[PT1911]

So, you have all seen the threads, which pistol cartridge, which rifle cartridge, which for this, and which for that... similar to those but a bit different.


If for whatever reason you were to have to choose just one cartridge to use for all purposes, what do you lean toward? No I dont mean a singular bullet. One cartridge. Seems to me one would lean toward a pistol caliber that can be used in a carbine to reasonable hunting range. I believe I would have to go with the good ole .357 mag.

What would y'all choose and what is your reasoning?

[paintballdude902]

probably a .41 magnum ive recently fallen in love with it but id have trouble finding it in a rifle platform so maybe a .44mag

[Lawnman380]

.357 mag...........

[renegade1alpha]

If I had an unlimited supply of ammo? It would be the .45 Long Colt. I have a Rossi Puma lever action rifle and a Ruger Blackhawk chambered in that caliber.

[el gato]

.44mag/special

[nwilliams]

I thought at first I'd go with .45cap

However I think instead I would go with the 9mm. There are just more options with this caliber when it comes to handguns and rifles to choose from. Not that there aren't a lot of options with the .45acp as well, so I'm kinda torn between the two.

[mcdonl]

I would get a TC chambered in .243

[CoRoMo]

If not the .45LC, it'd be .223/5.56

[Wishoot]

44 mag. Decent for hunting, protection in the woods and protection at home. I don't like shooting it out of a handgun, but it's enjoyable out of my Winchester 94.

[PT1911]

any other input? anyone have an argument for another round?

[tribbles]

12 gauge.

[TexasRifleman]

Seems like a good spot for the 10mm.

I think that's what I would choose.

Not a lot of choices in the carbine but there are a few.

[searcher451]

Seeing as how most of my handguns are 9mm, I'd have to vote for something to put through them. :)

[rbernie]

12ga

[Drail]

Ooooh, paintballdude, I like your idea. .41 mag. If I only had a carbine/rifle in that caliber it would be my pick. But I will pick the .44 Spl. just because I DO have handguns and long guns for it. Unfortunately both of those calibers are only good if you can handload for them.

[oneounceload]

12 gauge hands down - clay targets, small game, big game, HD.....you can't cover more ground with one carttridge

[fattboyzz]

44mag will do !

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

12 gauge

[NMGonzo]

Carbine and revolver round

Eating and man stopping round

[KBT1911]

Either .44mag or .45 Colt for me.

[m_kirk2001]

If I could only have one shell/bullet for the rest of my life I would choose a 12 gauge, but putting a pistol grip on one hardly would make it a pistol (IMHO). However if I have to bring an actual pistol into a fray I would choose .44 magnum. .44 magnum is about the most I can handle in a pistol and in a rifle it can hold its own compared to a lot of stuff out there.

[Tommygunn]

If I could only have one shell/bullet for the rest of my life I would choose a 12 gauge, but putting a pistol grip on one hardly would make it a pistol (IMHO).


IMHO, while I like 12 gauge (I recently bought two, a Rem 870 & Mossy 500) putting a pistol grip on them isn't great. They are much easier to aim properly with a stock. Yeah, pistol grips are tacti-cool, but they're used with the gun held waist high; if you try to aim them you will put a knot on your forehead from recoil.

[PT1911]

I completely agree tommygun..not that I dont like pistol grip stocks (on some shotguns), but I hate Pistol grip only shotties as well as adjustable and folding stocks... I find them pretty useless on a shotgun.

[1911 guy]

If I had to choose only one caliber, I'd opt for the venerable 12 bore. Birdshot for small game, buckshot for medium sized stuff and slugs for deer here in Ohio. I already use two of those options, but prefer a carbine AR for HD.

If we're including CCW in this, I'd switch from 12 guage to .357 Magnum.

[MachIVshooter]

Easy: .308

[Deanimator]

.44 Magnum. I've already got a 4" and a 6" S&W Model 29-2. I've been thinking about a Cimarron Model 92 "Trapper".

[Yo Mama]

.22LR

You can hunt with it fine if you know what you're doing. You also have a pretty good survival round.

If the gun is a tool, the .22 must be in the toolbox.

[RainDodger]

Odd man out here. One gun for everything. .30-'06.

Second place, I'd go with MachIVshooter and pick a .308.... in fact, .308 may be a better choice because there's probably more of it around.

[Onward Allusion]

.357 mag.

[MachIVshooter]

Second place, I'd go with MachIVshooter and pick a .308.... in fact, .308 may be a better choice because there's probably more of it around.

