Favorite "whatever" cartridges...

[xphunter]

I have enjoyed the "Favorite XYZ" cartridge threads.
At first, I didn't really think about it, I just answered.
But the more I read, the more a specific thought came to mind....I am not really a "favorite cartridge" or "I hate this cartridge" guy.

I am always the guy who is looking for a performance level for a given task or tasks kind of guy.
Since I typically use shorter barrels, I knowingly give up performance, so I look for a performance level, and then see what cartridge(s), including wildcats can get me there.
Then I look at the availability of good brass and dies....Sometimes I have custom dies made.
Example: Who do you know in the 90's was shooting a 15.75" #3 taper Krieger in 7.82 Patriot in a center-grip XP-100? The SAUM and WSM cartridges didn't exist at the time.
I wanted a lightweight LR striker for elk, since we were packing in, and packing out our elk on our framepacks.
Performance level: 3001 fps with the 150 grain, and 2775 with a 180 grain.
The brass sucked for consistency, so I neck turned the brass....It had a tight neck chamber. I was still using a pistol scope at that time.
It shot tiny groups at distance...180 grain Sierra Game King

I know people who hate or have disdain for the 6.5 Creedmoor, 9mm, 308 Winchester and the 30-06 (And Others).
I have never understood all vitriol and contempt for a piece of brass that is designed a specific way.

Sometimes I may pick a cartridge, simply because I hear so many people say, it can't be done, just to see if it can be done...You never know till you try
I have never tended to be a believer of gun rags , forums or social media in general that either push or hate on something.
Actual, repeatable data? Yes
Trusted person? Yes!

I have been wanting a fast twist 223AI for a long time....I wanted it just because I wanted it.
I wanted to see what it would do. The load is almost there...
15.5” 223 AI center grip XP-100, 75 gr A-Max, Harris bi-pod and small field bag @ 100 yards. All 4-shot groups, with the exception of the top one. It wasn't a perfectly calm day.
group load N140 ES MV
0.17 26.7 engaged 14 2869 3-shot group- 4th called low
0.28 26.2 @.025 25 2810
0.31 26.7 @ .025 23 2795
0.36 27.5 @ .030 15 2861
0.37 26.7@.045 18 2815
0.38 26.9 @ .045 7 2815
0.39 26.7@.045 41 2781
0.39 27.5 @ .045 26 2910

 

[JD338]

The 6.5-284 intrigues me, especially in a long range pistol.

JD338

 

[salmonchaser]

.22 long rifle. I don’t play golf, I shoot. Once a week is my goal. I don’t care what my primary goal for the shooting day is; rifle, shotgun or pistol the 22 goes with. If I’m doing load developement I’ll shoot five or ten rounds of 22 from position between every round I shoot from the bench. I shoot an 8” plate at 100 for the .22 Cz rifle. It’s not a particularly difficult target but easy enough to miss if I’m not focused on doing things correctly. I’ll shoot a couple thousand rounds of 22 every year.

 

[grry10]

The .348 Winchester. It has been used to parent several other cartridges.

 

[RL338]

This one is pretty simple today , 416 Wby paired with the 350gr TTSX. This combo will do anything you ask on this continent.
My previous was the 338 Lapua.

 

[gerry]

In this category I like the 307 Winchester. Had a M 94 with the high comb and it shot great. Should have kept it.

 

[375hh1973]

Always intrigued by the 8rem mag

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I love a lot of cartridges. Here are a few.

.25-20 WCF - everyone ought to have one. I recently killed two beef steers with extremely close range head shots (86 grain factory ammo). I also load the 60 grain Hornady SP and shoot squirrels and chucks with it. Fun little gun!

.25-35 WCF - With the renewed interest in leverguns, I cannot believe this cartridge hasn’t made a comeback. Besides the 7-30 Waters, its the only sub-.30 caliber cartridge offered in the 1894 Winchester.

.300 Savage - Got my start with a Savage 99 EG that belonged to my grandfather. I recently got it restored. Looks awesome. With it I’ve taken 6-8 mule deer (can’t remember exactly) one cow elk and a couple of coyotes.

.357 Magnum - Although to me this is the most versatile handgun cartridge ever invented, it also makes a dandy carbine cartridge. I have an old 1892 that belonged to my Great-grandfather. My GP-100 and Bisley Blackhawk revolvers are very accurate and serve their purposes well.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Always intrigued by the 8rem mag

I killed my first few elk and a couple of deer with a Remington 700 BDL I used to have in 8mm Rem Mag. Dad had one too, we loaded 220 grain Sierra Gamekings and shot them for everything. Darn good load. Sadly poor bullet selection (pre-.325 WSM back then) and limited brass supplies caused us both to sell.

 

[Blkram]

While I freely admit to having some favourite cartridges, in many ways, I too also like certain performance levels for certain types of game.
I have long felt that the old time writers and guides/PHs had some great advice when it comes to energy figures and sectional density numbers for different types of game.

I find the actual on-game field performance to work when there is 1,000 ft. lbs of retained energy on deer sized game. Retained energy of 1,500 ft. lbs for moose and 2,000 ft.lbs of energy for elk (large bears and bison). The shock and killing power is readily apparent upon impact. And a sectional density (SD) of .250 and higher promotes better penetration capacity, with higher than this giving more reliable penetration on heavier hide, heavier muscle, and larger/denser bone. The African PHs recommended a SD of 0.300 for large, thick skinned and/or dangerous game.
As I rarely take shots beyond 400 yards, I look at the energy figures of a cartridge/bullet combination that provides these for the targeted species for that cartridge for any particular hunt. Yet in reality, since my average shot distance is just 132 yards, I am likely to have in excess of these energy figures at the target, but that provides an additional margin of safety that promotes quicker, cleaner kills, and that is just a good thing! (Although I will still look at the numbers for 500 yards in the event a follow up shot is needed on wounded game...and I will practice to this distance with each rifle to keep skills honed , comfort and confidence levels high, and verify that the holdover marks in the B&C reticle will perform with that load at that range, if ever needed.)

I know a lot people use 1,500 ft. lbs of retained energy for elk today, and I think that this is due to better bonded and mono-metal bullets in general use use by many hunters today.
Or is it really more of the fad or tendency for people to use smaller calibers, lighter bullets, at longer ranges, so that they can brag about what they did, vs practicing higher ethical standards to ensure that they have "enough gun" to properly provide for what the cartridge/bullet combination can do if everything goes wrong, instead of what it will do when everything goes right?

That being said, I have some cartridges and rifles that I just love to use, shoot, carry, and hunt with, not mentioned in the "favourite cartridge" threads...incl/

• 17 Mach II
• 250 Savage
• 6.5 Creedmoor
• 270 WSM
• 375 Win

A couple of cartridges that I have been intrigued by over the years and still want to own and play with are

• 221 Fireball
• 414 Super Mag (in a lever action rifle vs a revolver)

 

[salmonchaser]

I killed my first few elk and a couple of deer with a Remington 700 BDL I used to have in 8mm Rem Mag. Dad had one too, we loaded 220 grain Sierra Gamekings and shot them for everything. Darn good load. Sadly poor bullet selection (pre-.325 WSM back then) and limited brass supplies caused us both to sell.

The poor bullet selection is why I sent my 8mm off to Jarrett. I was told Jarretts motivation for the 338 Jarrett was poor bullet selection for the 8mm Mag. As I recall the .325 was introduced a year or at most two after I had switched to the Jarrett.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Mine is a long throated 300wsm. It's ability to run right with a 300wm/300prc, especially in shorter barrels, is pretty amazing and with less recoil too. Less recoil makes it more manageable to shoot in a light rifle as well. The accuracy has been proven for years in 1000 benchrest and the current 10 shot record is held by a 300wsm using 220gr Berger bullets., 2.6566". I have built and will continue to build all kinds of rifles but I always grab one of my 300wsm's when its time to put meat in the freezer. I have 5 of them with barrels from 20", that I run suppressed, to 26" and all but the one I built last year have taken game. A couple of them have taken numerous elk. One even went to AK with a friend and he used it on a nice caribou. Hopefully I can bloody the virgin in the bunch this year.

 

[xphunter]

The 6.5-284 intrigues me, especially in a long range pistol.

JD338

Oh Yeah Baby!!!!!
I have 3 of them currently-1 is a rear grip.
Going to be adding a center-grip 6-284 (That will make two), and going top be adding a center-grip 6.5-284 as well.
Both of these have the Borden Alpine actions.
I will probably sell my custom center-grip XP-100 once I shoot the Borden clone XP

 

[8MMX57JS]

The 325 WSM an

Always intrigued by the 8rem mag

I was about to buy one last weekend. BDL in good condition with sights with a set of new dies and 50 PCS of New Nosler brass, for 1150 Cdn (830 USD). I then was reminded of several forums mentioning a lot of these guns were a hit or miss in the accuracy department. So I held off. In saying that I picked up another 325 wsm in a m70 with crf.

 

[JD338]

Oh Yeah Baby!!!!!
I have 3 of them currently-1 is a rear grip.
Going to be adding a center-grip 6-284 (That will make two), and going top be adding a center-grip 6.5-284 as well.
Both of these have the Borden Alpine actions.
I will probably sell my custom center-grip XP-100 once I shoot the Borden clone XP

FWIW, this is your fault Ernie.

JD338

 

[xphunter]

FWIW, this is your fault Ernie.

JD338

I'm good with that...

 

[FOTIS]

This one is pretty simple today , 416 Wby paired with the 350gr TTSX. This combo will do anything you ask on this continent.
My previous was the 338 Lapua.

Love my Classicmark II 416. I use the GS Custom HV 330 grain at 3150 fps with RL19.....

 

[SJB358]

Mines the 7 Mashburn Super. Read about it as a kid, had no clue what it really was till I was schooled by a few hunters 10-12 years ago I guess. Had my first one made on a rechambered M70. Later I had one built on a P64 Magnum action. Since then it’s accounted for a lot of stuff and has been my go to, accounting for a lot of elk for me, friends and family.

The 338, 270, 35 Whelen are also up there as well. Those all still peek their heads out of the safe now and again.