Most overrated/underrated cartridges, rifle/handgun?

44rugerfan · May 17, 2001, 01:26 PM

So what do y'all think are the most underrated/overrated handgun/rifle cartridges? Here's what I think:
Rifle/overrated: Gotta be the .223. I have no doubt that it is a fine military cartridge, well suited for war. But I hunt alot more than I fend off mongol hordes. It isn't powerful enough to take big game cleanly. As a varmint round it pales in comparision to the 22-250 or the 220 swift. I think it is popular because of all the cool rifles that are chambered for it, not for the merits of the cartridge itself.
Rifle/underrated: 25-06. Loaded with similair bullet weights, has almost the same ballistics as a 22-250, making it an outstanding varminter. Heavier weights and it has enough energy to smack an elk. Truly an all-purpose round for the lower 48, I have never understood why it isn't more popular.
Handgun/overrated: Gonna take some flack for this, but I have to go with the 45 Long Colt. Yeah, I know you can hot-rod it and get pretty good performance, but that is only if you reload. Out of the box factory ammo is still loaded to the same specs as they had back in 1873. Once again, I think it is popular because of the gun that made it famous more than the merits of the round itself.
Handgun/underrated: Hard call on this one. Normally the 41 mag is lamented as the most underrated handgun round out there, but I think I will go with the 38 specail. It has largely been rendered obsolete by the advent of semi-auto 9mm and 40 S&W for law enforcement use, but it still does the same job it used to. I think it has been depopularized by the handguns it is designed for, namely the revolver.

George Hill · May 17, 2001, 01:29 PM

.17 Remington

Christopher II · May 17, 2001, 03:00 PM

Okay, I'll give it a try.

Rifle -

Most Overrated - (Forgive me...) The .30-06. Is there anything the .30-06 can do that a .308 can't do in a shorter, lighter, more rigid action?

Most Underrated - Tough one. I'll go with the Swedish 6.5x55. Accurate enough to shoot a 1000-yd match with, powerful enough to take pretty much anything on the North American continent (excepting Grizzly and perhaps Elk, but maybe not...) Plus, it has the velocity and trajectory to make an acceptable varmint round. If I were to build up a single "do-everything" rifle, it would be chambered in 6.5x55.

Pistol -

Most Overrated - The 10mm. It's a powerful pistol round, but still a pistol round. And the additional power really pushes the full-load 10mm to the limits of controllability. What good is a gun that you can't make multiple hits, rapidly, under pressure with?

Most Underrated - The 9mm Para. My second-favorite pistol cartridge. It's no .700 Ultrablaster, but if you're good enough, the 9mm will work just fine.

Just my opinions...

Later,
Chris

Gunslinger · May 17, 2001, 03:58 PM

Rifles: (I'm not a rifle person so am not really qualified to comment...but......)

Overrated: I have to agree with the .223. It does nothing really well with the exception of being very accurate. However, there are other calibers that far exceeed it in that arena.

Underrated: Hmmmm....this is a hard one for me because, as stated above, I'm not a rifle person and there are a lot of cartridges out there I am unfamiliar with and probably more than a few that I even unaware of. I'll say in this day and age of the latest "whiz-bang" technology it is the old ought six. I know Christopher rated it the most overrated but I think we have lost sight of the versatility of it with modern "advancements".

Handguns:

Overrated: Without question the dang .40 S&W. A neutered 10mm that does nothing that isn't already being done better by other calibers. I know, I know....it gives a .40 caliber punch in a 9mm package. But in most loads offered (or those used by reloaders for that matter) it is a wimp so that negates the .40 caliber punch. It is popular only due to hype/marketing, the fact that it was the latest "whiz-bang" cartridge on the market when it was introduced and so many police departments foolishing jumped on the bandwagon. What other caliber could make the term "sub-sonic" sound appealing and "tactical"?
Nope, give me something that has some serious meat to it and I'll worry about placing my shoots where they belong and not count on having a flotilla of under powered "kinder and gentler" rounds on board.

