in the field than the other?

I have to agree.
Killing a critter ( any critter) has never been more simple as it ever has , yet for some, more complicated .
Cat

[Vigsy]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Cartridges are more alike than different.

What makes a cartridge ballistically a better choice for hunting certain conditions?

I have two very similar hunting rifles. One is chambered for the 30-06, one the 7mm RM. One shoots 168gr bullets just over 2900 fps. The other 168 gr bullets just over 3000 fps. Where does one become noticeably better in the field than the other?

oh my goodness obviously the frontal diameter