Limiting your collection based on caliber

I do.

9mm
.45
.223
.308
12ga

It makes sense if you are stocking up on ammo, or trying to budget (buying in bulk). i.e. Buying 9mm is definitely cheaper than 45ACP.

I would also limit the caliber based on your current ammo supply. If you have 40S&W stockpiled then it makes sense to buy guns in that caliber. Also some ammo are more available than others; I find 40S&W and 357 a lot more while 9mm and 45acp are always out.

Since I reload, ammunition availability at the stores are less of an issue, whether during a shortage, a less popular cartridges or even an obsolete cartridge. I enjoy exploring new-to-me cartridges.

Some cartridges I will not shoot very frequently. I only keep a small inventory of components and ammunition on hand. Other cartridges that I shoot frequently, I stock a larger inventory.

Primers and powder, and sometimes bullets, can be used over a number of different cartridges so I can shuffle them to the cartridges I shoot infrequently if I need to replace some inventory.

I like the calibers that people hoard and are out of stock! Apparently they do as well.

I have passed on guns, at times, with the comment "I need to simplify my ammo supply situation, not complicate it."

No I don't. I like variety and the nice thing is most times I will be able to buy ammo that the hoarders left behind, though this time for the life of me cannot figure why 22 mag is gone. I currently keep:

38spl
380acp
45acp
45colt
50ae (currently have none on hand)
30carbine
223/5.56
30-06 for my Garand
22 magnum
12 gauge in buckshot and slugs

I normally only keep at most 200 rounds for each except 50ae which might only keep 60 and 22 magnum which I try to keep above 500. 12 gauge a few boxes suffices.

I did this years ago,
22LR
9MM
38SP/357
.223
.243
So when I saw prices skyrocket as demand went thru the roof I didnt fret one bit,
I have plenty of new un-fired,I kept as stock, and a LOT of clean brass to reload
Guess I forgot 12 gauge,,

JVaughn said:

I work with some guys that only own guns that are of a couple of calibers, specifically 9mm, .223, and .40. Is this a common practice? I have never let that bother me, but they are serious about it. In fact, when one of them made the decision, he sold his .380 and ammo because it didn't fit the criteria.

Anyone else do this?

Click to expand...

While I only own pistols in 9mm and 45 Auto, it's not because of an insistance on sticking to those calibers. I simply prefer shooting those calibers to others. That said, I'd like to get a pistol (probably a Glock 32, or Sig 229) in 357 Sig. I'd also like to get a 357 Magnum revolver.

.22lr
.32 ACP
.357
9mm
.45 ACP
.223
.308

I do not really limit my calibers anymore, I just have them for certain uses. My CAS guns (2 revolvers and a rifle) are all the same caliber because is it easier at the matches to only have one type of ammo. For my hunting guns it is what ever caliber suits me for the game I am going after. I also keep some of my guns in the same caliber for ease of buying and finding components to reload or shoot with, i.e all my cap and ball guns are 36 cal. My current caliber footprint is 22 short, 22LR, 17HM2, 22 WMR, 38 special, 357 MAG, 45ACP, 45 Schofield, 45 Colt, 460 S&W MAG, 30-30, 30-06, 8mm mauser, 220 swift, .410, 16ga and 12ga.
I did however go through a purge about 5 years ago because I had a bunch of guns I just wasn't shooting, didn't like or couldn't see myself using them and they had just become safe queens. Mostly handguns and the only ones to survive it were my 22 and 45 caliber guns. I picked the caliber I shot the most and it turned out to be 45. So all the rest went.
Now I consider use most when buying new guns and caliber second. If I cannot see myself using a gun besides plinking then I try not to get it. It also helps when the wife asks why do you need that gun to have a specific answer, if I can say it with a straight face she mostly says ok and that's that.

9, 40, 45, 223, 12 gauge, nothing else needed, got rid of 38,380,32,22,25,
As far as 22 goes, I really don't enjoy shooting them, although I understand the concept and did shoot 22 in my early years, and again in my 20's and 40's, now in my 60's if I shoot handguns it's usually 45, or 9mm, for carry I carry a 40 shield for a little extra pop.
Rifles 223, and a Benelli 12 gauge. That rounds things out. I can never tell when I may go back to "say" a 357 revolver or a 22 magnum pistol, if I see something I like, but 22 lr only if supressed, "so I can shoot it close to home without a hassle.For HD I like a 45 and a 12 gauge, which should be more than enough.
I found that drapes in the bedroom make a good spot for a shotgun at night.

Use whatever you consider to be the best cartridge for each shooting purpose you need to cover, or compromise and select rounds that can do an adequate job of covering several purposes. It's everyone's choice.