I actually like the .30-06 better. The reason I say .308 are the firearms so chambered; If I could only pick one gun, it'd be my Armalite AR-10A2 carbine. Can't think of a situation requiring a firearm that rifle wouldn't be qualified for, from Home defense/combat to big game and everything in between.

[Broken11b]

just throwin it out there, .50 BMG

[Ed Ames]

I like my .454 casull pair. 20" stainless puma M92 and 2.5" ruger alaskan. The casull can do anything a 44 mag can do, and a few things it can't. From plinking/cowboy loads that would be OK for small game, into 45/70 teritory.

[PandaBearBG]

5.56 most familiar with and just sentimental for. It's got the range, it's light, available, versatile, and hey I can always pick up an AR pistol to match the rifle. :)

[PT1911]

i've never been a fan of the ar pistols... seem quite impractical.... like pistol grip only shotguns, and the like.

[chuckusaret]

12 gauge

[kd7nqb]

I think I would go with 12 gauge. However 20ga might be tempting too. Because I bet you could get a revolver built in 20gauge. Kinda like a super judge.

[PT1911]

a revolver in 20 Ga? Never seen one or heard of one... How would that be legal? (without special taxes and papers) maybe built as a slug gun? rifled barrel? eh.. I dunno...and here I was thinking I finally understood our rediculous laws.

[middy]

12 ga

[Innova]

.44 or 12ga. Probably .44, just because of the concealment possibility.

[DFW1911]

Another vote for the 12 gauge!

[mgkdrgn]

If I had an unlimited supply of ammo? It would be the .45 Long Colt. I have a Rossi Puma lever action rifle and a Ruger Blackhawk chambered in that caliber.

That would be one of my choices as well. Very versatile, easy to handle/reload, capable of taking down anything that walks in North America.

[GRIZ22]

any other input? anyone have an argument for another round?
__________________


Not from me. I agree 357 magnum.

[DirtyHarry31]

.357 mag. My setup for me when I retire :cool: to NM for my GMC is my Rossi 92 rifle, My S&W 686 4" for my side & My S&W 360 M&P for conceal/backup. The combo covers all situations up to 200 yrds, and that's enough "personal space" for me! :D

[PT1911]

happy to see I am not the onlyone who would go .357 mag. I just need to get the rifle now... I am sure i will be the proud owner of one before too long.

[Ed Ames]

The combo covers all situations up to 200 yrds

Have you tried shooting the 686 at 200yds??? OK, I kid... but aim high 'cause at 200 you've got to hold about 17" over the target with the M92. 125 yards would be my outside limit if I actually cared about hitting cleanly.

I think the .357 is a great choice if you already have and like .357 guns. The main reason I went with the .454 is that I already had and like .45C guns. The rossi feeds .454 and .45C with seemingly equal ease.

Modern 45C and .357 are pretty similar in a lot of ways, with the edge going to the .357:

.45C energy @ 100yrds= 630fpe, drop @ 100=11"
.357 energy @ 100yrds= 700fpe, drop @ 100=6.5"

Both are basically 125 yard guns.

Of course, full house .454 loads are another beast.

.454 energy @ 100yrds= 1890, drop @ 100=5"

The full house .454 loads kick like a mule. Well, like a magnum centerfire rifle. With 10+1 rounds of those you don't have any reason to feel undergunned. ;) It's still at most a 150 yard gun.

[Publius1688]

12 ga, double aught buckshot.

[federalfarmer]

12 gauge -- what doesn't it work for?

[wpsuth]

Forget the handgun. 30.06.

[Ed Ames]

12 gauge -- what doesn't it work for?

Concealed carry. Antelope. Transvaal Lions. Probably a few other things.

[Acera]

12 gauge for the variety.

A 12 gauge slug will stop a boat load more things than any of those pistol calibers.

Not gonna wing-shoot too many birds with any of those other calibers, but a 12 will.

If I am down to just one gun, probably not real worried about concealing it, probably worried about who I am gonna be fighting with to get another gun, food, shelter, gas, etc............

[rfurtkamp]

Given I don't anticipate taking dozens of 100+ yard shots against either game or threats, I'd rather sacrifice in the rifle cartridge department than be stuck with a 5 or 6 shooter as a defensive handgun.

9mm wins out in this category - I'm not stuck with grandpa's levergun for either fun or plinking or defensive situations, and 9mm with the right bullet choice can kill plenty of game if it comes down to that. Double-taps are laughable with my MP5k-PDW out to 100m or so against human-sized targets, and anything closer is just not sporting.

And with 147gr JHP (which my carbine of choice and handgun will both shoot without issue or complaint), it's easily suppressed and is good enough with proper shot placement.

