The savvy hunter will take some time in cartridge selection...FIrst, it must be suitable to the game he is after, second, it must be capable in the terrain he may be hunting. A good "bush" cartridge is not the same as a good "mountain" or "open terrain" cartridge, although all may kill thier quarry at close range.
Availability of factory ammo and/or brass must be a consideration, as is availability of their chosen cartridge in their chosen style of rifle.
All this is very important, but none is more important than the "Koolness" factor. This is what really matters...In fact, if you are using a cartridge that you don't believe is Kool, you are short changing yourself...
Since the .30 calibers are a 'universal" North American caliber, I will comment on them, mostly in "sporting" cartridges:
30-30
If you have a 30-30 lever action (and many do) you are not Kool. Sorry...Yes, it works great in it's parameters, but uncool. Now, if you have a 30-30 bolt action or single shot..Whoa, you are in Kool land.
.308
Not Kool. Maybe in a HB bolt action "sniper" rig, it's cool, but barely. Still more cool than a .30-06 I guess...Efficient and capable cartridge, of course, but lacking that Kool factor unless housed in some semi auto like a M-14.
30-06
About as UNKOOL as you can get, if housed in a typical bolt action. If it is in a M1 Garand, it gets cool points. If it's a Mdl 1895 Lever action, you are into full on Koolness, and it's about as Kool as a 30-06 will ever be...
.300H&H
Very Kool. Mostly because it's hardly around much these days. Just about any rifle in this chambering is gonna be Kool
300RSAUM
Kool. Basically a complete flop via marketing, but it's Kool because of that, and it's a great short action "magnum"
.308 Norma
Kool...Not many use it, but it's a good cartridge. Very Kool if you where to have a new rifle built for it.
.300WSM
King of Koolness. Widely accepted, it is the cartridge that made the *new* wave of "short and fat" cartridges supremely popular. Plus, I have one, so it makes it reeeal Kool..
.300 Winchester Magnum
A very capable cartridge, it would be Kool, except so many of the people using it are retards. I don't know how many times I've heard stupid crap like "I can't believe it didn't fall down! I shot it with my 300 MAG"
This isn't the fault of the cartridge, of course, but the amount of losers thinking that the "300 MAG" has some mystical killing properties is a turn off...
.300 Weatherby
In many respects, this is the KING of the .300's...Not as popular these days, but it's Kool. Too bad most that buy them either can't handle them, or can't use it's abilities. Pretty Kool, if you know what you are doing. The rest get scope eye.
.300RUM and 30-378
Too much of a good thing for 90% of the people that buy them, which makes it unkool. However, for the 10% than CAN use them properly, they are Kool.
A very Kool cartridge, made UnKool by the proliferation of SMLE's. Sure, the SMLE is a great battle rifle, and been used to great effect in the hunting field, but a modern bolt action .303 British would be one of those extra super Kool firearms...
7.62x39
Much maligned, because of the ugly (but capable) SKS and AK rifles, in a bolt action it is a great medium range hunting cartridge. kool in the bolt action, unkool in the sks...
Yes, i missed few...And your opinions may differ (can't wait to hear the "Every thing I shot with my 30-06 has gone down" comments)
But the truth is, unless you agree with my assessments, you are un KOOL. Sorry about that...
Availability of factory ammo and/or brass must be a consideration, as is availability of their chosen cartridge in their chosen style of rifle.
All this is very important, but none is more important than the "Koolness" factor. This is what really matters...In fact, if you are using a cartridge that you don't believe is Kool, you are short changing yourself...
Since the .30 calibers are a 'universal" North American caliber, I will comment on them, mostly in "sporting" cartridges:
30-30
If you have a 30-30 lever action (and many do) you are not Kool. Sorry...Yes, it works great in it's parameters, but uncool. Now, if you have a 30-30 bolt action or single shot..Whoa, you are in Kool land.
.308
Not Kool. Maybe in a HB bolt action "sniper" rig, it's cool, but barely. Still more cool than a .30-06 I guess...Efficient and capable cartridge, of course, but lacking that Kool factor unless housed in some semi auto like a M-14.
30-06
About as UNKOOL as you can get, if housed in a typical bolt action. If it is in a M1 Garand, it gets cool points. If it's a Mdl 1895 Lever action, you are into full on Koolness, and it's about as Kool as a 30-06 will ever be...
.300H&H
Very Kool. Mostly because it's hardly around much these days. Just about any rifle in this chambering is gonna be Kool
300RSAUM
Kool. Basically a complete flop via marketing, but it's Kool because of that, and it's a great short action "magnum"
.308 Norma
Kool...Not many use it, but it's a good cartridge. Very Kool if you where to have a new rifle built for it.
.300WSM
King of Koolness. Widely accepted, it is the cartridge that made the *new* wave of "short and fat" cartridges supremely popular. Plus, I have one, so it makes it reeeal Kool..
.300 Winchester Magnum
A very capable cartridge, it would be Kool, except so many of the people using it are retards. I don't know how many times I've heard stupid crap like "I can't believe it didn't fall down! I shot it with my 300 MAG"
This isn't the fault of the cartridge, of course, but the amount of losers thinking that the "300 MAG" has some mystical killing properties is a turn off...
.300 Weatherby
In many respects, this is the KING of the .300's...Not as popular these days, but it's Kool. Too bad most that buy them either can't handle them, or can't use it's abilities. Pretty Kool, if you know what you are doing. The rest get scope eye.
.300RUM and 30-378
Too much of a good thing for 90% of the people that buy them, which makes it unkool. However, for the 10% than CAN use them properly, they are Kool.
A very Kool cartridge, made UnKool by the proliferation of SMLE's. Sure, the SMLE is a great battle rifle, and been used to great effect in the hunting field, but a modern bolt action .303 British would be one of those extra super Kool firearms...
7.62x39
Much maligned, because of the ugly (but capable) SKS and AK rifles, in a bolt action it is a great medium range hunting cartridge. kool in the bolt action, unkool in the sks...
Yes, i missed few...And your opinions may differ (can't wait to hear the "Every thing I shot with my 30-06 has gone down" comments)
But the truth is, unless you agree with my assessments, you are un KOOL. Sorry about that...
