Hunters can debate rifles and cartridges for hours, but hunting YouTuber Steven Lines says one simple question brought out a different kind of honesty: which cartridge do hunters regret buying the most?
In a recent video on his hunting rifle channel, Lines said he asked hunters across Facebook groups, his own audience, and online forums to name the cartridges they regretted owning, then continued collecting votes after an earlier version of the video was removed by YouTube.
The updated results, he said, changed the rankings in a few places, but the larger lesson stayed the same. Most hunters did not regret a cartridge because it was useless. They regretted it because it was too expensive, too hard to find, or simply not what they expected when they bought it.
“None of these cartridges are bad,” Lines said. “These are just the answers to the surveys that I put out of which ones people regret the most.”
Availability And Expectations Became The Big Themes
Before getting to the top five, Lines pointed to a few honorable mentions that came close to making the list, including the .224 Valkyrie, .300 Blackout, and all .17-caliber cartridges.
He said the .224 Valkyrie drew complaints mostly because of ammo availability and because some hunters felt other predator cartridges could offer similar or better performance. Lines said the cartridge had been ranked fifth in an earlier version of the survey, but it was later pushed down as more hunters responded.
The .300 Blackout, he said, seemed to suffer from expectations that did not match what the cartridge is designed to do. Some buyers expected a long-range performer, while Lines noted that it is really more of a short-range cartridge, especially when used suppressed.
For the .17-caliber cartridges, the complaint was mostly underwhelming performance, especially when hunters compared them with the many .22-caliber options available.
That opening section is important because it explains the whole list. The survey was not a scientific test of killing power or accuracy. It was a look at buyer regret, and that regret often came from frustration after the purchase rather than the cartridge failing every time in the field.
No. 5: The 6.8 Western
The 6.8 Western came in at number five, and Lines said that one “kind of pains” him because it is a cartridge he personally finds interesting and still wants to own.
He said the 6.8 Western has caught his attention from a performance standpoint because it hits hard, handles heavy bullets well, and looks like a capable elk cartridge.
But the same performance that makes it interesting did not save it from buyer regret.
According to Lines, hunters complained about limited ammo options and the small number of rifle platforms chambered for the cartridge. If a hunter buys a rifle that turns out to be picky about ammunition, the problem gets worse when there are not many factory loads to choose from in the first place.
Lines said he could understand why that would frustrate buyers.
That is one of the quieter realities of hunting rifles. A cartridge can look great on paper and still become annoying if a hunter cannot find ammo in local stores, cannot test many loads, or feels boxed into a few expensive options.
No. 4: The .308 Winchester
The .308 surprised Lines the first time it appeared on the regret list, and he said it still surprises him because he considers it a great cartridge.
He was careful to say that nobody should take the ranking as proof that the .308 is bad. Instead, he said the complaints seemed to come from people who wanted something faster and flatter shooting after buying one.
“The biggest complaint I saw with the .308 was just that people who went and got one said that they wish they would have gotten something a little bit faster and flatter shooting,” Lines said.
He admitted that there are better long-range options than the .308, but he also pointed out that the cartridge has major strengths. It is widely available, usually affordable compared with many modern hunting cartridges, and more than adequate for deer and elk within normal hunting distances.
For the .308, Lines said the issue was probably “mismatched expectations.”
That feels like a fair reading. The .308 is one of those cartridges that does many things well, but it is not always the best answer for hunters who have been sold on long-range speed and flat trajectories. It is steady, common, and useful, which may not satisfy someone who bought it hoping for something flashier.
No. 3: The 28 Nosler
The 28 Nosler landed at number three, and Lines said the complaints sounded similar to what hunters said about the 6.8 Western.
He did not see many complaints about performance. In fact, Lines said he has seen what the 28 Nosler can do through a friend who shoots it, and he called it “pretty impressive.”
The regret, he said, came from cost.
Whether hunters were buying factory ammo or reloading, the complaint was the same: the 28 Nosler is expensive to shoot. Lines said that matters because trigger time is valuable, and a rifle that costs too much to feed will often get shot less.
“Let’s be real, the more amount of trigger time, the better,” Lines said.
