What do you think is the most overrated handgun/rifle cartridge?

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Legionnaire said:
I would under no circumstances recommend it to someone who was getting into hunting as there are better options. I'll go further and say I can think of no application for which .30-06 is the best option.
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I have a different take on this.
I will recommend a 30-06 to any beginner, just because there are so many better cartridges to use instead.

If there was a single cartridge that was better at everything the 06 does I would swap in a heartbeat but since there's a plethora of cartridges that are better than one of the 06's aspects I'll keep it.

My huntng license limits me to six guns, the 06 let me expand on that by filling several roles .
I have recipes for 50gr soft nosed Sierra bullets for roe deer and fox that has replaced my old 222 Rem, several for the Norma Oryx and Alaska for moose and boar, 168 Nosler CC works like a charm for long range and I have 220gr Scenar over MRP which is an absolute hammer. All of them with good ballistics, and sub moa with exception for the Scenar that's 1,5.

This means I can use only one slot for these functions.

For me an overrated cartridge would be something like the 50 Beowulf, a whole bunch of compromises just to fit a specific platform.

Form follows function.
Design the cartridge to do what you want, then design the platform around it
 
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223/5.56 inasmuch as way too many people, and even lately respected writers, think they are good for everything up to and including big deer. Sure, you can kill just about anything with anything.....but I think that we owe the game better than barely adequate.
 
My vote is for 40 S&W. I already had 9MM and 45 ACP. Also had 357, 41 MAG, and 44 MAG. To me the 40 was an ho hum, inbetween cartridge that was mostly for more capacity than 45 ACP. Then the "O" ammo shortage hit and the only handgun ammo to stay on the shelves at the local WM was 40. So over time I found a couple 40 S&W pistols just for the ammo not getting wiped out immediately should I need some aspect. YMMV
 
They are making new ones to choose from. But just to start a list I'd say, 300 Black out, 9mm, 40 SW, 380acp, 308, any thing Creedmore...
 
PapaG said:
223/5.56 inasmuch as way too many people, and even lately respected writers, think they are good for everything up to and including big deer. Sure, you can kill just about anything with anything.....but I think that we owe the game better than barely adequate.
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I have to agree with PapaG. 223 is a good cheap target round at best. For anything other than paper targets there is something better for the job at hand.
 
I own everything I have seen in this thread and lots more, hands down the 300 blackout/300 whisper/300 Fireball/.221-300, as far as overrated goes but I have killed stuff with it, so even it works.

I am sure if you find the right liar, a squirt gun is all you need for water buffalo, so I'll leave the "for what" argument to them.

I think the posts listing ones that have been in use and have worked, for that matter continue to work, for longer than the posters have been alive, likely their parents too, are pretty funny though.

Reminds me of kids thinking "old stuff" is somehow inferior despite knowing how the old (or new for that matter) stuff works.

12 ga has been around since the 1800's, 30-06 and 45 acp are both over 100 years old too.

There are folks that are dead now that thought they were over rated but Betamax, VHS and Laserdisc were the future of cinema. Some likely thought 3 wheelers would be the end of motorcycles. All of them would have never thought people would pay more money to buy water in a bottle, than fuel...you never know about folks though.
 
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Seems like any round that's pretty versatile is going to be overrated simply because while it's adequate for several uses, it doesn't excell at any. (.30-06, .223, .270) To me, overrated would be the rounds developed for a singular use that don't translate well for other uses like .204 Ruger, 6.5 CM
 
To be overrated one would need to receive very high ratings that are undeserved.

The only cartridge that has been getting very high ratings in recent history would probably be 6.5C. But it’s probably deserved.
 
I think they are all wonderful.....I enjoy shooting everything from BB guns to 50 BMG.....the BB gun is way underpowered for whitetails.....and the 50 BMG is really too much gun for gray squirrels....
 
Legionnaire said:
I'll go further and say I can think of no application for which .30-06 is the best option.
Click to expand...
Well, If I were in a line of WWI infantry faced with charging cavalry at 1,000 yards with no machine gun or artillery support, the .30-06 might be the best option.
It was designed to kill a horse from almost as far away as you can see one.
Other than that application, I believe that there are many other options that will serve most functions better... .
 
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