Posted by Eric Drake on 2024 Jan 30th
One Gun, One Cartridge, One Bullet - MDT Mention
Shooting is an expensive hobby. From the cost of firearms to ammunition and everything else that is involved, the hyperbolic cash register commences cha-chinging. So, what if you limit yourself to one gun, cartridge, and projectile for the rest of your life to alleviate the financial stress of the hobby? That is the question that Backfire poses in a video from this past year. Not only does he ponder the question, but he runs his hypothetical notion by some of his peers at Ultimate Reloader’s Rockchucker Olympics to gather alternative opinions.
On the cartridge front, the opinions collected from seven different gun YouTubers are diverse, ranging from 22LR to .30-06. Most of the respondents emphasized the importance of hunting versatility and practicality when explaining their cartridge choices. Some of the interviewees also stressed the importance of shot placement when hunting. With proper shot placement, smaller calibers can be as capable as more powerful ones for taking game. An important thing to note when looking at the data collected by this video is that cartridge choices are greatly influenced by the firearms and bullets the respondents chose.
With be-all and end-all cartridge choices locked in, the YouTubers chose their “one and only” firearms. One outlier, the Canik Rival S picked by Nils, was the only handgun a respondent chose. The Zermatt Arms RIM-X was chosen by John, who isn’t a big hunter and enjoys shooting .22 for fun between his regular shooting competitions. Outliers aside, the rest of the respondents chose modern magazine-fed bolt-action rifles of varying manufacturers.
MDT HNT26 Chassis System. Photos courtesy of Backfire TV.
Wrapping up, bullet types and manufacturers were collected. For .30-06, Barnes TTSK projectiles were chosen. A lover of the 6.5 PRC went on and chose the remarkable Berger EOL. The 6 Dasher crowd (Gavin from Ultimate Reloader and Piet from Impact Shootin) went with the obvious choice of Berger Hybrids. Another participant picked the popular 6.5 Creedmoor and matched the caliber with Hornady ELD-X bullets. Adam opted for a 22-250 Remington that shoots Remington’s Accu V projectiles. Finally, the outliers shooting 9mm and 22LR picked Hornady’s handgun ammo and Lapua Center-X respectfully.
It is interesting to see the answers experienced reloaders and shooters come up with when asked the age-old question of what gun, cartridge, and bullet they would use if they could only pick one. The worlds of recreational shooting, hunting, long-distance hunting, and extreme long-range (ELR) target shooting collide in this ‘Backfire’ video, of which valuable insight may be gained by those looking to learn more about guns and ammo.
AMMO ARTICLES FROM MDT
- Analysis: 6.5x47 and 6x47 Lapua
- Analysis: 22 ARC
- The Carbon Ring
- A Look at Reduced Loads
- Analysis: .277 Sig Fury - Inside MDT
- Is the 308 Winchester Still Relevant?
- Analysis: 6.5 Creedmoor
- Why All The Hate For The 30-06
- Loading 6MM ARC And .223 REMINGTON with A Dillon Progressive Press
- Hornady 6MM ARC For Competition
- Analysis: 6MM BR NORMA
- Fire Forming and Loading 223 AI
- Loading 6GT with Hodgdon H4350
- 270 Winchester and Colorado Elk
- 6mm GT Load Development
- Capable And Versatile: A Close Look at the 6.5X55 Swedish
- Analysis: .338 Lapua Magnum
- Analysis: 7MM PRC
- 280 AI: Merging Power and Precision
- 338 Lapua: A Journey
- Analysis: 6.5 PRC