The 3 most underrated hunting calibers.

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Bit of a zombie thread, but I just thought of one that's vexed me for a long time. 7.65 "Argentine " x53. Been around since '91, which is probably it's downfall. Was once loaded by some US manufacturer according to one of my data books. Depending on how you load it, it's either a short action rimless 30-40 or. 303 British, or a. 312 bore. 300 Savage or even .308win in a modern action. I'm strongly considering making one up on an old Mauser 98 action I have just to be weird and use the 174rn Hornady bullet which I dearly love.
 
HOWARD J said:
My early hunting was with a 222--MI rangers always told me the 222 was no good for hunting. 5 am during deer season a ranger sitting on my trailer tongue was invited in out of the cold. He said MI rangers buy 10,000 rds of 222 for winter deer management. WE USE THEM KAUSE WE IS BETTER SHOTS THAN YOU HUNTERS--
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Down here in the Deep South where I live, the 22 Hornet is a favorite for head shots on deer. Used by the old timers and a lot of poachers.
 
Anchorite said:
Down here in the Deep South where I live, the 22 Hornet is a favorite for head shots on deer. Used by the old timers and a lot of poachers.
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Was my grandfathers favorite caliber, though his had been converted into a K-Hornet before he acquired it, for all sorts of hunting, filling deprivation permits on deer, and for incapacitating cattle for slaughtering. He always used a 45 grain RN cast bullet loaded to about 2000 FPS and as far as I can remember I never saw him miss or take a second shot.
 
Random 8 said:
Bit of a zombie thread, but I just thought of one that's vexed me for a long time. 7.65 "Argentine " x53. Been around since '91, which is probably it's downfall. Was once loaded by some US manufacturer according to one of my data books. Depending on how you load it, it's either a short action rimless 30-40 or. 303 British, or a. 312 bore. 300 Savage or even .308win in a modern action. I'm strongly considering making one up on an old Mauser 98 action I have just to be weird and use the 174rn Hornady bullet which I dearly love.
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Graf and Sons currently sells 150 grain Interlocks made by Hornady for around $30 a box. About the same price and performance of .308 150 grains. I trust the interlock round.
 
Australian410hunter said:
Couldn't agree more.
Within their limits .410 shotguns do amazing things, that some seem to think they shouldn't.
Right choice of ammo, right shotgun, knowing your pattern and limits>> the .22lr of shotguns.
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This ^ ^

The 410 game loads I shoot carry a
155 pellet payload. Most every bird or bunny
or squirrel I've ever killed and cleaned
had maybe 4 pellets that did the deed.
They're still moving as fast as an ounce
of pellets from my 12 gauge, just not
as many total
 
Most everything I can think of has been
mostly covered
I may have missed someone posting it,
I wanted to add that despite what the
"hunting " magazines and videos say,
no 30/30 hits an invisible barrier at a
hundred yards and turns and plows
into the ground. You don't need any
special new type of ammo to shoot
beyond 100 yards. A good many of the
people I've hunted with over the years
couldn't hit a coffee can at over a hundred
no matter what firearm they had to use
 
When loaded to 50000 cup in a strong bolt action rifle the 8x57 mauser is very effective on 90 percent of American game. It's a bit large for varmints though. Unless you're constantly using surplus corrosive ammo and not cleaning it properly an 8mm mauser barrel will probably outlast a .308 or 30-06 barrel simply due to it's larger bore size. The Germans were absolutely horrible to the Jews during WW2 but they definitely have their $#!t together when it comes to making firearms. I have a Yugoslavian mauser that I put a little money into. It still has the original military stock and barrel. All I had done to it was the safety, reciever and bolt handle was set up for scope use. It looks a little ugly but I would have no problem taking this on a deer hunt.
 
I used to hunt woodchucks with my shotgun using slugs to tune up for deer season. After shooting chucks hitting a deer was childs play.
 
Mn Fats said:
I just read an article that appeared on my Google homepage titled "The 3 Most Underrated Hunting Calibers". I don't how I get these ads (I assume my search history).

The article threw me off. I assume the author meant for deer hunting, but he never did specify in the title. Lol.

His mentions were for .300 Blackout, 338 Federal and 280 Ackley Improved as underrated "calibers". I love the Ackley. Is it underrated? Those in the know may disagree.

I think the current trend towards hunting cartridges may lean in the direction of old school cartridges as being "underrated". 30-30. 35 rem. Rimmed cartridges in general. But then again it has to do with distance and what your after.

What would you say are "The 3 Most Underrated Hunting Calibers". (Cartridges). Let's say for North American big game.
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I think by underrated they most often mean “not as popular or common as they should be.” Many ‘underrated’ things are highly rated by the people who like them but may remain uncommon.
 
daniel craig said:
I think by underrated they most often mean “not as popular or common as they should be.” Many ‘underrated’ things are highly rated by the people who like them but may remain uncommon.
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You must be talking about 358 winchester and 35 Whelen then. Both terminally efficient and lethal. Don’t believe the drivel you read in the gun rags about them being short range woods calibers either. Both have plenty of legs out to 300 to 400 yards if you can hit that far( it does require lots of range time practice).
 
I am not even sure what underrated means in these discussions. The standards seem to relate more popularity than anything else. So what if it is underrated? We have so many calibers with similar performance that any variation of the common normal will be "underrated."

Does that mean we need to rush out and buy them because they are not the default or go to caliber, but can still do the job? Again, I don't understand the point of pointing out that they are and/or of selecting the ones that are "most" underrated as if that somehow changes things.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
I am not even sure what underrated means in these discussions. The standards seem to relate more popularity than anything else. So what if it is underrated? We have so many calibers with similar performance that any variation of the common normal will be "underrated."

Does that mean we need to rush out and buy them because they are not the default or go to caliber, but can still do the job? Again, I don't understand the point of pointing out that they are and/or of selecting the ones that are "most" underrated as if that somehow changes things.
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Because it gives people something to think about when they can't be in the loading room or at the range. What's the point of spectator sports? What's the point of ___________?
 
My list of underrated calibres is simply the .22lr, the .22wmr, the .410; each is looked down on by some, who have 'heard' things, file them under good for plinking cans, or 'other'; many disregard their utility. Each is a fine round, within its limits, with the right firearm. Each can do far more than critics assume, or say; each has done far more than critics acknowledge.
 
9x56MS said:
You must be talking about 358 winchester and 35 Whelen then. Both terminally efficient and lethal. Don’t believe the drivel you read in the gun rags about them being short range woods calibers either. Both have plenty of legs out to 300 to 400 yards if you can hit that far( it does require lots of range time practice).
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Hey, you left off the .350 Rem (or .35Whelen Short and Fat)!

Once again one of my favorite calibers gets no respect....
 
Speedo66 said:
The 6.5x55 Swede is certainly underrated, very popular for all big game in Scandinavia.

The new 6.5 whiz kids, i.e., 6.5 CM, etc., are getting all the headlines, but don’t do anything better than the Swede which has been around since 1894.
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You can add the .260 Rem to the list. Hampered by Rem marketing and too slow of a twist.

As much as I like the cartridge I do admit the 6.5C's advantages though, especially when it comes to a dual purpose hunting/target rifle. There's a lot to be said for fitting a high BC bullet into a short action for some purposes.
 
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