Thinking of adding other calibers to the corral due to (gasp) panic buying.

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Again, I don't see how the .270 could be considered "uncommon," much less anything other than "mainstream."o_O
"Uncommon" for what? Punching holes in paper targets at a pay-to-shoot range? Or maybe for self/home defense rifles? I'd bet .270s are as "common" and "mainstream" as any big game rifles around here - even though I don't personally have one right now.:)
Your right .270 is actually a common cartridge. It just I always see it on the shelves unlike 5.56, 308, 7x62.39
 
Dodo - your desire to be "proactive" rather than "reactive" is admirable. But, in an emergency situation, would it not be better to lessen the chance of confusion and limit your "variety" (and costs !) ?
I have 2 rifles and 1 revolver that shoot .22 LR. That same revolver also shoots .22 Magnum and pairs with a semiautomatic pistol and another rifle that also shoot .22 Magnum.
I also have a .357 Magnum revolver that pairs with a lever action rifle and can use both .38 Special and .357 Magnum.
 
To the OP, 40S&W. Two days ago I found a used Glock 22 online for aprox $500. High priced but available. SGammo has plenty of 40 fmj and also very inexpensive premium defense ammo. Grip size is the same as 9mm, same holsters, holds 16 vs 18 rounds and has similar ballistic effectiveness.

I researched and passed on the 45GAP because it has a similar grip size as the G22 but only holds 10 rounds. And I would bet money the 40cal is equally as effective.
I recently bought a used G35 used for a little under $600. It came with the OEM 40 cal barrel and a LWD 9mm converion barrel and 2 mags. I bought mainly because I wanted something else in .40 and having it convert easily to 9mm was a great bonus. A little research has also found I can get a .357sig conversion barrel and usually nothing else needed and I can shoot .357sig. Barrel when I Googled was about $120.
 
Again, I don't see how the .270 could be considered "uncommon," much less anything other than "mainstream."o_O
"Uncommon" for what? Punching holes in paper targets at a pay-to-shoot range? Or maybe for self/home defense rifles? I'd bet .270s are as "common" and "mainstream" as any big game rifles around here - even though I don't personally have one right now.:)

It’s uncommon in the sense that most new rifles sold nowadays use short actions that can’t feed .270, so a new hunter (or person who wants a rifle for whatever reason) is far more likely to end up with .308, 7mm-08, .243, .223, etc. than .270. That’s been true for as long as I’ve been shopping rifles, so .270s are firmly in the “dad/grandad’s gun” category (alongside .30-‘06 and other classic cartridges) at this point, and dad/granddad doesn’t buy as much ammo as kids these days do. Which is a shame because it’s a good round.
 
.32 Auto. I constantly see it in gun stores in the last week/two. Many boxes of it.
Bass Pro and Shoot PB often, or possibly always have it, along with Academy. It always seems to be the * lower-priced varieties.

.40 Auto and .45 Auto was at our Shoot Point Blank store/range yesterday. Both in lower-cost varieties. This store is by Whitten Rd./I-40 in east Memphis, south of Bartlett.

--First buying ammo, Before you buy a gun in a 'new' chambering can have benefits.
I once did this for my first Enfield and it was right when low-priced, decent quality surplus ('Non-POF') .303 ammo was literally drying up-- gone days later-- at the 'late' Samco business near Miami.
 
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It's one of the reasons I like to keep a few guns in 9x18 around. The CZ 82 is a great pistol, and the other makes are all solid designs. Before all this crap started, 9x18 cost about 11-12 bucks per box of 50, and I could find it easily enough if I looked. Online had places, and the local Academy had stocked some Monarch (which was Brown Bear, I believe).

Haven't checked Academy recently. But I did get a case of Silver Bear for about $210 online the other day. In other words, the price hasn't moved.
 
The last time this happened I watched the ammo shelves at WM observing what dissappeared as time wet by. First conclusion was that 40S&W was the last to go for good. Never thought of owning a 40 before as I had a lot of calibers covered already but after things got back to something like normal I purchased a couple PD turn in 40's. Then got reloadimg items for it. Already had 8K range brass I had saved over time anyway. Now another choice to use or loan a family member if needed. YMMV
 
Now I wish I didn't give my dad's yeet cannon to my sister, who probably traded it for weed.
If your not up to date on Internet meme lore, the yeet cannon is a 40sw hi point.
 
The lesson to be learned is to maintain a stock of ammunition for what you have to sustain you until the panic subsides. The only "off" calibers I have are 40 S&W and 38 Sp/357, which were among the last to go for pistols. I have several "traditional" hunting rifles in "traditional" calibers, all of which are available in our local sporting goods stores. My main go-to as of late for range use is 22 LR. It is still easy to find at "normal" prices.
 
