Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What cartridge do you refuse to own?

New to the forum but this line of talk caught my eye indeed. The banter of not liking short mags, in any configuration got plenty of nods from me, as did some of the more explanative torches to the �06, as I happen to agree with the idea of loving something simply because of flag waiving and repeated performance and success, is just unacceptable. I as well read and nodded to some of the other comments about 7mm mags and the magazine writers primped .270�s.

Now with that acknowledged and said, I have to lay down my speal of what I think is the most over looked and under criticized chambering in the world gun owners closet. And that would be the standard .22 long rifle and its sick little cousins the shorts, hypers, cb�s and bb�s.

Now I admit I�ve fired a few of these horrid little liars in my time, and yea I�ve cracked a smile or twenty when I�ve seen those little holes drilled through paper, tin cans, cactus paddles, turtle heads, rabbits, rats, and just about any other item which found its way between my sites and passed the �are you willing to kill or destroy this� test. But that is no excuse for this little cartridge, nor any form of defense. This cartridge has been the bane of my shooting existence and I think it about time the truth be told and admitted.

Since the grand age of 5 with my father and his friends, standing on the edge of a stock tank, with a Star .22 semi-automatic pistol and who knows how many boxes of the dreaded .22 long rifle. My life has been spiraling around and out of control. A year later with my first real gun, a venerable savage 72 and its dreaded thirst and hunger to be constantly fed more and more shells, one by one to be pressed down its throat and sent into the targets of oblivion. To the fevered hungers of a Remington pump take-down and its even faster and more addictive appetite for the round, my life held only a few short years of not knowing its harsh influence.

It got worse in my early teens, the hunger and craving grew and grew, at first with only a desire for more feedings and more rounds sent down range, leading to the purchase of faster semi automatic means of feeding this round. Tell one day the true depth of its hold shown true, and I could no longer sustain my cravings and I tried my first tastes of real center fire power. A 6.5x55, which I sporterized, kept the hunger down for months, with still my constant use of the old constant .22 long rifle feeding me bits more each day. Leading me further into a life of unknown paths and certainties, traveling on my days off from on gun store to another, poking around in pawn shops for some new deal or bargain, looking always for that extra bit of power and powder, yet always finding my way back to the root of addiction and that little brass case with a single dent on the bottom, marking my use.

If the .22 long rifle was a political figure, or worse yet a lawyer, I know it would be easier to see and pick out from the crowd. There just couldn�t be a human figure which instilled so much upon so many, or had received so much attention from so many, for so long, and not have found itself some enemies. And yet here it is, the years float over it as if it wasn�t even aging. The perceptions and stories of it never seem to tarnish or cast any blame towards its image. The occasional grumble you hear directed towards it is quickly quelled and silenced, with any and all traces of its caster seeming to vanish as well. Now tell me that doesn�t have the ring of some black operations movie theme? And yet it seems almost the case does it not? So many being drawn in by its cheaper than possible promises, addicted to the smell of smoke and challenge of a few holes spaced as close together as possible, never whispering until it is too late, that its price and convenience is diminutive in comparison to its bigger brothers.

So short and sweet, its out there, I blame all of this addiction, with its purchases and trading, its back room dealings and scrimping and swapping, load manuals and constant tweaking; I blame it all on that little �door way round� the .22 Long Rifle, and its subtle seduction of me and so many others into the world of steel, wood, lead and powders.

Was at a gun club meeting one night years ago, when one of the guys started picking on an old coot that always carried a little 25ACP pistol on his belt. When the feller got pretty insulting about the thing and claimed it wouldn't even hurt a fly, I asked the old guy if I could have his pistol.

When he handed it to me, told the heckler to head off down the indoor 22 range and stand there, so I could start shooting at his forehead with it and to tell me when to quit. The old boy was amused, as were most of the others at the meeting, but the heckler saw no humor in the idea at all. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Not much of a package, but likely still preferable to a sharp stick or a can of pepper spray, in a pinch.

