Craig Boddington on Great Rifles and Cartridges

Every hunter and “gun crank” loves a campfire argument. “What rifle and cartridge is best” no doubt leads discussion in any hunting camp. That’s the ground Boddington covered in his 90-minute special session in Dallas. What’s so great about the 6.5 Creedmoor? What can it do today that the 6.5x55 couldn’t do in 1891? Why are general-purpose rifles and cartridges—the 6.5s, the .270 Winchester, the 7mms and the .30-calibers—so popular? Boddington also made sure to discuss, of course, special-purpose cartridges: classic varmint rounds like the .17-calibers, the .20s and .22s; the 6mms and .25s that combine the capability to hunt varmints and big game in one rifle; the 8mms, .33s and .35s used for elk, bear and moose; the .375s and 9.3mms, the ultimate versatility champs; and the big stuff like the .40-calibers and the .45s—like an old favorite, the .45-70 Gov’t.

All of these cartridges are used in every rifle design from the lever action to the bolt action to semi-auto platforms including the AR. It’s hard to believe any hunter’s favorite rifle/cartridge combination was omitted. It is, however, safe to assume everyone who attended or watched live via Facebook feed this special session presented by American Hunter did not agree with everything Boddington said. Campfire arguments, after all, are forever destined to only inspire further discussion.