I choose to manage my shooting needs with a number of cartridges: 9 handgun, 6 rifle, plus .22LR and 12ga. Each has been chosen after careful study; each has a purpose. But they are also those cartridges which many shooters choose as multi-purpose.

I reload all those centerfire rifle and handgun rounds. When handgun components or ammo become scarce or demand drives prices up, I can still shoot economically. When some calibers are hard to find, I can shoot others. When the kind of thing we don't debate on THR actually happens, and the only ammo one can shoot is whatever one can scrounge, I can shoot pretty much whatever handgun rounds I'm likely to find.

I'm not there yet with rifle rounds. I need to expand my battery to include calibers that are ballistic near-duplicates of ones I already have, not because I need them under normal conditions, but because under those other conditions, these might be the only ones I can scrounge. Specifically, I plan to add .308 and 30-06 as soon as resources allow, then later a couple of additional rifle rounds that in my mind would either supplement my current battery or be scrounge-able when that thing happens.

Yep, that's exactly opposite the seemingly growing trend of consolidating cartridges. I'm sure there are merits to shooting only 9mm and .223, at least, that is, until there ain't no 9mm or .223, or the little bit that's available is expensive beyond belief. Plenty of shooters who didn't plan ahead find themselves staring at that situation right now.

About three years ago I consolidated down to what I consider the basics, a pistol and rifle in the same caliber.

.22 LR Ruger Standard and 77 MK II
.22 WMR S&W 651 and Ruger 77 MK II
.38/.357 Colt Python and Diamondback with Marlin 1894c
9mm FNP-9 and Sub 2000
30-30 Winchester and Marlin
30-06 Weatherby
Both of the last two are supported by SAA revolvers but I dont think I want to shoot them.
20g Ruger Red Label SxS and Rem Sportman 48

Not counting antiques, I only have a couple exceptions from popular military rounds. My .22 and M44 are those. The others are 30.06, 7.62x39, .357, .38 and 9mm.

I do that already

I only shoot three calibers at this point:

• .22 LR
• 9mm
• 7.62x54R

I plan to add only one or two more:

• .223/5.56
• Possibly .38spl/.357Mag

I like inexpensive, common cartridges. Only exception is the 7.62x54r and that's just because Mosins are cool rifles.

i try to keep few calibers. for several reasons. for one, i find a caliber i like, and i stick to it, also when buying ammo it makes it easier, and more ammo can take up less space.. meaning instead of having to fit 20 calibers in my lock box. i have less than 5, meaning more ammo for each caliber, which means i can use different guns, (even though in same caliber) to go plinking and shoot something different. my calibers are .45acp, .270 win, 30-30 win, and 7.62x54R.. im not counting 12ga and .22LR... because i feel these are more common and easier to obtain and so i never stockpile it....

I based my initial purchases on percieved need and ended up with a pretty short list of calibers. .22LR, 12ga, .223, .308 and .45acp. Different guns to fit different roles, but commonality among calibers. Just as an example, a range blaster AR and a varmint rifle are both .223, but one sees (formerly) El-Cheapo FMJ and the other gets a steady diet of handloads.

I definitely consider keeping my caliber pool small. About 70% of my shooting consists of 44 caliber stuff, of which I hand load 95% of what I shoot. The calibers I own:

44 mag/spl (pistol and rifle)
22LR
5.56 (my freedom rifles)
9mm (the wife's gun)
6.5x55 swede (the dinner getter)
7mm Rem Mag (the freezer filler)
12 ga

I'm considering replacing the 9mm with .45 acp. Other than that, I don't see myself expanding much into new calibers.

-MW

I used a few different things over the years, .223,22-250, 6.5x55, 7x57,7-08, 7mm Rem Mag, 300Rook, 30RBlaser, 300H&H 32-30Rem, 32-40win, .338win mag, 450-400ne, .410,20ga and 12ga.. I try to do larger batches of ammo to last me a while in each cartridge.
I am more into "the guns I always wanted" now, and try to buy something I already have the stuff for other than brass, dies and moulds, but have departed from that a bit lately.
I stopped doing shotshells, not worth it anymore. The 30R and the .300 and the 450-400 were all a case of wanting the gun, and wanting to play with a different cartridge.

> why own more than a few calibers

Why have more than one firearm in the same caliber?

Excluding the embarrassing number of 7.62x54R guns that seem to have accumulated, only a few of my guns share the same caliber. And three of the others are wildcats.

I've reduced mine to a few calibers for management purposes (buying and reloading). Heck, I've even made it a point to buy the same model gun in the optional caliber for ease of intergration with my holsters, lights, etc.

.22lr
9mm
.40
5.56/.223
6.8 SPC

Recently added .380 ACP but only because I wanted a small gun for backup or carry when it's not possible to hide my others.

9mm/.380/12 ga/7.62

That's it for me. Thinking about ditching the.380 for another 9mm.

Less is more.