Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What cartridge do you dislike the most?

Another thing that bothers me about calibers like I mentioned - they seem to have widely varying bore diameters. I don't like any caliber that you can't buy bullets off the shelf for and be assured of a good bullet-bore fit. Carcanos are definitely on that list!

I'm probably a bit of an odd duck when it comes to this. I have owned several .308's and 7mm RM's but they just don't do anything for me. I get my jolly's from the less normal calibers like 9.3x72R, 348, 6.5 swede, 5mm, 38-40, 38-56, 17rem., 358, 22HP, 250-3000, etc,etc.

Bart

My nemesis is the 308 Winchester. Illogical, for sure, but there it is. Probably goes back to shooting a too short Remington 600 in that cartridge with a crappy early bushnell scope. That gun recoiled way out of proportion to what it was. Had a mid 70s model 70 in one also, thought it kicked about the same as an 06 so always gravitated to the 06 in a standard 30 bore. (actually gravitated to a 270, but I don't want to get the posse after me!)
Now I have no legitimate use for the ultra mags, and the short mags don't really do anything significant for me that others before them can't do, but that's just me!

No love for the 7mms except perhaps the 7X57.

For absolutely no logical reason, I just cannot warm up to either the 270 or the 7RM. I have had multiples of both and always send them down the river regardless of their performance. Bad thing is, with the 7RM at least, I want to like it, in fact been trying to talk myself out of picking up a nice one sitting on the used rack locally.
This time next week, I'll probably be loading up some more 7mm's and wondering if 'this time it'll take".....

Build a custom Mashburn CMH. Maybe that is what you need.

I never liked the Weatherby cartridges. My reasons are:

1. The freebore (A worn throat for the first shot)
2. Belts (only there on most of them for the look)
3. Radius to the shoulder.
4. Overbore in most calibers.
5. Those gaudy stocks with the inlays. Can't get over them!

I'll second the 270 & 7 magnum, mostly I don't see enough benefit for the belted case & the 270 is a mystery, although I very much like the 280!

One of the very few cartridges I see absolutely no reason for it's existence is the .30 carbine in a rifle...I mean WTF are you gonna do with it that the old .25 & .32wcf's have'nt died try to do.

Would you point a 308 Win at anything you would not point a 260 Rem at?

People don't like some cartridges mostly because they start the whole cartridge selection process ass-backwards...this leads to lots of confusion and emotional decision making;and silly prejudices,based on tiny differences meaning essentially nothing.

Can't say I hate any cartridge but what I do hate is the bragging by some folks who own and shoot traditional "favorites" as if they are loaded with magic pixy dust. Then again, these are mainly people who take their rifles out of the closet the week before the season to "check zero". You know the type. Couldn't be anyone who posts on the 'fire....

[quote=BobinNH]People don't like some cartridges mostly because they start the whole cartridge selection process ass-backwards...this leads to lots of confusion and emotional decision making;and silly prejudices,based on tiny differences meaning essentially nothing.

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I agree, most selections are made on heresay (daddy says), past glories (270Win back in the day), machoism (Whetherby's) and metro-sexual's (any WSM's). Where I live anything under 6.5mm is useless to me. In the game fields of central British Columbia there is always a possibility of incountering the G-Bear or dumb assed B-Bear. I like my bullets starting at ~2700fps, this gives reasonable managed recoil in the cartridge chosen, good trajectory with the right bullets. In the past decade at least the technology has changed to the point that the 30-06 launching a 200gr Accubond at 2700fps is equal if not better than the off the shelf 300WM. Time to rethink the game of cartridge selection.

First of all the LARGER (belted or not) case of the 7 RM speaks for itself, more powder for those who can't hear.

The belt itself is a NON ISSUE. It's an old 'insignia ' of magnum but in HANDLOADING it's neither useful NOR harmful. We now have 'beltless' magnums if you can't get over the belt.

Second if someone likes the 280 they CAN'T dislike the 270. After all there is only .007" difference.

ONCE UPON A TIME the 7mm had many more bullets weights available but NOW not so much. Check out the Midway site for both 277 & 284 bullets.

Furprick,exactly. Don't care if your objective is slim wind cheaters for target use or LR hunting,or bulldozer bone breakers,or anything in between....pick your bullet first and then decide on a realistic and obtainable starting velocity,without straining the gear works. The cartridge will fall into place.

With all the cartridge selections out there today there are enough choices to build the launch platform (rifle) you want and still achieve your objectives.

Stop comparing "this to that",and eliminate silly thoughts like 280's killing better than 270's or other drivel like that,realizing the lethal effect comes from the bullet, not the cartridge.

Once I woke up to this,cartridges became "easy" to choose.

Yup, that's why I don't choose the 308Win. I do like the 260 Rem with 130-140gr bullets, 30-06 with 200gr NAB's for hunting and 168gr Bergers for target, and 9.3 x66 Sako for large big game , 250gr NAB @ 2700fps.

I tried for years to dislike the 308. I've had a couple. My first was an early Remington 700 with a 20 inch barrel. Nice little rifle, shot well enough but it never spun me up. I felt the same about my wife's BSA Majestic, at first. Slim little rifle, very light, a bit picky on what it likes to shoot. But her recent moose kill with it has me rethinking the 308s standing. I have to admit I've always known the 308 was a decent round. It just didn't so much for me. That's changing now.

I guess I can't say there are any I really dislike. There are a bunch I have no interest in. I won't be making any room in my safe for anything WSM or WSSM. Same for 7 RM or 257 Wby. On the other side of the coin I am smitten with the 240 Wby and 264 Winchester. How's that for rational? Can't work up any interest in the 243 or 260. Love the 6mm Remington though. Pretty much ho hum when it comes to the 338 but am trying to find a lefty 340 Wby. It's a sickness, I'm sure of it.

Mart

But people can, and I can. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but for a reason unknown to me the 270 leaves me cold. I do not dispute that it is a fine round capable of killing many millions of critters, but still does nothing for me. However, I do have and like the 280 along with 6mm and 6.5 on the other side.....

Make a lick of sense? Nope.

Does that knowledge change anything when I look at getting a 270? Nope

Do you remember that the 270 had @ 50 yrs of use BEFORE a 280 ever breathed?

IMO, IMO we might not EVEN HAVE a 280 if it had not been for the 270.

When I see ONE, I see the OTHER!!

Are we not allowed to have personal likes & dislikes unless it's based on facts

I have had 2 25-06's and have yet to get them to shoot after a lot of development time so they are history. Then again, after being totally spoiled by a 270 years ago that shoots very small 5 shot clusters, I see no reason to own a 25 anymore, hence my disdain.