Variety is fun, but every producer is working overtime to kick out the highly lucrative high demand stuff, while they do a 357 Sig run or line only when they get to it as there is less business to be lost. It is also fun when the demand is met and temporary oversupply means there are bargains to be found.

I own and enjoy a 22 TCM and have picked up a few bargains, but have seen shelf stock dwindle from time to time too. I enjoyed feeding the Makarov when Silver Bear was $7 for 50, but nothing good lasts forever.
 
Maybe I'm the lone voice in the wilderness here, but here goes. Let's say you've got a 9, a .45 and a .22 already. Maybe a .40 as well. Rather than investing in another platform, like a .357 Sig or a .45 GAP, or a 5.7, each with their own relatively odd ammo, which is still available during a panic, but which requires more space, new holsters, etc., why not, when the current panic is over and prices return to normal, just buy that much more of the common caliber ammo instead?? If you're a prepper or a bugout guy, carrying yet another platform hoping to find oddball ammo you can shoot, rather that stocking a larger supply of stuff you can ALREADY shoot seems like a fools errand. Further, a larger stock of the stuff you shoot already prevents caliber proliferation. Finally... .45 GAP? You trying to encourage them??.

That said, I can't believe I just tried to convince somebody to NOT but a gun.....the shame....
 
I'm currently packing the gear bag with ammo for a shoot with the wife and friends. As I pack I'm having a really hard time grabbing more than a box or two of 9mm simply because I don't know when this panic will be over. I wasn't in a place financially to stockpile a ton of ammo before this, ironically I became financially able about two weeks after ammo shelves were bare. Even if I did have the ability to stockpile before hand having enough on hand to outlast a shortage of unknown duration translates to 100s of thousands of round to me. I like having at least a few guns that I know the odds I'll be able to restock one of them most days, it is just reassuring. Today I am packing the old 32acp along because I know ammo is still on the shelf and I can shoot that without stressing on supply and just focus on having fun and improving. Sure I'm shooting a different gun than my carry gun but can you honestly say shooting a different gun is worse than not shooting at all? This is also why I practice my shotgun for defensive use as well as rifle. When was the last time you saw birdshot completely out of stock? Sure, not the same recoil as buck but the weapons handling is the same at least. Just trying to make the best of a bad situation.
 
The lesson to be learned is to maintain a stock of ammunition for what you have to sustain you until the panic subsides. The only "off" calibers I have are 40 S&W and 38 Sp/357, which were among the last to go for pistols. I have several "traditional" hunting rifles in "traditional" calibers, all of which are available in our local sporting goods stores. My main go-to as of late for range use is 22 LR. It is still easy to find at "normal" prices.

I am also shooting 22.cal. I have a good supply of 9mm. Not a huge amount, about 10,000 rds. But I want to keep up my skills especially Point and Shoot and using my 22.cals. In fact just bought the LCP 22 to go along with the LCR22 and others.
. That said, I have been having thousands of 22.cal coming to the house for the past few months, but guess what, It is slowly going the way of 9mm. Just a matter of time.
And I also do not understand why folks think that there will not be a shortage of re-loading components coming as well. There sure was a shortage during the last Panic and this is more than just a Panic that is going on now. This nonsense will make the last shortage look like amateur hour.
 
Agree with the sentiment that if you want the .45 Colt or .270, etc, for their own virtues go for it, but that starting now just for ammo availability would be starting from behind the 8-ball.
And though I, too don't have one at moment, I think the .270 is a lovely and versatile round and concur with the OP ... you still do see it on shelves. Even in the 2012-start panic, it stayed on shelves, per my memory. But, adding a mouth (caliber) to feed does have the drawback of being another mouth feed. The ammo money you do have is getting further spread among the kids in the safe.
Like Ernie (above), I've been doing a lot of .22lr shooting lately. I'd forgotten how fun it can be, and I do have a good stockpile.
 
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If it gets to the point of real crisis there’ll be plenty calibers to choose from... left behind by people who didn’t make it...

It also might not be a bad idea to get a crossbow or learn to shoot a regular bow. Arrows are reusable and easy to make.
 
Rather then spending $1500 on new guns in less common calibers, and then lets say another $500+ in stocking up on those new calibers, it seems like the better course would be to just get an additional $2000 of ammo in the calibers you have. Overpaying for 9mm right now is still going to be cheaper than buying .45 GAP at normal prices.
 
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