Underrated: Again this is one I feel passionately about. The .41 magnum. Unappreciated, I believe, in large part to the fact that few shooters have actually tried, the cost of factory ammo and the limited availability of guns manufactured in that caliber. It is, arguably, even more versatile than the .357 magnum, another excellent cartridge. Loaded properly it can drop down to .38 special levels and exceed .44 magnum levels in all but the larger grain bullets. It is also the "flattest" shooting handgun caliber I have ever found.
I have never met anyone with .41 mag experience that did not swear by it.

Chad Young · May 17, 2001, 04:24 PM

Rifle:

<flame proof suit = on>

Over Rated: .300 Remington Magnum - maybe beause I am in Florida, with tiny deer and rarely a shot over 50 yards, I find the shoulder-seperating power of this round to be mostly macho factor in nature.

Under Rated: .30-30. Ok, so it is not fast, it is not modern, and may not be a MOA round, but more deer and other game has fallen to it on this side of the Mississippi than any other round! When I go hunting down here, the Marlin .30-30 is what I grab, iron sights and all.

Pistol:

Over Rated: .44Mag/.454Casull/.480Ruger/.475-.500Linebaugh/.50AE/.499MegaBlaster - if you want this kind of power, buy a dang rifle.

Under Rated: 9mmP - Stay away from FMJ and you have an easy shooting round that you can place with surgical precision and be effective against 2-legged critters. Quality JHPs have made this an effective round that nearly anyone can handle.

denfoote · May 17, 2001, 04:56 PM

I do not deal that much with rifles. I have a Marlin 30AS chambered in 30-30, and a Model 60 in .22LR. These do for me what I want, so I guess that averything else is overrated. As touching the handgun question, I think that the most underrated cartridge is the 9x18mm Makarov. I have several pistols in this caliber. It is a decent, accurate round. I carry an E.German Makarov for CCW. I am rather P.O.'ed that there are not that many companies making defense rounds in this caliber. In the overrated catagory, and I know I will take heat for this, the .45ACP reigns supreme. It is expensive to shoot unless you reload (I do not), and reliable 1911 platforms are hediously expensive. Non 1911 weapons, such as the Glock 30 (which I own, and love) are just a tad to big for everyday carry here in the Arizona heat. I guess my main compliant is the cost of the round for practice. I fire just enough rounds in a practice session to insure that I can hit my target if necessary. Well there you have it. Flame On!!!!!!!

Shooter 973 · May 17, 2001, 05:12 PM

Most over rated: Almost any belted magnum, never needed or saw the use for any of them.
Most under rated: 30-30, a lot more useful than most people think. maybe not a long range round but a great all purpose round for most shooting needs. Yes you can shoot it out to 300 yrds, or more.
Most over hyped: 40S&W middle of the road round that could vanish and neverb missed. Any thing it can do can be done by other rounds as well or better.
Most over rated handgun: a Glock of any type or cal.
There is no pride in owning "Combat Tupperware". When was the last ime you saw a Glock win any serious competitions.or be used by any of the big name shooters.
Mos under rated: any good quaility 357 revolver, in this day of auto loaders a good rev. is still hard to beat. Especially if you reoad your brass.

45King · May 17, 2001, 05:16 PM

Overated: Almost any cartridge with "Magnum" as part of the name.
Any gun, gadget, widget or whatever, with "Tactical" in the name. (If I ever see "Tactical Thumbtacks," I'm stopping the world to get off. Anyone who cares, please feel free to join me.)

Underated: .38 Special, .32 Magnum

Charmedlyfe · May 17, 2001, 06:35 PM

Actually, I and some friends made tactical thumbtacks once. Took thumbtacks, blasted them to a matte finish, then painted the tops black and OD green.......