Any one-size fits all scenario creates compromise, and I'd rather keep a nice package of fun, affordability of ammo, firepower, size, and field-proven technology together than sacrifice it for something that's an extreme compromise (12g pistols, big rifle calibers in a pistol) as a handgun at best and fits realistic needs.

[Ed Ames]

Not gonna wing-shoot too many birds with any of those other calibers, but a 12 will.

If I am down to just one gun...

If I am down to just one gun, I don't think I'll be wasting ammo trying to wing-shoot birds. If I'm destitute (which is about the only reason I can see for being down to a single gun) I'm going to use methods that are more likely to succeed. Many a bird has fallen to the .22 rimfire revolver, and would fall just as easily (if not quite so cheaply) to a 9mm or .45C. But I don't think the OP was talking about being down to one gun so much as down to a set of guns that fire a common cartridge.

9mm? It wouldn't be bad but if I was going semi-auto I'd look for something more modern. Maybe 5.7x28.

I'm not a huge fan of lever guns (I didn't grow up watching The Lone Cowboy or whatever) normally, but semi autos are pickier about ammo. You can load a revolver or lever/bolt gun down to levels that would not cycle (or may jam) a semi-auto but would be just fine for knocking a pigeon off a branch...and then turn around and load them (even the .357) up to levels that would kill a charging grizzly and will blow a MP5k-PDW to pieces. And they'll take a suppressor just fine. With semi-autos you must balance velocity and projectile weight far more carefully if you want even a semblance of reliability.

[C-grunt]

Either the .357, .44, or .45 Colt.

[mgkdrgn]

Ed,

Sounds like you have the same Puma/Rossi M92 that I have (454/45C). I'd wager you could load some 45C that would beat the 357 on hitting power out of that rifle. Probably have to go to a plated/jacketed bullet to get the velocity up. "Ruger Loads" shouldn't be an issue for a rifle capable of handling 454. (one of the reasons I chose this rifle)

But yes, it is a 150 yard max gun ... but I can't see anything further away than that anyway. ;-)

Have you tried shooting the 686 at 200yds??? OK, I kid... but aim high 'cause at 200 you've got to hold about 17" over the target with the M92. 125 yards would be my outside limit if I actually cared about hitting cleanly.

I think the .357 is a great choice if you already have and like .357 guns. The main reason I went with the .454 is that I already had and like .45C guns. The rossi feeds .454 and .45C with seemingly equal ease.

Modern 45C and .357 are pretty similar in a lot of ways, with the edge going to the .357:

.45C energy @ 100yrds= 630fpe, drop @ 100=11"
.357 energy @ 100yrds= 700fpe, drop @ 100=6.5"

Both are basically 125 yard guns.

Of course, full house .454 loads are another beast.

.454 energy @ 100yrds= 1890, drop @ 100=5"

The full house .454 loads kick like a mule. Well, like a magnum centerfire rifle. With 10+1 rounds of those you don't have any reason to feel undergunned. ;) It's still at most a 150 yard gun.

[gideon_70]

I actually faced this recently and decided on a 9mm.

I purchased a Hipoint 9, and a carbine that shoots 9's.

Oterwise, Iwould get a black powder gun that shoots 50 slugs.

[Evnldr]

.22 Gota love holding 5K Plus rounds and still not be loaded down.. Id get a .22 AR, .22 1911 .22 Revolver and 10K of ammo.. im not killing a bear.. but I wont starve.

[ArfinGreebly]

Near as I can tell, the .357 has the broadest flexibility.

Loaded down to .38 -p, it should be able to take small game.

Loaded hot, it will take buffalo (going from photo evidence) and, I imagine, somewhat larger game.

It's a very credible defensive round. There are plenty of sidearm platforms for it.

I have a Marlin 1894C carbine chambered in it, and with decent sights (tang sight or optic) it's a credible 200 yard gun, despite the drop.

So, let's see,
* _ _ _ _ _ defensive round? -- check
* _ _ _ _ _ _ _ small game? -- check
* _ _ _ _ medium/big game? -- check
* _ effective past 150 yards? -- check
* _ _ _ _ _ broadly available? -- check
* _ _ _ __ reasonably priced? -- check

Honorable mention for the .22 LR cartridge. It is effective in a broad range of applications, light enough to carry lots of it, inexpensive, meaning more practice, and is the subject of dozens and dozens of platforms.

Its only real shortcoming (aside from being pretty marginal for self defense) is its lack of adequate power to close the deal on medium-to-big game at a hundred yards.

I'll take the .357 across a wide variety of loadings and bullet types.