What role does ammo cost play in your gun selection?

Depends on the role of the gun.
It's it's a plinker, it's pretty much .22 or nothing.
If it's a working gun, it has to be common. 9mm, .40, 7.62x39/54r, .223, .308, 12ga. I also like to keep them sharing with others of the type in my safe.
If it's just for fun, it has to be either available or reloadable. For instance, I own a 6.5 Carcano, and it's possible to get components, but it's also not the same 6.5 as... anything else.

TYPO: should say what ROLE does ammo cost play..

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No role whatsoever.

Absolutely it does - theres a reason that 33% of my gun collection is chambered in .22lr.

That said...I dont just shoot cheap stuff. Next in line is a Ruger SRH in 454. If only shooting factory loads, I'd be looking at $0.60/shot, minimum (for 45LC). So, it will be my motivation to get into reloading... read one can reload 45LC for about a dime. Figure reloading .45LCs in a SRH should be as forgiving a platform to learn on as any.

Most of the guns in my collection are fairly mainstream calibers, like 9mm., .45 ACP, and .357 Magnum. But I also like the road less traveled so there's the .38 Super and the .44 Special (and possibly something in a .327 Federal Magnum), so I reload as well to get the best performance and save some money over buying factory ammo.

Not much. I've narrowed my "collection" down to just 12 ga, 22 LR, and 38/357. I don't use the shotguns much anymore since I haven't hunted in years. I've still got a few thousand rounds of 22, and I started handloading for the 38/357 with a Lee Loader, about the time I got my first handgun. I buy some factory ammo from time to time for the 38, but mostly I buy virgin brass and start from square one.

I never give it a thought.
If I want a particular gun, I'll buy that particular gun.

Being able to find components for odd calibers is the only thing that I ever consider. If I think I can find brass or bullets is what makes my decision.

ACP said:

Wondering if anyone rules out -- or rules in -- certain firearms due to the low price or high price of ammo.

For example -- buying a Ruger Blackhawk with interchangeable cylinders in 45ACP/45 Colt instead of just 45 Colt.

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Yes I traded away my .44mag because I didn't want to pay $1.00 a round to plink and I specifically bought the .45 Blackhawk convertible because I still wanted a thumper round but also wanted to be able to plink more economically.

OOps

Oh, ammo cost...

The consensus here is overwhelmingly no!

For me the answer is absolutely, without a doubt - YES! To the extent where I refuse to own any exotic calibers. The only non-NATO/LE calibers I carry are Warsaw Pact rounds.

Gotta agree with thermactor... I have a sincere desire to play with some of the bigger magnum cartridges, but 357 is expensive enough...

To me it is like seeing a sports car that peeks your interest. If you have to ask how much the gas costs you probably can't afford the car

Wondering if anyone rules out -- or rules in -- certain firearms due to the low price or high price of ammo.

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I just bought another gun in a new caliber because I found ammo on sale, does that count?

It makes a difference for me. That's why my AR is .223 and I don't plan to expand to more exotic cartridges.

Hand loading does help a lot with ammo costs (I do not shoot more because I hand load), but the cost per cartridge will vary, e.g. 30 06 costs about twice as much as .223.

I reload for everything that I shoot except for the autos as I dislike rumbling around for empties!
I shoot a box of 9mm's or 40 Smiths occasionally and lately I purchased Federal 9mm's at Walmart for less than $ 10.00/ box.
Tis why I truly love my .38's AND the cartridge!

You can make cartridges like the '06 as cost effective as .223 if you want to.
Casting bullets and using pistol powders in rifle rounds will make them just as cheap if not cheaper. But you are correct in that if you're buying your jacketed bullets and loading full powered rounds, the smaller cartridges are cheaper per round. No doubt about it.

But it is still so far below factory that I can live with it.

For instance I want a .280 AI or a .270 WSM. Or both.

Ammo off the shelf for these are not easy to come by (especially the .280 AI) and they are both on the pricey side.

Not so with handloading. I can load the AI or the .270 WSM for around the same price as the '06. The AI I can load for nearly exactly the same price and the only difference the WSM makes is a few grains of powder. Not really a noticeable difference.

I have stopped shooting .45 in competition and moved to a 9mm in part to save money. I buy bullets by the tens of thousands and it makes a difference. I am sending an order into Montana Gold for some jacketed bullets for my Open blaster. It looks like the total is going to be around $1400.00 just to burn up the powder I have on hand. The same number of lead (coated) bullets from a place like Bayou would run $1600.00.

It mattered more in the past. Less now. It also depends on how much I am shooting. I like less expensive ammo and less recoil so that is what I buy. I have larger calibers too, but don't shoot those as much.

I like to keep it simple and I've standardized on the basics. While I do have the odd 12ga, 20ga, .45acp, 30-30, and 5.56 about 80% of my collection falls into 9mm, 38/357, and 22lr.

Generally, no. If it something spectacularly expensive to feed, then I might refrain. That would be fairly rare though.

Zeke/PA said:

I shoot a box of 9mm's or 40 Smiths occasionally and lately I purchased Federal 9mm's at Walmart for less than $ 10.00/ box.

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details.... please?? i'll assume this is aluminum cased goods

It matters a little but like a lot of others I reload so they all cost about the same with just a little difference depending on the size of the round so I would rather get a flu d that I like more. However something like a .50 bmg will still be expensive to reload and I don't have a need for it so I wouldn't get that

huntsman said:

Yes I traded away my .44mag because I didn't want to pay $1.00 a round to plink and I specifically bought the .45 Blackhawk convertible because I still wanted a thumper round but also wanted to be able to plink more economically.

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It costs me about 2 cents more per round to load .44 Magnum than .45ACP.

Not much really. Thought about buying a pmr30, but not thrilled about buying 22 magnum ammo.

I have purchased several 22 LR firearms in the past couple of years.