Porter-Glockwell · May 17, 2001, 07:03 PM

Shooter 973: Most over hyped: 40S&W middle of the road round that could vanish and neverb missed. Any thing it can do can be done by other rounds as well or better.
Most over rated handgun: a Glock of any type or cal.
There is no pride in owning "Combat Tupperware". When was the last ime you saw a Glock win any serious competitions.or be used by any of the big name shooters.

So I guess I'm just a total loser with my Combat Tupperware Glock 23 in .40

great. Well, you'll have to come to Utah sometime and do baloon races with the TFL'ers here. No I didn't win, but that wussy Glock held its own just fine against the sea of much more expensive and customized 1911's. I'm sure it would do just fine against yours.

Don't get me wrong, I love 1911's, but I think they happen to be a little on the overrated side. (especially among TFL'ers) Lets see. $500 for a Glock that holds 13+ rounds and is OVERLY reliable out of the box, or $800 for a 7 shot 1911 that you will spend another $400 on just getting it to feed reliably and probably more to make it look "purty".

I sold my antique and bought me a modern slab of polymer and tennifer steel. I'll never look back.

NOMEX ON

Halo · May 17, 2001, 07:21 PM

Why would a Glock be expected to win any "serious competitions"? It's a combat pistol. It's like asking why a $2500 competition gun jams after being left overnight in the mud.

Nightcrawler · May 17, 2001, 07:51 PM

Here we go again. Someone went and got the Glock people riled. Whenever anyone questions the "Glock Perfection" line, a whole lot of stuff comes down. Same thing with the AR-15 fans. The Glock is not the be-all and end all of handgun design, friends. As for the reference to the 1911 as an antique, I beg your pardon. Examine a diagram of the guts of the Roth-Steyr M.07, a World War One veteran. The system is VERY similar to the "safe-action" of the Glock. In other words, it's been done before.

"Combat pistol"? Sheesh. Who goes into combat armed only with a pistol? This isn't hollywood, friends. A pistol is a purely defensive weapon. Capacity isn't terribly important with a defensive weapon like a handgun. How many people carry 5-shot .38 snubbys to defend themselves? If you're going to get yourself into a gunfight, I strongly recommend you bring a shotgun or a rifle along.

So, let's try to avoid offending the more...sensative...members of TFL during this thread? Okay?

A.Rex · May 17, 2001, 08:11 PM

underrated rifle & pistol: .22 can do some surprising things.

ronin308 · May 17, 2001, 08:25 PM

Rifle
Most overrated- 7mm Remington Mag
Most underrated- .25-06
Pistol
Most overrrated- .40 S&W
Most underrated- 9mm Para

**Mike Irwin** · May 17, 2001, 08:52 PM

Rifle

Most underrated -- .22-250 Savage. This is one of those cartridges that just gives and gives and gives and seems to demand nothing in return.

Overrated -- I'm tempted to agree with the .223. It's a great cartridge, but the .22-250 really does it better.

Overrated -- Easy. .44 Magnum. Yes, it's a great cartridge, but non-gun/semi-gun people STILL go into orgasmic spasms when the .44 is mentioned. Most powerful this, spatter the target that... Thanks, Callaghan.

Underrated -- I think consistently one of the most underrated handgun rounds is the lowly .22 Long Rifle. In this day and age of UberMagnums and high-capacity gee-whiz wonder guns, people have forgotten how much practice they can get in with a .22, and how stinking cheap it is.

I'll also agree that the .41 Mag. is TERRIBLY underrated. Since I got my Model 58 a year ago, I'm learning just how great this cartridge is.

IZZY · May 17, 2001, 09:06 PM

Hangun
Overated:
44 Magnum Lets be honest, most folks can't shoot it straight, for those who can substitute .25 auto, it may not even qualify as a round at all...I'd rather have a KA-BAR.

