What calibers would you keep?

.308 Norma said:

1. 22
2. 30
3. 44
4. 45
5. 12 gauge

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Now Mr. Norma knows how to interpret the rules! Pick your caliber not cartridge!

As an example, 45ACP, 45LC, 45-70, etc

Can't do it in 5:

12 guage
9mm
.45 ACP
5.56
.308
.22

Hartkopf said:

Now Mr. Norma knows how to interpret the rules! Pick your caliber not cartridge!

As an example, 45ACP, 45LC, 45-70, etc

Click to expand...

Wisdom and experience...

I saw your post just as I was posting. I've got to slooooooow doooooown and think a bit more.

9mm, 22-250, .308 and 12 gauge.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

.22lr
.38spl.
9mm
.223
.410

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410 over 12 gauge? That's interesting

Of what I own current! Down to 5:

7mm Rem Mag
12 gauge
22lr
357 mag/38 special
41 mag

.22 LR
9x19mm
.223 Rem
.308 Win
12 Gauge

WisBorn said:

410 over 12 gauge? That's interesting

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3" .410 slugs and buckshot will do for two-legged varmints just fine at close range, and 2.5" birdshot will still bring down small game with minimal meat damage.

Plus you can carry ALOT more shells for a given weight/ volume.

Ya, Im a .410 fan.

Man I got a split'n headache from thinking about giving up 90% of my guns so cannot comply with thread!

If I had to go down to only 5 of the calibers I now have...

.22LR
9mm
.44 mag
5.56
7mm Mauser

Bases on what guns I'd want to keep, (and how many I could still feed) along with the capability they'd give me.

22 rimfire, long rifle if limited but add short of not. Single six 4 5/8", bearcat, marlin 60, marlin 39, Remington 41 targetmaster, Ruger 77-22 stainless boat paddle stock, smith 317 snub, naa mini, handi rifle, winchester 74, winchester 67, buckmark, 10-22, Ciener slide on 1911 frame,

12 gauge
Wingmaster, 870 express, sears Zoli OU, SXS double trigger no hammer, winchester 87 tuned by the man

357 magnum
Smith 27, handi rifle, marlin 1894, gp100, smith 19, Ruger 77357

44 special
Blackhawk NM flattop, smiths in 296,396,696,24-3, gp100, marlin 1894, winchester 66 and 73,

45-70
Late model winchester 86 deluxe takedown, marlin 1895 guide gun, marlin cowboy, smle conversion, carriage mounted Gatling.

These are practically all I now own / will own for a while, and they are enough:

22LR,
9x19 mm,
7.62x39.

These consist of two handguns + two rifles in .22LR, four handguns in 9mm, five rifles in 7.62x39.

Single exception - a WW2 Sauer 38H in .32 Auto, seldom used.
Never owned a shotgun, but if a self-annointed, former ultra primadonna King had Not banned imports of Saigas about eight years ago, I would own a Saiga 12 gauge, semi-auto shotgun. These shotguns are a bit expensive now for plinking, due to his 'feel good' chicken**** import ban.........

45 auto
.22 rimfire
.556
12 ga
.300 PRC

beeenbag said:

If you were going to cut down to say 5 different calibers/gauges to keep stocked, and only have guns chambered in these rounds, which rounds would they be?

This is all rounds, rifle, handgun, shotgun etc.

For my area, im thinking it would look like this.

1. 12g
2. 5.56
3. 357 mag
4. 30-06
5. 9mm

I would be really sad not having a 10mm though and may bump out the 357 for it.

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This is an age-old question that has been asked millions of times since the birth of usenet. It always seems to be five (5) ... so there must be something programmed into the simulation that drives us to limit it to that number for some reason.

The matrix wants five ... here's how to beat the Kobayashi Maru.

1. 12g ... 12 gauge is a no brainer. A must.
2. 5.56 ... let's revisit this one.
3. 357 mag ... let's talk about this one.
4. 30-06 ... this one is also a no brainer, but let's discuss why.
5. 9mm ... let's revisit this one.

Okay, here we go ...

1 - 12 gauge

2 - 22 LR (lightweight, plentiful, versatile, handgun and rifle platforms ... replaces .223 caliber 5.56x45)

3 - 357/38 ... two fer one. Super reliable, hard hitting, easy to reload both table-top or by hand in a pinch. Cast yer own ... or, for some of us 44 Mag/44 Special is a viable option in this slot. So is 45 Colt. So is 9mm honestly, if you have a carbine to go with your semiauto and they both use the same mags. Bottom line is though ... if you're limited to five then only one should be a dedicated pistol caliber.

