Just wondering what the pros think, I just bought a savage A17 17 hmr and instantly fell in love with the cartridge. Not only me but everyone of my friends that have shot it went out and bought one. I can't remember having so much fun shooting a gun as we do with this caliber. I can easily see the 22 mag becoming obsolete.
...........A good question and a very loaded question too. How should "best cartridge" be defined? A completely new cartridge and caliber? Or with a case design improvement on an existing caliber/bullet diameter family? Both?
There have been a few new variations in case design within the same caliber family. As one example the 375 Ruger. A shorter fatter case design that holds more powder than the H&H casing, which in turn achieves the same ballistic performance from rifles with shorter barrels and somewhat shorter actions. A casing improvement that has led to shorter OAL 375 Ruger rifles. For those who like 375 H&H ballistics from shorter OAL rifles, then some including me, would consider that good cartridge development, innovation or redesign over the past 20 years.
Though the 300 WSM cannot quite dulpicate (only but by a small velocity margin) 300 Win Mag ballistics, some prefer the shorter actions and lighter rifles the 300 WSMs are chambered in.
A good cartridge development there? Some think so and I do as well.
Imo, when there is any discussion about what is the best cartridge developed over the last few years, then any design improvements in rifles that correspond to any new cartridge/existing cartridge development, should also be considered in the equation.
Whichever the best cartridge developed over the last 20 years is, it still needs a rifle to fire it.
