Anyone else downsizing calibers?

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C-grunt

C-grunt

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A while back I bought a nice used Ruger Super Blackhawk .44mag. Very good big bore revolver. The problem is the ammo is frikin expensive. I cant afford to shoot the darn thing very much.

So I got to thinking if I really needed it. I dont hunt and with the recoil its not exactly something to plink with all day.

So today I went and traded it in and got a new Ruger MKIII 22/45 with a 5.5 inch barrel. I havent had a .22 pistol in a couple years and Im pretty sure this gun will be used far far more than my .44 would have.

PS. I will get another Ruger SA revolver but this time more likely in 45 Colt.
 
If you want to shoot the big bore revolvers a lot you either have to be rich or reload.
 
.22 pistols are loads of fun. I have a S&W Model 22A that I have been shooting more. Accurate little gun.

I like Rugers too. My friend had one that he took apart and couldn't get back together. After a few tries, I was able to put it back right. That's about the only annoying thing about them vs. my S&W, which only requires a push of a button to pull the barrel off.
 
Well, I see as no different than buying a big motor coach and feeding it all year. The tires alone are like 300 dollars each and there are ten of them of the same type used by Big Rigs.

Then again I could get a little trailer for 5 thousand dollars and use the same tires and wheels used by the lake fishers in our area. Cheap enough.

But guns? I buy the ammo for em, I dont downsize for nothing. Guns are like children. Dont bear arms unless you can feed it too.
 
I have been downsizing, but not for ammo reasons. I only had 45's then I bought a 9mm, then a twin, and just bought a makarov.

Not really sure why, I guess I just liked the guns so much.

Now i have different guns for different situations
 
Congrats on the Mark III, I got one and it is one of the best guns I have had in years, plus I can afford to shoot it. C-grunt, do a search on "Ultimate Clip Loader". It takes the Mark III experience to a whole new level.
 
i have downsized a little...... last fall i bought a new in the box ruger mkII target model to shoot rimfire in.... i have a model 27 s&w to shoot .357 mag in but if i didn't reload my own i'd probably trade it off too.... i did get a .17 mach2 savage a couple of years so i've even downsized from .22 to .17 rimfire..................
 
Well, until I can find a reliable source of .45ACP the 1911 is a safe queen and the 642/G19 get carried/shot ALOT.

Dunno the last time I saw .357 Mag floating around.
 
My .45 ACP ammo is about $5 a box. I don't know what the fuss is all about. OTOH, I've been rolling my own since the '70s...

Get a reloading press and shoot twice times as much for half the price.

That doesn't even mention the incredible increase in accuracy you can achieve by loading rounds to suit the particular gun you're shooting.
 
Yeah, I downsized several years ago -- got rid of my 10mm & my 40's. Really made things alot easier reducing calibers -- limited possible guns I would add to collection & the ammo I needed to buy to feed the beast.
 
Not downsizing but definitely not adding anymore!! I had downsized a few years ago to only S+W j- and k-frame revolvers (in .22 and .38/.357 only), a Ruger .22 and a couple of 1911's. For quite a while I was 'all' .22/.38/.45. I got rid of .25's, .32's, .380's and .40's along my handgun journey. A while back I got a S+W 3913 9mm. It was one of those guns I always just liked and wanted. I've since added a companion model 6906.

So I won't be deleting any calibers, but I won't be adding any, either. (I don't see myself developing a new 'need' or 'want' to go back to any of the calibers I've already gone away from.)
 
.44mag. Very good big bore revolver. The problem is the ammo is frikin expensive. I cant afford to shoot the darn thing very much.
Click to expand...

This is where reloading really comes into it's own. Folks can argue that 9mm, .40 S&W, and even .45 ACP are too close to "cheap" to justify the expense and time of reloading :)rolleyes:) but if you shoot more interesting guns, that's definitely not the case.

I shoot a S&W 629 as my main competition gun these days. I average 100-150 rounds a week through it, 99.9% of that .44 Special. There's no way in he!! I could afford that in factory ammo, but buying 5000 primers at a time and 200 gr. LRN cast bullets at $35 / 500, it isn't so bad.

No downsizing...just shooting smarter.

-Sam
 
ever since i have shot and owned handguns they have either been .40s&w or .45acp, i have no more .45acp pistols they are all .40 now, and i reload so the price of ammo isn't as of a big deal as if i were buying factory ammo all the time. i don't plan on getting rid of my guns anytime soon in .40 and replacing them.
 
Absolutely. In the past few months, I've picked up a Ruger, a Whitney, and a Browning -- all .22 caliber target pistols -- simply because it's so doggone difficult to find 9mm of any stripe. And .380 is virtually impossible to find unless you get lucky and stumble on some at the right time. My .22s are getting a workout of late.
 
Not at all.

I've always had .22s. I like them.

What I've done is upsized and found deals on reloading equipment.

Now I shoot .44 Magnum, which I never did before, and some hot .357 as well. I also load ultralight .38 loads for J-frame practice.

Also bought a .45ACP, because I wanted a gun for actual defensive applications, outdoors and in.

I sold a 9mm pistol, and I've pretty much quit shooting 9mm, which I find to be in that gray area: too expensive to plink with, not worth reloading. I might shoot 9mm again if I get a tiny carry gun; otherwise I have no real use for the caliber now that higher-capacity guns are readily available in better rounds.

So I've definitely reshuffled and changed what I shoot, but the end result hasn't looked like "downsizing", when I had zero .44 Magnums a couple years ago, and now I have and shoot two of them regularly.:)
 
.22s are great

Cheap to shoot, plentiful ammo.

Nice purchase. You'll have a great time with pistol.
 
BTW if you're buying factory ammo, don't expect .45 Colt to be any cheaper than .44 Magnum.
 
Yeah, I've downsized a little. I found a great deal on a K-frame .357 (Model 19) and find I enjoy shooting it as much or more than my N-frame .44 Magnum. Doesn't hurt that reloaded .38 Specials aren't terribly expensive (relatively) either. I also shoot the Glock 26 more than the 17. ;)

Oops. I have been on a S&W and .22LR kick. Funny, I used to consider myself a rifleman, but haven't fired a rifle in months. And I actually picked up the .357 while on a mission to feed the .22 kick. I was too late to pick up a minty Nylon 66, but still took something home! :cool:

But .22s are way fun to shoot. Since I've switched jobs and don't get extended weekday range time like I used to, I find I'm bringing the centerfires out more frequently. Go figure?
 
I think most shooters downsize at one point or another. They may not necessarily get rid of that big Magnum, but they will shoot it a whole lot less.

Obviously, just like everyone else on here, I'm big tough man that eats rocks, drinks thunder and pees nails but sometimes, I like to take an easier and more comfortable route when it comes to shooting.

Spending a morning shooting N or X frame Magnum loads is lots of fun...up to a point. The weight, recoil and the noise can be a bit much at times, especially with a medical condition known as a hangover.:)

In comparison, firing .22s or 9 millys is a real joy, no matter how much you've had the night before. It's easier on the hands, arms, ears and wallet too.
 
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