Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Is this an accurate general observation about the popularity of certain rifle chamberings?
It seems like the MOST popular chamberings are ones which are the at the "cusp" or margins between one general range of rounds (for use A) and the next biggest general range of rounds (for use B). In other words, they're the most versatile because they can serve two or more general uses.... But this seems to make the most popular rounds a jack-of-all-trades / master of none.
For example, .243 Win...considered top-end of large/long-range varminting rounds, and bottom end of big-game rounds. Does both pretty good, but far from ideal for either.
.223 Win (556x45)... considered top-end for small/short- & medium-range varminting rounds, and bottom end of anti-personnel / self-defense rounds. Does both pretty well. Some would argue that does neither ideally..though others would say it does do the self-defense role ideally.
.375 HH mag .... considered top end for large & very large non-dangerous game, but bottom end (usually - it or 9.3x62) for very large & dangerous game.
Is this just my perception or is there something to this? If this is a rule of thumb, there would definitely be some exceptions to it, too. For example, .30-06 is extremely popular but it's not on the cusp - it's considered popular not because it's versatile (though it is); but because it's right in the middle (not on the edge) of big game rounds - goldilocks round, not a "multi-use" round. So yeah, it's versatile on game, but not because it's on the cusp of one use to another - unless you say it's on the cusp of the high end for "large" game and low-end for "very large game", which I suppose it might be.
I dunno. Thoughts? Examples which prove or disprove this idea? Is it just all one giant continuum, and there's really nothing which accounts for popularity other than things like military use, marketing, inertia, and maybe threshold of recoil tolerance, and smaller things like efficiency, belts, looks, etc.?
It seems like the MOST popular chamberings are ones which are the at the "cusp" or margins between one general range of rounds (for use A) and the next biggest general range of rounds (for use B). In other words, they're the most versatile because they can serve two or more general uses.... But this seems to make the most popular rounds a jack-of-all-trades / master of none.
For example, .243 Win...considered top-end of large/long-range varminting rounds, and bottom end of big-game rounds. Does both pretty good, but far from ideal for either.
.223 Win (556x45)... considered top-end for small/short- & medium-range varminting rounds, and bottom end of anti-personnel / self-defense rounds. Does both pretty well. Some would argue that does neither ideally..though others would say it does do the self-defense role ideally.
.375 HH mag .... considered top end for large & very large non-dangerous game, but bottom end (usually - it or 9.3x62) for very large & dangerous game.
Is this just my perception or is there something to this? If this is a rule of thumb, there would definitely be some exceptions to it, too. For example, .30-06 is extremely popular but it's not on the cusp - it's considered popular not because it's versatile (though it is); but because it's right in the middle (not on the edge) of big game rounds - goldilocks round, not a "multi-use" round. So yeah, it's versatile on game, but not because it's on the cusp of one use to another - unless you say it's on the cusp of the high end for "large" game and low-end for "very large game", which I suppose it might be.
I dunno. Thoughts? Examples which prove or disprove this idea? Is it just all one giant continuum, and there's really nothing which accounts for popularity other than things like military use, marketing, inertia, and maybe threshold of recoil tolerance, and smaller things like efficiency, belts, looks, etc.?