Anybody switching calibers due to ammo costs?

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I am buying a 22 rifle and pistol at the end of the month when i take my NRA instructor course so that when i teach people i will be able to offer a good old 22. But at the same time i will be shooting it a lot saving me money!!!

Not because of ammo cost but because i am poor right now:eek:
 
Shooting my Buckmark alot more these days. Just sold my XD 45 to a buddy and shooting my CZ 75 in it's place now.
 
Not really changing calibers as much as... consolidating calibers the past few yrs. I'm thinking alot more about buying guns in calibers I reload for or already own so I don't have increase my "ammo foot print" (which is already pretty big).

Just as an example I turned down a deal buying a very nice Ruger Blackhawk because it was a .41Mag. I have nothing against .41Mags, it's just the fact that I don't own one, don't have any dies, brass or projectiles for it so even thou it was a beautiful gun and I'd love to have it... I'm going to keep looking for one in .45 Colt or .44 Mag. Maybe 5-6yrs ago I would have bought it on the spot and not worried about the cost of shooting it but its a different ball game these days.
Will
 
I'm starting to reload. I've saved lots of brass over the years and it's time to put it too use. I'm also sticking with guns of the same caliber such as 38/357.
 
I did... went from 45 to 10 mm :)

not that it really made a diff, they are <$.01 a round diffrence in price.
 
If I hadn't stocked up well on 9mm and 45 bullets for reloading years ago I'd be doing my thing with a 22 today. Reloading components are getting out of sight pricewise.
 
I'm not switching from .45 ACP as primary but I will be getting a
CZ 75B in 9mm for an alternate range gun. I'll get the .22 LR conversion
kit for it as well. I find lately I always take along my 617 10 shot cyl.
for every range session not only because it's cheap, it's also FUN.

I think the CZ 75B with it's first shot DA or SA Cocked and locked in
9MM will be a good expansion of the handgun experience. I had a BHP
about 25+ years ago. It wasn't a primary then, as I had a Colt COmbat
Commander in .45 ACP for that so things haven't changed much for me.

I bought a bunch of .45 ACP & Auto RIm as well as .400 CorBon Starline
brass last fall and glad I did since the 30+% price increase that occured
Jan. 1rst 2008.
 
In handguns, no I haven't switched. I actually went more expensive (switched from 9x19 to .380ACP and .40S&W), but I'm getting a .22LR conversion kit for one gun and I don't shoot the .380 more than I need to stay in practice.

Now rifles, yes I did switch my typical bullet hose (AK47) to a 9mm AR15. It's not so much than the price of ammunition went up, but that my expenses have changed.

jm
 
Been shooting a 9 for years, no change there. I did switch from 230 grain bullets to 185 grain bullets in the .45, the cost went down and the accuracy went up :). .38s and .357s remain the same, use mostly cast lead bullets for those.

I didn't switch calibers, but I don't see myself buying a .500 S&W anytime soon :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
Not so much switching calibers, but "standardizing" my calibers.

In the last 6 months, I've sold the Garand, Buckmark, CZ75, and Colt Series 80 Gold Cup. Replaced them with a Marlin 1894C, Ruger GP100 and Blackhawk all in .357 magnum/.38 special. I've started casting .357 158 grn in the tumble lube design, so that should reduce ammo cost...of course we do not calculate cost of man-hours.

These .357 magnum pieces should complement the 686s I've had for a while.

I still have a couple CZ452s, Lakefield 91 and a S&W M-17 to cover all my .22 LR needs for the rest of my life:)
 
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I always liked Marlin model 60, now I covet it as one of my prized posessions. My main carry changed when I had a KB with a G32. FN 9 all the way now.
 
Also I just bought a P32 without realizing how much .32 ACP is; good lord, I shot $40 of ammo today in 20 minutes.......that's more expensive than gasoline.....
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You ain't lying there:eek:
 
Not switching calibers, but I am reloading more. I have enough surplus ammo to keep me shooting my Mil-Surps for a long time. Same with .30-06 for my Garands, (CMP is still a relatively cheap source for .30-06)

I started reloading for my handguns and non-mil-surp rifles several months ago and have enough "commercial" ammo on hand that I don't have to worry about brass. I stocked up on powder and primers ahead of the last couple of price increases, but still don't have enough bullets.......
 
Have a couple of 9mm CZs and a .22 Kadet... find myself shooting 100+
9's then going to the Kadet for 200+ to 'get-it-out-of-my-system'... Been wanting to get a .45, but to shoot 100rnds is really expensive... will be puttin' off that Buy for awhile.!
 
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Join Date: 12-03-05
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I can shoot .45 colt for less than 2 bucks a box of 50 because I ...


HANDLOAD

Free range scrap lead and a lead furnace don't hurt.
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Ditto. I have a line on some scrap lead from work that's pleasantly close to WW in alloy composition. My cost for making boolits isn't zero (moulds + sizing dies + tumble lube) but it's pretty darn low. I figure I can make 100 45ACP rounds for about $4 to $5 max with 230LRNs. Really, since powder and primer is about my only cost (other than my hobby time which I don't mind), it costs me the same to shoot 9mm vs 45 vs 38/357. Rifle rounds with cast boolits are more like 8 cents each because they use more powder.

If I didn't cast and reload, I'd be shooting .22LR almost exclusively. I see more and more people at my club doing this. It amazes me how many people in my club DON'T reload, almost every week I leave with a lot of free pickup brass someone else just left there.
 
I dumped a Marlin 1894cl .25-20 and a CZ 527 .22 Hornet because the last boxes of ammo I bought for them was less than $20, and now it approaching $50. I'll keep my .223's.
The gunshop manager was telling me when they opened 10 years ago, they were selling a 25# bag of lead shot for $16, and now it's $50.
 
Ditto. I have a line on some scrap lead from work that's pleasantly close to WW in alloy composition. My cost for making boolits isn't zero (moulds + sizing dies + tumble lube) but it's pretty darn low.
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Well, the molds and dies are a one time cost. You have a point with the tumble lube, but it's what, under 3 bucks a bottle and it lasts forever. Jeez, get nit picky, LOL!

Primers and powder have gone up, but 100 primers (have a big stash and haven't bought any in a while) still have to be under 3 bucks and 2.7 grains of Bullseye (.38 special) or 5.0 grains in .45ACP ain't much, makes a pound last forever. Therefore, my $2.00 a box quote. Yeah, too, in .45ACP or 9mm and if I was to get a .40, I come home with more brass than I left with. LOL I wish I could find .45 Colt and .357 magnum laying around like that. Revolver shooters tend to police their brass even if they don't reload, danged clean freaks! LOL

Yeah, I remember the 16 dollar a bag shot days. I used to occasionally buy shot to melt into bullets. LOL! I got into wheel weights from the Goodyear store here, but now days, mining lead out of the back stop at the club range is pretty easy and free and effective.
 
I am switching the purchases I make.

I intend to buy cast bullets in bulk. I will continue to buy .22LR in bulk, and my use of them will undoubtedly increase.

I also plan to buy .380 ACP in bulk for plinking, something I have never done before.

I don't plan on buying a "special pistol" for this change in habits.
 
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