Underated:
.45 Colt ( Even with regular Winchester Super X 255 grains of pre-expanded lead just waitng to hit a bone and splatter some more, great Civilian revolver round)

**Bud Helms** · May 17, 2001, 10:09 PM

I agree with Chad Young. The most over-rated rifle cartridge is the .300 Win Mag (that's what you meant, right? Win Mag, not Rem Mag?).

The most under-rated rifle cartridge is the .250 savage, followed closely by the .300 Savage. Great cartridges. Especially the .250 in the Ackley Improved config.

Spectre · May 17, 2001, 11:12 PM

Hard one.

Overrated: Rifle: .300 WM
Pistol: .357 Magnum

Underrated: Rifle: (tie).250 Savage, .30-30
Pistol: 10mm

--------------------
we'd never die, just go through hell
and re-group again SM

shooter22 · May 17, 2001, 11:38 PM

Over rated rifle--anything Weatherby Mag.
under rated rifle--270 win. It is still very popular, but still people rag on it as a big game gun.(elk, Big Horn sheep, others.)

overrated pistol--9mm.

Underrated--10mm

shooter22

radom · May 17, 2001, 11:43 PM

Hmmmm.

Overated Rifle---7mm mag.
Underated Rifle--257 Roberts or 25-35 Win.

Overated Pistol---40 S$W.
Underrated Pistol-41 S$W mag. or 9mm Para.

Ewok_Guy · May 18, 2001, 12:21 AM

Overated round : .454 Casull, .45 ACP, .233REM
Underated round : .22 WMR, 7.62x39, .380

Overated gun : M-16, AR-15
Underated gun : Mossberg 500, Marlin 60

Joe Gunns · May 18, 2001, 12:59 AM

overrated rifle: .223 numerous other better varmint loads, numerous better military loads.
Underrated rifle: .30-30 while not top choice for certain game, unlike McClellan, can really do it all, plus ammo can be found anywhere, including coffee cans in abandoned farmhouses.

overrated handgun round: .44 mag too powerful for social work, too weak for serious bears, (although better than most other handgun rounds for that type of work).
underrated handgun round: .38 in various loadings and powders has been doin' the job since 1851.

underrated shotgun round: 16 gauge, will do what a 12 will, in a kinder, gentler package.

BADSBSNF81 · May 18, 2001, 05:05 AM

Rifle - overrated - anything that's overbore
Rifle - underrated - 250 Savage
Handgun - overrated - 40 S&W
Handgun - underrated - 32 magnum

Dr.Rob · May 18, 2001, 05:58 AM

Overrated.. civilian ar-15's and the 223, yeah you COULD kill an elk with a head shot but i wouldn't hunt big game with it. Ive seen more problems with these finicky rifles than any other autolaoder out there. Next overrated is the 7.62 x 39 russian.. if it had good softpoint bullets it MIGHT be as good as a 30-30 for game, but bullet selection keeps it "mild".

Underrrated, the good old 30-30. With a 180 grain bullet you can take most game in the lower 48. 30-06, still the best rifle for the lower 48, you can load from a 55 grain sabot up to a 220 round nose.. can't load that 220 in a 308 case.

Overrated... all handguns to some extent. i really don't "get" the 357 SIG, ballisticly it looks good but it has a nasty tendency to suffer "bullet set back" far more easily than other rounds.

Underrated, the good old 38 special. Underrated 9mm, with so many choices the 9mm gets lost in 'power factors' and such. Good JHP's make these cartridges plenty lethal.

Dex56 · May 18, 2001, 07:31 AM

Overrated: Magnum handguns.
Underrated: 9x18 Makarov

May 17, 2001, 01:29 PM	#2
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	.17 Remington __________________ MAD OGRE

May 17, 2001, 03:58 PM	#4
Gunslinger Junior member Join Date: January 5, 1999 Location: Springfield, Missouri Posts: 2,105	Neat topic 44Rugerfan. Rifles: (I'm not a rifle person so am not really qualified to comment...but......) Overrated: I have to agree with the .223. It does nothing really well with the exception of being very accurate. However, there are other calibers that far exceeed it in that arena. Underrated: Hmmmm....this is a hard one for me because, as stated above, I'm not a rifle person and there are a lot of cartridges out there I am unfamiliar with and probably more than a few that I even unaware of. I'll say in this day and age of the latest "whiz-bang" technology it is the old ought six. I know Christopher rated it the most overrated but I think we have lost sight of the versatility of it with modern "advancements". Handguns: Overrated: Without question the dang .40 S&W. A neutered 10mm that does nothing that isn't already being done better by other calibers. I know, I know....it gives a .40 caliber punch in a 9mm package. But in most loads offered (or those used by reloaders for that matter) it is a wimp so that negates the .40 caliber punch. It is popular only due to hype/marketing, the fact that it was the latest "whiz-bang" cartridge on the market when it was introduced and so many police departments foolishing jumped on the bandwagon. What other caliber could make the term "sub-sonic" sound appealing and "tactical"? Nope, give me something that has some serious meat to it and I'll worry about placing my shoots where they belong and not count on having a flotilla of under powered "kinder and gentler" rounds on board. Underrated: Again this is one I feel passionately about. The .41 magnum. Unappreciated, I believe, in large part to the fact that few shooters have actually tried, the cost of factory ammo and the limited availability of guns manufactured in that caliber. It is, arguably, even more versatile than the .357 magnum, another excellent cartridge. Loaded properly it can drop down to .38 special levels and exceed .44 magnum levels in all but the larger grain bullets. It is also the "flattest" shooting handgun caliber I have ever found. I have never met anyone with .41 mag experience that did not swear by it.

May 17, 2001, 07:51 PM	#12
Nightcrawler Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2000 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,945	hoo boy... Here we go again. Someone went and got the Glock people riled. Whenever anyone questions the "Glock Perfection" line, a whole lot of stuff comes down. Same thing with the AR-15 fans. The Glock is not the be-all and end all of handgun design, friends. As for the reference to the 1911 as an antique, I beg your pardon. Examine a diagram of the guts of the Roth-Steyr M.07, a World War One veteran. The system is VERY similar to the "safe-action" of the Glock. In other words, it's been done before. "Combat pistol"? Sheesh. Who goes into combat armed only with a pistol? This isn't hollywood, friends. A pistol is a purely defensive weapon. Capacity isn't terribly important with a defensive weapon like a handgun. How many people carry 5-shot .38 snubbys to defend themselves? If you're going to get yourself into a gunfight, I strongly recommend you bring a shotgun or a rifle along. So, let's try to avoid offending the more...sensative...members of TFL during this thread? Okay?

May 17, 2001, 08:52 PM	#15
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 14, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,642	Rifle Most underrated -- .22-250 Savage. This is one of those cartridges that just gives and gives and gives and seems to demand nothing in return. Overrated -- I'm tempted to agree with the .223. It's a great cartridge, but the .22-250 really does it better. Overrated -- Easy. .44 Magnum. Yes, it's a great cartridge, but non-gun/semi-gun people STILL go into orgasmic spasms when the .44 is mentioned. Most powerful this, spatter the target that... Thanks, Callaghan. Underrated -- I think consistently one of the most underrated handgun rounds is the lowly .22 Long Rifle. In this day and age of UberMagnums and high-capacity gee-whiz wonder guns, people have forgotten how much practice they can get in with a .22, and how stinking cheap it is. I'll also agree that the .41 Mag. is TERRIBLY underrated. Since I got my Model 58 a year ago, I'm learning just how great this cartridge is. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