Quote

I will not own anything of a personal rifle that says WSM, WSSM, RSAUM, Ultra anything, or 17 caliber.

Pretty hard to say it much better than that for my money. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

7mm Rem Mag. Not fast enough for a smallbore and too small for game needing a "magnum."

.25 ACP is just about worthless.

bearstalker:
I refuse to own ANY smallbore, overbore artillery piece. That includes but isn't necessarily limited to the .264 Mag, 7mm Mag and 300 Win./Wthby. mags.
Bear in Fairbanks

What fun!...

Okay, my #1 most hated round is the 260 Remington. I just love the real deal, the 6.5x55mm.

Next, the 7mmRem Mag. Too popular and not a good cartridge for my area.

All RUM's, except the .338 version.

Boy, I feel better already! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

30 carbine. Not accurate enough or with enough range for a varmiter and not powerfull enough for anything bigger than jackrabbits.

BCR

NONE

Royce, the pressure swings you alluded to are one of the big reasons that i would not own the .243!

Dad did some extensive lab. testing when it was introduced, as did all the other members of Saami, and it was from there that that final Saami load was changed. Long story, suffice it to say there were pressure issues with some rifles!

A friend had a shop up here for a while and brought in a bunch of Privi partisan ammo. Cheap and very accurate if not a little dirty.

All calibers worked great in all rifles , EXCEPT the .243.

It would be stiff to open on lots of bolt guns, and forget about the pumps! Euopean ammo seems to be loaded a lot hotter than American stuff.

Catnthehat

9mm and 7mm Rem Mag.

The only rifle cartridge that gets me po'ed is the 7-30 Waters--just exactly why did we need this? It's like putting a spoiler on an econoline van.

As for pistol cartridges, the .380 doesn't make any sense to me--just a 9mm para with even less juice...

I shouldn't say any cartridge, because I love to experiment, but here's a few I can't find much use for.

1) .264 Win Mag

2) .22 Hornet (too finicky)

3) .22 mag

4) anything Weatherby

5) anything SAUM

6) 6.5 Rem Mag

7) Most of the big mags,above 300 Win Mag, as I have nothing to hunt with them.

8) 25 ACP

9) 32 auto

10) 357 & 30 Herrett

11) 256 Win Mag

This is way to easy, 270 Winchester, hate the damn thing.
Have no use for the .277 diameter bullets, useless things.
If I was given or won a rifle in any of the 270's, I'd quickly go trade in for something much, much better...like a 300 Win Mag,
King of the magnums!!

I forgot about the Waters!

As far as the .270 goes, I could have had one, (still can) in a Pre '64 with a Lyman Alaskan on it.
Can't be bothered, it's a bolt action!

Catnthehat

I was very fond of the 7.62x39 in the hands of the NVA, it's why I still live. The 9mm is but a baby .45 that will never do a man's job. The .270 is a jack of many trades, master of none.

I think the .25 acp would make a fine rook rifle cartridge. Now, if there were just some rooks...

I think the WSSM name is fine for predator control, why else would Winchester call it the Shoot'nShovel Magnum?

Arrrgh! The O'Conner .277-06 Long Unbelted Non-Magnum is the one I have no use for.

338WM--- most over-rated, undeserving, shoulder-bruising, flinch-building, powder-wasting, ear drum shattering, under-achieving cartridge ever. If the 300WM is not enough the 375H&H is the only logical next step.

Have had more problems with hunters in total fear of their 338s than all other cartridges combined. Have seen more guys that could not hit a paper plate at 50 yards with it, too.
art

Sitka, you forgot "case cracking" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Catnthehat

But it has been known to out penetrate the 375 H&H. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Guess I may have to get a new rifle before next year! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'll never own the worthless POS .223AI or .280AI.

Hey, some of my favorites are listed on this thread - I ain't gonna be mad alone <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />.