Well, hate may be a strong word. But it makes for a good click-bait.
In any case, lately I have been running into people who, when asked, what rifle caliber they would like to buy now, reply .308 Winchester. Now, do not get me wrong, I not only like the .308 fundamentally as a cartridge and always wanted a rifle chambered in one, but I even own a few. However, having had and still owning several, every time I get one, I wonder why I bothered. I need one for Palma style/FTR matches. But for hunting, if I shoot .30 cal, I shoot .30-06. If I wanted more power and recoil, I'd shoot .300WM or .300WSM or .300 PRC. I do not want/need that. So ought-six it is. Pretty much same availability as .308, pretty much the same price, pretty much the same choice of bullets. Actually better I'd say. So why would anyone need or want the .308? Ugly ass, short cartridge.
I also do not like .243 Win. And when I remember it is based on .308, I dislike it even more. What do you need 6mm for anyway? If I was hunting smaller animals in Europe, I'd use 6.5 of some kind. Probably 6.5x57. Or 6.5x55. Or maybe even that 6.5 Creedmoor.
I hate .25-06, yet my buddy kills deer and elk with it at distance on regular basis.
I hate .270 Win. Just Weird caliber to me. Too much recoil and blast for what it is. Plus everyone loves it "sooo much".
I used to hate 6.5 Creedmoor without ever even firing or seeing one. Probably because everyone liked it "sooo much", like the .270. So, I decided to get one to be able to substantiate my "hate". Well, it turns out, it's falling into the same bucket as the .308. Nice, yet nothing special. Wanted to hunt with it this season but did not get out enough, so was not successful in filling my tags. So, jury is still out. But it only sends 140gr bullet at 2625 out of my 20" barrel. Switching to 130gr Terminal Ascent, I can send it at 2718fps, so good enough to 400m or so. But even if it kills deer well, I hate Short Actions and will go back to 7mm for hunting...wait, maybe that is why I do not like the .308 or .243. Maybe it's that one is really limited by the COAL of these. But at least I like the 6.5CM more than the .308 and will probably use it to replace 6.5x55 to punch paper and shoot occasional coyote.
I dunno. I also hate .416 Rigby. I like how it looks, I hate the recoil, muzzle blast and concussion.
I also do not like Weatherby cartridges, belted cartridges (except .375H&H, .458 Lott), magnum cartridges, big kickers - like the .416 (except .458 Lott and have yet to try .404 Jeffery), rimmed cartridges, any weird ones. I almost wonder why I like anything at all. Maybe I'm getting old and crusty.
I used to like .458 Lott but it's no longer with me. Same with .338WM and .300 WM. Who needs all that recoil and blast anyway? That .338 sure killed good though.
I do like .22 LR, 7x57, 7x64, 280 AI, 8x57, 9.3x62, 9.3x64, .375H&H (though once I shoot up all the ammo it's gone).
I also like 8mm-06, 338-06and 35 Whelen never even firing one of these - so you could say I like things based on 30-06, rather than .308. But I kind of like the 6.5CM, yet do hate that .25-06 and .25 or .277 anything.
I also like .505 Gibbs, .50 BMG not having fired either of these. So how do I know if I like them? Would probably hate the recoil and concussive blast.
I might like 7mm-08 even though it's based on .308, but then I'd probably go for 7mm SAW or 7 SAUM if I wanted a SA 7mm.
Now...Do NOT take this post as criticism of YOUR favorite cartridge (should it happen to be one of the ones I do not favor) but rather as a statement that I recognize I may have completely irrational dislike for some cartridges and still end up owning them, shooting them, but for some unknown reason still hating them. Then one tries to figure it out and comes up with some reasons or rationalizations behind the dislike. Yet it all seems false in some way. In the end I like that we have so many different cartridges to choose from.
However, the main reason for this post:
Do you also hate or dislike some specific cartridge or class of cartridges? For real reasons or just so? Are we nuts? Am I?