May 17, 2001, 01:26 PM	#1
44rugerfan Senior Member Join Date: March 10, 2001 Posts: 277	So what do y'all think are the most underrated/overrated handgun/rifle cartridges? Here's what I think: Rifle/overrated: Gotta be the .223. I have no doubt that it is a fine military cartridge, well suited for war. But I hunt alot more than I fend off mongol hordes. It isn't powerful enough to take big game cleanly. As a varmint round it pales in comparision to the 22-250 or the 220 swift. I think it is popular because of all the cool rifles that are chambered for it, not for the merits of the cartridge itself. Rifle/underrated: 25-06. Loaded with similair bullet weights, has almost the same ballistics as a 22-250, making it an outstanding varminter. Heavier weights and it has enough energy to smack an elk. Truly an all-purpose round for the lower 48, I have never understood why it isn't more popular. Handgun/overrated: Gonna take some flack for this, but I have to go with the 45 Long Colt. Yeah, I know you can hot-rod it and get pretty good performance, but that is only if you reload. Out of the box factory ammo is still loaded to the same specs as they had back in 1873. Once again, I think it is popular because of the gun that made it famous more than the merits of the round itself. Handgun/underrated: Hard call on this one. Normally the 41 mag is lamented as the most underrated handgun round out there, but I think I will go with the 38 specail. It has largely been rendered obsolete by the advent of semi-auto 9mm and 40 S&W for law enforcement use, but it still does the same job it used to. I think it has been depopularized by the handguns it is designed for, namely the revolver.

May 17, 2001, 03:00 PM	#3
Christopher II Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 2,349	Okay, I'll give it a try. Rifle - Most Overrated - (Forgive me...) The .30-06. Is there anything the .30-06 can do that a .308 can't do in a shorter, lighter, more rigid action? Most Underrated - Tough one. I'll go with the Swedish 6.5x55. Accurate enough to shoot a 1000-yd match with, powerful enough to take pretty much anything on the North American continent (excepting Grizzly and perhaps Elk, but maybe not...) Plus, it has the velocity and trajectory to make an acceptable varmint round. If I were to build up a single "do-everything" rifle, it would be chambered in 6.5x55. Pistol - Most Overrated - The 10mm. It's a powerful pistol round, but still a pistol round. And the additional power really pushes the full-load 10mm to the limits of controllability. What good is a gun that you can't make multiple hits, rapidly, under pressure with? Most Underrated - The 9mm Para. My second-favorite pistol cartridge. It's no .700 Ultrablaster, but if you're good enough, the 9mm will work just fine. Just my opinions... Later, Chris

May 17, 2001, 04:24 PM	#5
Chad Young Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 1999 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 601	Rifle: <flame proof suit = on> Over Rated: .300 Remington Magnum - maybe beause I am in Florida, with tiny deer and rarely a shot over 50 yards, I find the shoulder-seperating power of this round to be mostly macho factor in nature. Under Rated: .30-30. Ok, so it is not fast, it is not modern, and may not be a MOA round, but more deer and other game has fallen to it on this side of the Mississippi than any other round! When I go hunting down here, the Marlin .30-30 is what I grab, iron sights and all. Pistol: Over Rated: .44Mag/.454Casull/.480Ruger/.475-.500Linebaugh/.50AE/.499MegaBlaster - if you want this kind of power, buy a dang rifle. Under Rated: 9mmP - Stay away from FMJ and you have an easy shooting round that you can place with surgical precision and be effective against 2-legged critters. Quality JHPs have made this an effective round that nearly anyone can handle.

May 17, 2001, 04:56 PM	#6
denfoote Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 1999 Location: Buckeye Arizona Posts: 5,526	I do not deal that much with rifles. I have a Marlin 30AS chambered in 30-30, and a Model 60 in .22LR. These do for me what I want, so I guess that averything else is overrated. As touching the handgun question, I think that the most underrated cartridge is the 9x18mm Makarov. I have several pistols in this caliber. It is a decent, accurate round. I carry an E.German Makarov for CCW. I am rather P.O.'ed that there are not that many companies making defense rounds in this caliber. In the overrated catagory, and I know I will take heat for this, the .45ACP reigns supreme. It is expensive to shoot unless you reload (I do not), and reliable 1911 platforms are hediously expensive. Non 1911 weapons, such as the Glock 30 (which I own, and love) are just a tad to big for everyday carry here in the Arizona heat. I guess my main compliant is the cost of the round for practice. I fire just enough rounds in a practice session to insure that I can hit my target if necessary. Well there you have it. Flame On!!!!!!!