He also mentioned some comments about recoil and barrel life, but he was less convinced that barrel burning is a major concern for most hunters, especially with a cartridge that is already so expensive to shoot that many people will not fire it enough to wear out a barrel quickly.
This is where the buyer-regret theme becomes very practical. A powerful hunting cartridge may perform beautifully on one animal each fall, but hunters still need to practice, confirm zero, and build confidence. If every box of ammo feels painful to buy, some people will eventually wish they had chosen something easier to live with.
No. 2: The .300 Winchester Short Magnum
The .300 Winchester Short Magnum came in at number two, and Lines admitted this one hit close to home because it is one of his favorites.
He said he has killed many animals with the .300 WSM, but he does not really use it anymore, largely for the same reasons hunters listed in the survey.
The most common complaints were ammo availability and price. Lines said some hunters also mentioned feeding issues and recoil, though he personally did not have feeding problems with the rifle he used, and he managed recoil with a good muzzle brake.
Still, he said he understood why the cartridge made the list.
“I love this thing,” Lines said, but added that he could see the point when hunters complained about finding and affording ammunition.
The .300 WSM is a good example of how a cartridge can earn real loyalty and regret at the same time. For the hunter whose rifle shoots it well and who has a supply of ammunition, it can be a hard-hitting and effective option. For someone trying to buy ammo in a tight market, it may feel like a decision that became harder to justify over time.
No. 1: The 6.5 Creedmoor
The 6.5 Creedmoor was the cartridge hunters regretted most in Lines’ survey, and he said many viewers probably expected it to land there.
Lines said the Creedmoor also ranked number one in the earlier version of the survey, which did not surprise him given how popular and polarizing it has become.
He made clear that he personally likes the 6.5 Creedmoor and has killed plenty of deer with it. For what it is, he said, it works very well.
The problem, according to Lines, is that the Creedmoor became a victim of its own hype.
“This cartridge was definitely overhyped when it was first released and still is to a degree today,” Lines said.
He said many people bought it believing it was the ultimate long-range cartridge, then became disappointed when it did not perform like magic. Lines described it instead as a mild, accurate cartridge that works fine when hunters understand its role and use it accordingly.
“It’s not a laser beam,” he said.
That may be the cleanest summary of the whole Creedmoor debate. Some hunters love it because it is easy to shoot and accurate. Others resent it because the marketing and online chatter made it sound like it could do more than it was built to do. In the field, disappointment often begins when a cartridge is asked to solve a problem it was never meant to solve.
The Real Lesson Behind The Regrets
After going through the top five, Lines said two major patterns stood out in the survey.
The first was price and availability. Cartridges like the 6.8 Western, 28 Nosler, and .300 WSM drew regret because they can be harder to find or more expensive to shoot than other options.
The second pattern was poor research or mismatched expectations. Lines said some hunters buy a cartridge expecting it to fill a certain role, then become disappointed when it does not meet the performance image they had in their head.
Those two points explain why the list includes both newer, more specialized cartridges and old standbys like the .308. In some cases, hunters regretted buying into a niche. In others, they regretted buying a common cartridge that did not match the kind of hunting or shooting they wanted to do.
It is an interesting survey because it does not really tell hunters what to avoid. Instead, it tells them to be honest before buying. What animals will they hunt? How far will they realistically shoot? How much can they afford to practice? Can they find ammunition without turning every range trip into a scavenger hunt?
Lines closed by asking viewers which cartridges they think deserved to be on the list and which ones were unfairly blamed.
That may be the right place to leave the debate, because cartridge regret is personal. A cartridge that one hunter hates may be another hunter’s favorite, and a rifle that gathers dust in one safe may be trusted every season in another.
The larger point from Lines’ survey is that hunters should not buy based only on hype, trend, or one impressive chart. A cartridge has to fit the hunter, the rifle, the budget, and the real conditions in the field. When it does not, even a capable cartridge can become one a hunter wishes he had never bought.
Ed spent his childhood in the backwoods of Maine, where harsh winters taught him the value of survival skills. With a background in bushcraft and off-grid living, Ed has honed his expertise in fire-making, hunting, and wild foraging. He writes from personal experience, sharing practical tips and hands-on techniques to thrive in any outdoor environment. Whether it’s primitive camping or full-scale survival, Ed’s advice is grounded in real-life challenges.