In any case, lately I have been running into people who, when asked, what rifle caliber they would like to buy now, reply .308 Winchester. Now, do not get me wrong, I not only like the .308 fundamentally as a cartridge and always wanted a rifle chambered in one, but I even own a few. However, having had and still owning several, every time I get one, I wonder why I bothered. I need one for Palma style/FTR matches. But for hunting, if I shoot .30 cal, I shoot .30-06. If I wanted more power and recoil, I'd shoot .300WM or .300WSM or .300 PRC. I do not want/need that. So ought-six it is. Pretty much same availability as .308, pretty much the same price, pretty much the same choice of bullets. Actually better I'd say. So why would anyone need or want the .308? Ugly ass, short cartridge.
I also do not like .243 Win. And when I remember it is based on .308, I dislike it even more. What do you need 6mm for anyway? If I was hunting smaller animals in Europe, I'd use 6.5 of some kind. Probably 6.5x57. Or 6.5x55. Or maybe even that 6.5 Creedmoor.
I hate .25-06, yet my buddy kills deer and elk with it at distance on regular basis.
I hate .270 Win. Just Weird caliber to me. Too much recoil and blast for what it is. Plus everyone loves it "sooo much".
I used to hate 6.5 Creedmoor without ever even firing or seeing one. Probably because everyone liked it "sooo much", like the .270. So, I decided to get one to be able to substantiate my "hate". Well, it turns out, it's falling into the same bucket as the .308. Nice, yet nothing special. Wanted to hunt with it this season but did not get out enough, so was not successful in filling my tags. So, jury is still out. But it only sends 140gr bullet at 2625 out of my 20" barrel. Switching to 130gr Terminal Ascent, I can send it at 2718fps, so good enough to 400m or so. But even if it kills deer well, I hate Short Actions and will go back to 7mm for hunting...wait, maybe that is why I do not like the .308 or .243. Maybe it's that one is really limited by the COAL of these. But at least I like the 6.5CM more than the .308 and will probably use it to replace 6.5x55 to punch paper and shoot occasional coyote.
I dunno. I also hate .416 Rigby. I like how it looks, I hate the recoil, muzzle blast and concussion.
I also do not like Weatherby cartridges, belted cartridges (except .375H&H, .458 Lott), magnum cartridges, big kickers - like the .416 (except .458 Lott and have yet to try .404 Jeffery), rimmed cartridges, any weird ones. I almost wonder why I like anything at all. Maybe I'm getting old and crusty.
I used to like .458 Lott but it's no longer with me. Same with .338WM and .300 WM. Who needs all that recoil and blast anyway? That .338 sure killed good though.
I do like .22 LR, 7x57, 7x64, 280 AI, 8x57, 9.3x62, 9.3x64, .375H&H (though once I shoot up all the ammo it's gone).
I also like 8mm-06, 338-06and 35 Whelen never even firing one of these - so you could say I like things based on 30-06, rather than .308. But I kind of like the 6.5CM, yet do hate that .25-06 and .25 or .277 anything.
I also like .505 Gibbs, .50 BMG not having fired either of these. So how do I know if I like them? Would probably hate the recoil and concussive blast.
I might like 7mm-08 even though it's based on .308, but then I'd probably go for 7mm SAW or 7 SAUM if I wanted a SA 7mm.
Now...Do NOT take this post as criticism of YOUR favorite cartridge (should it happen to be one of the ones I do not favor) but rather as a statement that I recognize I may have completely irrational dislike for some cartridges and still end up owning them, shooting them, but for some unknown reason still hating them. Then one tries to figure it out and comes up with some reasons or rationalizations behind the dislike. Yet it all seems false in some way. In the end I like that we have so many different cartridges to choose from.
However, the main reason for this post:
Do you also hate or dislike some specific cartridge or class of cartridges? For real reasons or just so? Are we nuts? Am I?