May 17, 2001, 05:12 PM	#7
Shooter 973 Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Location: Home town of John M. Browning, Utah Posts: 499	Most over rated: Almost any belted magnum, never needed or saw the use for any of them. Most under rated: 30-30, a lot more useful than most people think. maybe not a long range round but a great all purpose round for most shooting needs. Yes you can shoot it out to 300 yrds, or more. Most over hyped: 40S&W middle of the road round that could vanish and neverb missed. Any thing it can do can be done by other rounds as well or better. Most over rated handgun: a Glock of any type or cal. There is no pride in owning "Combat Tupperware". When was the last ime you saw a Glock win any serious competitions.or be used by any of the big name shooters. Mos under rated: any good quaility 357 revolver, in this day of auto loaders a good rev. is still hard to beat. Especially if you reoad your brass.

May 17, 2001, 05:16 PM	#8
45King Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 1999 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 1,033	Overated: Almost any cartridge with "Magnum" as part of the name. Any gun, gadget, widget or whatever, with "Tactical" in the name. (If I ever see "Tactical Thumbtacks," I'm stopping the world to get off. Anyone who cares, please feel free to join me.) Underated: .38 Special, .32 Magnum

May 17, 2001, 06:35 PM	#9
Charmedlyfe Junior member Join Date: October 12, 2000 Location: SC Posts: 799	Actually, I and some friends made tactical thumbtacks once. Took thumbtacks, blasted them to a matte finish, then painted the tops black and OD green.......

May 17, 2001, 07:03 PM	#10
Porter-Glockwell Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2000 Location: SLC, Utah Posts: 231	Shooter 973: Most over hyped: 40S&W middle of the road round that could vanish and neverb missed. Any thing it can do can be done by other rounds as well or better. Most over rated handgun: a Glock of any type or cal. There is no pride in owning "Combat Tupperware". When was the last ime you saw a Glock win any serious competitions.or be used by any of the big name shooters. So I guess I'm just a total loser with my Combat Tupperware Glock 23 in .40 great. Well, you'll have to come to Utah sometime and do baloon races with the TFL'ers here. No I didn't win, but that wussy Glock held its own just fine against the sea of much more expensive and customized 1911's. I'm sure it would do just fine against yours. Don't get me wrong, I love 1911's, but I think they happen to be a little on the overrated side. (especially among TFL'ers) Lets see. $500 for a Glock that holds 13+ rounds and is OVERLY reliable out of the box, or $800 for a 7 shot 1911 that you will spend another $400 on just getting it to feed reliably and probably more to make it look "purty". I sold my antique and bought me a modern slab of polymer and tennifer steel. I'll never look back. NOMEX ON

May 17, 2001, 07:21 PM	#11
Halo Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 408	Why would a Glock be expected to win any "serious competitions"? It's a combat pistol. It's like asking why a $2500 competition gun jams after being left overnight in the mud.

May 17, 2001, 08:11 PM	#13
A.Rex Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2001 Location: FL Posts: 311	underrated rifle & pistol: .22 can do some surprising things.

May 17, 2001, 08:25 PM	#14
ronin308 Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2001 Posts: 1,977	Rifle Most overrated- 7mm Remington Mag Most underrated- .25-06 Pistol Most overrrated- .40 S&W Most underrated- 9mm Para

May 17, 2001, 09:06 PM	#16
IZZY Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Florida Posts: 940	Hangun Overated: 44 Magnum Lets be honest, most folks can't shoot it straight, for those who can substitute .25 auto, it may not even qualify as a round at all...I'd rather have a KA-BAR. Underated: .45 Colt ( Even with regular Winchester Super X 255 grains of pre-expanded lead just waitng to hit a bone and splatter some more, great Civilian revolver round)

May 17, 2001, 10:09 PM	#17
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	I agree with Chad Young. The most over-rated rifle cartridge is the .300 Win Mag (that's what you meant, right? Win Mag, not Rem Mag?). The most under-rated rifle cartridge is the .250 savage, followed closely by the .300 Savage. Great cartridges. Especially the .250 in the Ackley Improved config.

