“rifle cartridges”

In the 1971 Clint Eastwood movie “Dirty Harry,” the San Francisco detective spoke one of the most memorable lines in cinematic history.

Shooters are drawn to rimfire cartridges primarily due to the per-shot costs being significantly less than those of comparable center-rifle rifle cartridges. However, their downfall is lackluster terminal ballistics—that is, until now. Winchester’s new economical .17 Winchester Super Magnum (WSM) cartridge defies convention, and in doing so handily becomes the highest-performance rimfire extant.

Without question the short barrel improves the shotgun’s mobility in the woods, but is it a detriment to the load’s velocity, and therefore energy?

Carry guns can take many forms, but choosing one to wield in the wilderness deserves special considerations.

When you consider those "Charlie-in-the-box" cartridges that have been pushed aside by their more famous counterparts, here are the five most underrated rifle cartridges of all time.

The myriad selection of rifle cartridges today has a metric ton of overlap, duplication, and some downright silly designs. Some of these designs boast wonderful claims, but not all of them measure up. In order to be overrated, you have to be rated at all, so let’s leave some of the more obscure designs off the menu.