4 - 30-06 ... a no brainer. Most versatile rifle cartridge known to man. Will kill anything in the world. Can be loaded with anything from 110 grain to 240 grain pills ... can even be loaded with homemade black powder in a pinch. And here's where it gets interesting. That 30-06 case ... it can be necked-down to .270, cut down and necked-down to .308 and even cut down further to .45 ACP. It is, by far, the most versatile case you can stockpile for that rainy day that is coming.
.
5 - so this is where it gets tricky. Are we talking post shtf here or just every day gettin'-by? #5 is where things always go haywire. What's the purpose of #5? Self defense? Defense pf property? Hunting, putting food on the table? All of those bases are already pretty-much covered above, right? So we have to start thinking platforms.

Shotgun ... covered.
Handgun/carbine (357/38) ... covered.
Shotgun/handgun utility (22 LR) ... covered.
Bolt gun, hunting, (30-06) ... covered.

We gotta have a magazine fed milspec semiauto, right? AR platform is the logical choice. Do we choose 5.56x45? 7.62x51? 7.62x39?

#5 is left to the eye of the beholder. Me personally, for availability and platform versatility reasons ... I would go with 7.62x51 for #5. AR platform or even something like a SCAR Heavy or a SIG 716. Although, I will say this ... there is definitely a place for a modern braced 11.5" pistol in 5.56x45. They are changing the narrative. I may have to rethink that one actually.

BTW for those who may argue that a semiauto handgun is a must ... there is a reason why the military does not issue sidearms to everyone. Less than 1% of the military is issued a sidearm ... for good reason.

Pretty simple for me.

20 gauge
22LR
32acp
25acp
.380acp

I like the 20 gauge as an all-around capable shell and have several 20 gauge shotguns.
I have several 22LR pistols and rifles.
I have more 32acp handguns than any other caliber.
25acp is a great choice for BBD defense.
And the .380 is also one where I have several handguns available.

I have just about everything, if anything is in stock, I could put it to use.

I can’t see going backwards but if I did, it would be t something that uses the most commonly found components.

12 ga
22lr
303
9mm
44 mag
If I can’t get it done with those sumn is wrong!

22lr rifle/handgun
.357 carbine/handgun
5.56 because every family member has one
12 ga
These four are no-brainers, the last one....not so much...for where and how I live my life....and situations that might arise.....I really hate to leave 30-30 out...but I'll need a scoped heavy rifle..
30-06

I'm into milsurps so if I had to cut down to five calibers I'd also have to get rid of most of my guns.

.22 lr
9mm
.223
5.56
7.62x51 (you can shoot 7.62 in a .308 but not the opposite)
7.62x39
30-06

12 ga
20 ga

I don't own some of these but you can probably scrounge & trade.

One thing of note, in my E.D.C. bag, in case of emergency, i carry in a little baggie:
4. .22lr
3 9mm
4. .233 (can shoot out of AR & bolt gun)
2 7.62x51
2. 12 ga
2. 20 ga

jmr40 said:

22 LR
12 ga
9mm
308
223

Choosing 308 over 30-06 was tough. But 21st century 308 loads exceed WW-2 era 30-06 performance by a sizeable margin. Of course modern 30-06 will always slightly beat 308, but a lighter, more compact rifle with less recoil is just too appealing. And by a small margin I find 308 more accurate.

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Once the painful deliberations were completed, I'd probably end up with this same list. I'd miss my .357 revolvers, and the .22 Magnums, and the lone 45 ACP CZ 97B (that I love), but I could do anything I want to do with these calibers. And, these calibers account for 79% of my guns anyway, so I wouldn't be impacted too much if I could keep everything I have in each caliber.

9mm
22lr
30 06
30cal
12ga
Why?? You ask?
Because thats what I have.
Along with
38spl
410
and others

Hmmmmm ... I count more than five. Maybe a limit of five isn't possible?????

wiscoaster said:

Hmmmmm ... I count more than five. Maybe a limit of five isn't possible?????

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Correct, Simply because the way ammo is Today you can't pick and choose. You can only take whats on the shelf today.

I have more than 5 obsolete cartridges in my collection. Life it to short to limit your calibers. Variety is the spice of life. Variety also makes you proof against the current market we are going through. You could not get 556 or 9mm for months but I could still find odd-balls like 30 RAR and 38 S&W on the shelves and keep shooting.