Most overrated cartridges

[Slider]

Very interesting results so far. I'm surprised to see so many votes for the 7mm. when ballistically it is one of the best all around calibers out there.

(+1 ) I would have to say the 7mm RM is one of the top 10 cartriges in the world!!! The only people that ever knock it are the 300 mag shooters. I guess they always wonder if they purchased the right caliber!!!......................

[jdb]

I find it interesting no one picked the 25/06.

[ivarhusa]

Yeah I don't think it's that people "don't like" the 7 Mag, or any of the others with high numbers of votes. The question being the "most overrated," I agree, a lot of people think the 7 Mag. is really something special, when in reality it really doesn't have much, if anything, over the 30-06.

  My take exactly.

[Slider]

HUH!!! I took these off the Hornady sight and the 06 is a light magnum load!!!

[WDFW-SUX]

Im a huge 7mm rem mag believer

[JoshT]

Yeah I don't think it's that people "don't like" the 7 Mag, or any of the others with high numbers of votes. The question being the "most overrated," I agree, a lot of people think the 7 Mag. is really something special, when in reality it really doesn't have much, if anything, over the 30-06.

It offers a tremendous amount over the '06 in versitility... 120's at 3500 are an absolute lazer beam, and hit mighty hard for deer and pronghorn. High BC bullets like the 160 Accubond or the 162 AMax can be slung well in excess of 3000 and are stallions at long range. It can match the .257 Roy in "flat shooting" trajectory... match the big .30's in long range capability... and does so in a package that most folks can tollerate in the recoil department. It has lost a little luster lately... mostly due to downloaded factory fodder to make room for Remingtons release of the 7STW and later the 7RUM. I've worked with a bunch of 7mags over the years... I just bought one from Jud, an old Ruger tang safety gun that shot 140 Sierras at 3300+... that's faster than I've ever seen an '06 shoot a 125... and that bullet has a BC that's close to .500. It has become popular to bash on the 7mag... but it's probably the best lower 48 cartridge in existence today... even though it's haut couture to turn your nose up at it these days.

Truth be told... I think the .30-06 is one of the most overrated rounds out there... it does almost nothing that can't be done with a .308... lacks the horsepower of the .300 winny for launching high BC bullets... and kicks far more than neccessary for what it delivers downrange. It's the jack of all trades... but master of none.

[ICEMAN]

If I shot game regularly at 500 yards I would have a 300 Ultra Mag, not a lowly 7mm Rem. Mag.   

Thank you very much. You just settled an arguement with my buddy and I....

[bearpaw]

josht....I totally agree and would add that the 06 actually perfoms much better when necked down to other popular calibers.   Notice the lack of votes on the 25:06.

[WDFW-SUX]

The other thing to keep in mind is that most of the published load data for the 7mm rem mag is with a 24 in barrel not 26 like most of the magnums.  I have a rifle with a 26 in tube and get 3350 on my 140gr barnes bullets.......Im very happy.

[JoshT]

josht....I totally agree and would add that the 06 actually perfoms much better when necked down to other popular calibers.   Notice the lack of votes on the 25:06.

The more I play with it... the more I've decided the '06 case sucks... with any bullet in it. Lowly 17* shoulder... too much taper... and not enough capacity to drive heavy for caliber bullets fast enough to justify using them.

Drop down to a .308 case and a short action... or move up to a 7mag case and keep the same lenght action with the additional performance, seems like a pretty good trade to me. I'm not a fan of the .270, the .280, the '06, the .338/06, or the Whelen... the .25-06 tickles my fancy... but that's only because there's not a .25 cal on the .308 case... and the Roberts is a little long for a short action.

[ivarhusa]

Remember, too, that the 30-06 can be handloaded to equivalent ".308" pressures and get a boost in performance over factory ammo.  Not a belted magnum, but respectable energies; worthy of any big game animal in the lower 48. (OK, not out to 500yds for some critters.)

[Dakota Dogman]

Here's my take on the thing... but of course over rated deals with "my perseption" of "other people's perseptions"...

But anyway..., I ask myself in my hunting range (I don't shoot game animals after about 350 yards unless everything is absolutely stinking perfect)... what would I do with a .30 anything, that I wouldn't do with my 7 Rem?  Answer for me is nothing.  That's why I don't own a .3

If the 7x57 / 7 Rem. can't handle it I want not just a touch more, but quite a bit more... .35x

At 300 yards on 90% of game animals the difference between 7x57 and .300 Rem Super Ultra maga killer with perfect everything is pretty much academic to me.

So the big 3 whitetails I've killed, on the wide open wind swept Dakota praire were
#3) 85 yards, 4x4 - 7x57 - 1 shot;
#2) 35 yards, 4x4 - .257 Roberts, 30 yards 1 shot;
#1) 110 yards, 5x5 - 7x57, 1 shot; 84 lbs of finished meat that pig weighed over 200 lbs.  (amazing how close the 2 & 3 are together...)

Short of bears, I'm not sure that I (just me) want anything more than the 7mm.

God Bless,

[Bigshooter]

josht....I totally agree and would add that the 06 actually perfoms much better when necked down to other popular calibers.   Notice the lack of votes on the 25:06.

The more I play with it... the more I've decided the '06 case sucks... with any bullet in it. Lowly 17* shoulder... too much taper... and not enough capacity to drive heavy for caliber bullets fast enough to justify using them.

Drop down to a .308 case and a short action... or move up to a 7mag case and keep the same lenght action with the additional performance, seems like a pretty good trade to me. I'm not a fan of the .270, the .280, the '06, the .338/06, or the Whelen... the .25-06 tickles my fancy... but that's only because there's not a .25 cal on the .308 case... and the Roberts is a little long for a short action.

I'm a big fan of the 338-06 and the whelen.  Both will shoot 200's and 210's right at 2800fps and both will shoot 250's and about 2600fps.  I seen data where you could add 100fps to what I listed but I always run in to pressure problems past there.  I would not be afraid to hunt anything in north america with a good 250gr bullet, under 300 yards.  If you want speed there not your you.

[JoshT]

Understood... but if you're using a standard action... you could add another 150-200 fps to those numbers by stepping up to the 7mag case. Use of the 7mm case costs nothing, and the gains are significant.

And, for what it's worth... the only .338/06 I've seen break 2750 with a 200 was an AI version. Most book loads are around 2650-2700.

[bobcat]

I have always wanted a 338-06. It would be great with a 210 grain Barnes TSX.