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Top Five Overrated Rifle Cartridges
NRA American Hunter ^ | 3/23/2015 | Philip Massaro

Posted on 03/23/2015 7:35:33 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants

The myriad selection of rifle cartridges today has a metric ton of overlap, duplication, and some downright silly designs. Some of these designs boast wonderful claims, but not all of them measure up. In order to be overrated, you have to be rated at all, so that leaves some of the more obscure designs off the menu.

I’m well aware that I’m going to be taking a lot of flak for this article, no matter which cartridges I were to pick, so let me give you some details to start with. When you sit down to make your voodoo doll of me, you need to be as realistic as possible, I’m six feet tall, bald, blue eyes, and the goatee is graying. Accuracy counts in the voodoo-curse world as well.

That said, I have to pick five, and I know someone will come away with hurt feelings, but I’m going to throw caution to wind and do this anyway. “Overrated” is a tough term. It doesn’t mean that the cartridges I’m going to pick are bad, or even that they don’t work, it means that I feel that the glorification of them may not live up to the actual performance. Let’s roll.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanhunter.org ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: ammunition; banglist; cartridges; nra
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To: All

Want to shoot prairie dogs at 800 yards at a semi-reasonable cost (reloading). 220 swift.

5.56? Great patrol round, i.e. you can carry a lot. But I don’t patrol. Works pretty well on people at typical engagement distances. LOTS of it around.

7.62 hollow points. I like mucho.

But I prefer AR ergonomics over AK ergonomics so I have more AR’s than AK’s.


21 posted on 03/23/2015 8:13:23 PM PDT by QuisCustodiet1776 (Live free or die.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

The M1 is such a great rifle to shoot, and very accurate also.


22 posted on 03/23/2015 8:13:38 PM PDT by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - a Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
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To: Blood of Tyrants

300 WBY FTW


23 posted on 03/23/2015 8:14:17 PM PDT by beebuster2000
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Dang I agree with everyone of them.

Would pick a 300WIN Mag over the 300 Weatherby MAG everyday

Agree if the Gov had not saturated the market with the 223 round it would have died. Ballistics for 223 are terrible.

270WSM....Why?

220 Swift is fun if you like to change barrels out.....22/250 will do the same job and is easier on the equipment...


24 posted on 03/23/2015 8:14:21 PM PDT by eartick (Been to the line in the sand and liked it)
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To: Bulwyf

I love the M-14 and 7.62. For standoff shooting, superb.

Close quarters, I liked my M-4. Short, maneuverable, carry an assload of ammo for it. I found it reliable.

Each has it’s benefit.

Also three tours.


25 posted on 03/23/2015 8:15:08 PM PDT by AbnSarge
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To: Sasparilla

If you can shoot 308 well, you can shoot anything. It’s a round that takes skill.


26 posted on 03/23/2015 8:15:39 PM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Blood of Tyrants
I like the 30-06 or 308 (7.62X51) much better than the 5.56. Even something like a 243 has low recoil and is usually legal for deer (has some power). In 30-06 I like the Garand. In 308 I like the Springfield Armory M1A National Match, Loaded.

In his linked article about 5 most underrated cartridges he listed the 9.3mm. I shook my head on that one. Many fine 375 H&H Magnums that can easily be loaded down to 9.3 levels. There are many file (expensive) 375 H&Hs, but a CZ 550 American Magnum is affordable and shoots well.

I don't know why I took these out in the canoe!

27 posted on 03/23/2015 8:17:12 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For views of Colorado scenery and wildlife, clic k on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

You Fool! How could you recklessly expose those fine weapons to irretrievable loss like that? Sorry to hear of your tragedy


28 posted on 03/23/2015 8:19:25 PM PDT by AbnSarge
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To: Blood of Tyrants
A bumparino. These aren't, actually, the most overrated rifle cartridges, they're ostensibly the most overrated popular cartridges. Of these, I disagree only with the .223. If you insist on using a cartridge for purposes it isn't designed for, expect disappointment. For Iraq-style urban combat it did very well. For 500-yard shots across Afghanistan ravines, not so much. Tools for jobs, and don't criticize a screwdriver if it's a lousy hammer.

Tools for jobs. Who could take a ridiculously underpowered, ancient cartridge like the 30-30 seriously? Aside from everyone who's taken a deer with it, that is. The .35 Remington? The .257 Roberts? They happen to do the job they're designed for very well, thankyouverymuch. What else is there?

29 posted on 03/23/2015 8:20:38 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: AbnSarge
Personally, I love the .60 caliber pistol round.

Not Safe For Work

30 posted on 03/23/2015 8:22:18 PM PDT by Lazamataz (The FCC takeover of the internet will quickly become a means to censorship of dissent.)
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To: demshateGod
.223? Well I guess 5.56 is good then.

Neither has any real stopping power which is why Obama's attempts to ban it was a fu**ing joke.

7.62 is far, FAR superior.

31 posted on 03/23/2015 8:23:51 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: QuisCustodiet1776

Look at the robinson arms Xcr in 308. I love the one I have


32 posted on 03/23/2015 8:24:37 PM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Lazamataz

Nice, but nothing for the second raghead in the room


33 posted on 03/23/2015 8:25:41 PM PDT by AbnSarge
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To: Bulwyf
If you can shoot 308 well, you can shoot anything. It’s a round that takes skill.

My favorite deer hunting round. One behind the ears and down they go. No muss, no fuss and no tracking them.

34 posted on 03/23/2015 8:25:42 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Bulwyf

I don’t even think you need zero recoil. A modern battlefield rifle needs that punch you like, be light enough to hump around, have a collapsing or folding stock for getting in and out of vehicles, some inherent accuracy and be able to withstand abuse. I have recently gotten to shoot an FN SCAR in 7.62 and like it a lot. I don’t know how it would do for a whole deployment to Afghanistan, but it is really pretty sweet. There is a lot of recoil compared to an M-4, but it is a real tack driver with a low power optic and ball ammo. Really nice with a suppressor.


35 posted on 03/23/2015 8:27:39 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Gotta agree on the 300 Weatherby magnum. The Winchester is quite good as they point out. The 44 magnum Ruger rifle is one powerful round, and similarly don’t want to shoot something you plan to eat, at close range with either one of these.


36 posted on 03/23/2015 8:29:45 PM PDT by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: AbnSarge

Ammo, yes. It’s so easy to just pack twenty full mags of those little beauties.


37 posted on 03/23/2015 8:30:29 PM PDT by MaxMax (Pay Attention and you'll be pissed off too! FIRE BOEHNER, NOW!)
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To: Sasparilla

308— a fave.


38 posted on 03/23/2015 8:30:36 PM PDT by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: Bulwyf
You are right about recoil.

Love the AR gas impingement or hate it, but a .308 scaled AR with adjustable gast block tuned to just enough gas to lock the bolt back on empty is a remarkably soft shooting rifle. Much softer than a M14.

Too bad the ammo weighs so much if you want to go to war with a decent load. Running with for-five loaded 20 round magazines will beat you to death. A 100 rounds of mouse ammo is nothing.

39 posted on 03/23/2015 8:31:04 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: Billthedrill

For those long shots over ravines, the hammer for the job would be a 338 Lapua or a 50 BMG in a Barrett. Only going by what I read in magazines.


40 posted on 03/23/2015 8:32:31 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For views of Colorado scenery and wildlife, clic k on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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