What is the most efficient cartridge out there? My vote goes for the 22 Rimfire. Any other opinions?

What do you mean by efficient? Do you mean velocity to powder ratio or possibly which cartridge generates the most foot pounds with the least amount of powder?

...I think the .22 is the most popular! Efficient??? ....<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hunt Safe!

Jack

If you mean efficient in price...a 22 is probably cheapest. However...it you have to shoot a black bear 783 times to kill it with a 22, it'd probably be more &quot;efficient&quot; to use another caliber, not to mention more intelligent.

By effecient, I was meaning powder versus velocity ratio.

P.O. Ackley did not have access to todays cartridges. But according to his test the 7x57mm was the most efficient. Only one better at the time,7x57mm ackley improved.
Some of the short,fat cartridges or PPC's or other Benchrest cartrdges may be better than that now days.

So many of the cartridges on the market are &quot;over-bore&quot; and that doesn't help efficientcy. The 25-06 is even over-bore.

That said Corey,
I don't know just which one but one in the close to straight walled cartridges would have to be it.
For example, a 30-30 with a 170 grain bullet is not as fast as a 32 special with the same weight of powder and a 170 grain bullet.
A 30-06 and 150 is faster than a 270 and 150 bullet but the 270 is flatter trajectorywise because of the aerodynamics of the skinnier bullet.
The length of the bullet is a big factor. The shorter bearing surface on the bullet is the path of least resistance. If someone could build a round that was perfectly straight it would win.
The 22LR is a lead bullet and has very little drag. The same is for other rounds loaded up with swaged lead bullets.

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I thought I read somewhere that the .22 short was the most efficient, because it only uses 2 grains of powder or something like that.