The last couple of years there must have been some kind of epidemic because several editors have asked me to write stories about cartridges we could do without or those destined for the trash heap. Whenever I’m assigned to do such a story, I try to be objective and have been forced to trash quite a few cartridges that are my personal favorites. So I wanted to take the opposite tack and write about the cartridges that I like, picking a favorite in each caliber or caliber group. It wasn’t an easy task because there are few centerfire cartridges I don’t have at least some empathy for.

.22
I’ll start with .22 because I’ve never had much time for the centerfire .17s; they’re just too finicky in the windy West. I do admire the .204 Ruger enough that I bought one, but if I had to limit myself to one varmint rifle I’d quickly step up to caliber .224. I am extremely fond of the .22 Hornet, a useful little cartridge. I have a couple of them, also a couple of .223s, another useful and versatile cartridge.

When push comes to shove, though, my favorite .22 centerfire is easily the .22-250. Sure, the Swift and the .223 WSSM are a bit faster. But the .22-250 is plenty fast enough, and it’s at least as accurate as any other really fast .22. Accuracy is aided by the fact that it’s available in a wide variety of factory loads, with volumes of good load recipes.

6mm
This one is easy: .243 Winchester, with no apologies. The 6mm Remington is probably a better cartridge, and the .240 Weatherby Magnum and .243 WSSM are certainly faster. But the mild little .243 is simply too effective to argue with. Its loads have been so intensively developed that, absent extreme effort, it will probably be the most accurate. It is also available in more action types, including cool lever actions such as the long gone (but not forgotten) Savage 99 and Winchester Model 88. I see this cartridge exactly the way Winchester intended it back in 1955: a great little varmint cartridge that does double duty on small to medium big game.

.25
I have owned rifles chambered to .250 Savage, .25-06 and .257 Weatherby Magnum. I have also used the .25-20, .257 Roberts and .25 WSSM. With the right bullets for the right game, all are magnificent. The mild .250 Savage and .257 Roberts are effective far beyond what their paper ballistics show, while the faster .25s are deadly open-country cartridges. However, I’m not going to pick a winner because this caliber isn’t my cup of tea. At this moment I own no .25 caliber rifles, not one.

6.5mm
The 6.5mm has never done particularly well in North America, despite some very good cartridges in bullet diameter .264. If you study the charts, the long-for-caliber, aerodynamic 6.5mm bullets have an awful lot going for them, as many long-range competitors have learned.

My use of 6.5mms has been limited. I have always wanted to own a 6.5x55, but with my left-hand affliction I never found one that made sense. I have used the .260 Remington, and it’s great, but despite all the hype I was never able to get extreme accuracy out of it. I have used the European 6.5x68 on several occasions, a wonderfully flat-shooting unbelted magnum. But try to find ammo in this country.