I think it's just human nature to stick with what you know; facts be damned. It only becomes problematic when you refuse to acknowledge the existence of facts.
In my own case, I will readily admit that synthetically-stocked and dura-coated long guns are superior in every functional way to wood and blued steel; but given a choice, I still want walnut and blued metal on my guns. However, I also have a couple of the other kind I use when I know the weather will be awful.
Elmer Keith springs to mind when it comes to rejecting facts. Keith cut his teeth on black powder rifles. The only way to boost power was to increase the size of the hole in the end of the barrel. When the first genuinely high velocity rounds arrived, bullet construction and performance were pretty dismal and Keith despised them. But long after that problem had been addressed, he refused to modify is opinion and went so far as to distort real events or simply make them up in order to back up his early prejudices. It made about as much sense as some of the African game commissions that would allow you to shoot elephants with a .44-40 but not a .375 H&H. Old ideas die hard and new fangled notions spark resistance.
Personally, I'm taking a stand against Twitter. I simply refuse to support any technology based on the twin pillars of bad spelling and self-absorption.

The change I see is in the level of accuracy of the so called price point rifles in the $300 range. We've accuracy checked many Savage Axis and Marlin XL/XS and they shoot too damn good. One Axis in .243 shot so well I was wondering if Winchester forgot to seat a bullet in every cartridge. This gun outshot my Sako A7 in the same caliber and that Sako had no problem meeting the 5 shots under an inch proclamation. That being said, I'll still take my Sako over the aforementioned any day!

My first .222 was a Mohawk 600 with a 1 1/2 X 4 all steel Weaver scope. It was a sure-fire prairie dog killer at 200 yds. and actually laid down a coyote at a paced off 297 steps. I mostly shot Remington and Winchester factory loads, and never noticed lack of killing power. I did notice that the little triple deuce was incredibly accurate, which may have had something to do with the demise of uncounted frogs, squirrels, turkeys, crows, a hog or two, a few deer, and many, many, 'yotes and prairie dogs. I regret losing that little rifle in the divorce wars to this day.

Old Elmer kilt a griz with a .35 Whelen. Sold me.

When I read the title of the article I thought it was going to be about Obama...... Good article though.

For the Axis, Ruger American, etc., nein danke, keep the change. Life is too short for fugly rifles.

.222 is the perfect woodchuck round. The ranges aren't that far, I'm not looking for "acrobatics" or PMC's, just no hole diggin' whistlepigs.

"the Swift, with its then-incredible velocities"

If only I could un-hear all the good songs I'm jaded on or un-shoot modern rifles. Some classic songs and cartridges are still pretty incredible after a few spins or rounds, though.

When I read the title of this blog, I thought it was going to be about tipping your waitress, but yes I agree, we plug an opinion into our brains as fact, then forget about it, going though our days with this "truth" as a foundation of our knowledge on a particular subject. This is similar to a past blog regarding "knock down". It is hard for us old farts to keep an open mind, but we must.

In my opinion new powder formulations and better designed bullets will cause us to re-think many of our notions. I for one feel better about using 6mm/.243 sized bullets on thin skinned big game like deer and prong horn antelope.

A grain of salt I say, its best to stick with conventional wisdom or else become the victim of an over zealous gun writer when it comes to buying firearms like the Rem 105GTI or that electric rifle they put out a few years ago the extronic.All in the scrape pile and no longer made. No sir, just because its new don't make it better the Browning A5 can attest to that.

Well . . . If you're a U.S. Marine, the 222 is a 500-yard piece of gear. At least according to rifle data book I was issued at Edson range.