May 17, 2001, 11:12 PM	#18
Spectre Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 23, 1998 Location: ATL Posts: 3,277	Hard one. Overrated: Rifle: .300 WM Pistol: .357 Magnum Underrated: Rifle: (tie).250 Savage, .30-30 Pistol: 10mm -------------------- we'd never die, just go through hell and re-group again SM

May 17, 2001, 11:38 PM	#19
shooter22 Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2001 Posts: 174	Over rated rifle--anything Weatherby Mag. under rated rifle--270 win. It is still very popular, but still people rag on it as a big game gun.(elk, Big Horn sheep, others.) overrated pistol--9mm. Underrated--10mm shooter22

May 17, 2001, 11:43 PM	#20
radom Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2000 Posts: 1,379	Hmmmm. Overated Rifle---7mm mag. Underated Rifle--257 Roberts or 25-35 Win. Overated Pistol---40 S$W. Underrated Pistol-41 S$W mag. or 9mm Para.

May 18, 2001, 12:21 AM	#21
Ewok_Guy Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2001 Location: Endor Posts: 1,664	Overated round : .454 Casull, .45 ACP, .233REM Underated round : .22 WMR, 7.62x39, .380 Overated gun : M-16, AR-15 Underated gun : Mossberg 500, Marlin 60

May 18, 2001, 12:59 AM	#22
Joe Gunns Member Join Date: December 22, 2000 Posts: 86	overrated rifle: .223 numerous other better varmint loads, numerous better military loads. Underrated rifle: .30-30 while not top choice for certain game, unlike McClellan, can really do it all, plus ammo can be found anywhere, including coffee cans in abandoned farmhouses. overrated handgun round: .44 mag too powerful for social work, too weak for serious bears, (although better than most other handgun rounds for that type of work). underrated handgun round: .38 in various loadings and powders has been doin' the job since 1851. underrated shotgun round: 16 gauge, will do what a 12 will, in a kinder, gentler package.

May 18, 2001, 05:05 AM	#23
BADSBSNF81 Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2001 Posts: 386	Rifle - overrated - anything that's overbore Rifle - underrated - 250 Savage Handgun - overrated - 40 S&W Handgun - underrated - 32 magnum

May 18, 2001, 05:58 AM	#24
Dr.Rob Staff Alumnus Join Date: July 28, 1999 Location: Denver Posts: 2,454	Overrated.. civilian ar-15's and the 223, yeah you COULD kill an elk with a head shot but i wouldn't hunt big game with it. Ive seen more problems with these finicky rifles than any other autolaoder out there. Next overrated is the 7.62 x 39 russian.. if it had good softpoint bullets it MIGHT be as good as a 30-30 for game, but bullet selection keeps it "mild". Underrrated, the good old 30-30. With a 180 grain bullet you can take most game in the lower 48. 30-06, still the best rifle for the lower 48, you can load from a 55 grain sabot up to a 220 round nose.. can't load that 220 in a 308 case. Overrated... all handguns to some extent. i really don't "get" the 357 SIG, ballisticly it looks good but it has a nasty tendency to suffer "bullet set back" far more easily than other rounds. Underrated, the good old 38 special. Underrated 9mm, with so many choices the 9mm gets lost in 'power factors' and such. Good JHP's make these cartridges plenty lethal.

May 18, 2001, 07:31 AM	#25
Dex56 Member Join Date: March 12, 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 18	Overrated: Magnum handguns. Underrated: 9x18 Makarov