What do you think is the major "sleeper" cartridge out there?

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Dr T said:
In a light varmint rifle (CZ): 221 Fireball
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I've seen someone suggest the FN 5.7x28 as a bolt gun. As far as I know, only FN makes the ammo, only 2 guns shoot it (P90 and FN Five-Seven)...so FN probably has sole rights to produce guns for it and the ammo. The 5.7x28 is about the size of a .22 Hornet...and a tiny bit smaller than the .221 Fireball....so yeah I think the .221 Fireball should be due for a comeback as a light bolt gun cartridge.
 
It is my observation that many of the cartridges listed as "sleepers" are extremely popular in practice (e.g. 30-06, 270, 25-06, 7 x 57,8 x 57,etc) if not in the press. This is more of a comment on the press than it is on the performance of the cartridge.

Maybe we should just "re-brand" these cartridges.

Remington did it with the 280 (7mm Remington Express). I recently read a humor piece in one of the Wolfe magazines (Handloader/Rifle) about the .300 Whelen (30-06).

A massive re-branding effort would give the shooting press something to write about and keep them off the streets...And we may get some new load data out of the mix and they try to extract more performance with some of the new reloading components...
 
my personal vote, maybe not as THE major sleeper, but definitely a sleeper, is the 7.62x39 round (I am a little biased), I believe its fiercely underrated mostly due to the profusion of low quality ak's and sks's. Its a spectacular deer round at the 100 yard mark, but 99% of hunters I've talked with claim its too underpowered and too inaccurate
 
6.5x55 Swede. Shoot it all day without bruising or discomfort and take anything from elk down to deer. My Swedish Mauser is 105 years old and shows its age but the bolt moves like glass on ice. Just a pleasure to use. Always amazed it isn't more popular.

30-06. Yeah, it's still popular but underutilized. In my WW I era 03 Springfield I load round ball gallery loads good to fifty yards and reduced power cast bullet rounds accurate to 200 yards. Or full house loads for the Garand that can do about anything a rifle needs to do. The 30-06: it's not just for old wars anymore. :D

Jeff
 
Then there are those guys that are clueless that can't figure out that those other guys are referring to under-appreciated calibers. :rolleyes:
 
I have always felt the 35 Remington is one underrated...

It is in todays reloading, and pistol comparison as in .357, it is way better...

And it has a real killing capacity if within 100 yds or so...IMHO
 
.35 Remington. 200 gr @ 2250 fps will take any North American game. Lots of rifles chambered in .35 Rem in 1940's -1960's. Manageable recoil with great knockdown power. Don't see the caliber much today, but a great cartridge.
 
As far as I know, only FN makes the ammo, only 2 guns shoot it (P90 and FN Five-Seven)...so FN probably has sole rights to produce guns for it and the ammo.
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Far as I know only FN produces ammo but there are 5.7 uppers for the AR platform as well as barrels for the T/C single shots.
 
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