favorite calibers

[Old judge creek]

I roll my own so my "true favorites" are

45-70 - rifle
44 Magnum - working handguns and lever action carbines/trappers
45 ACP - defensive handgun
308/7.62 NATO - defensive rifle

I do consider shotshells to fall under the "Cartridge" label. In years gone by, shotshells (including 12 gauge) were indeed loaded in brass cartridge cases.

My favorite shotshell cartridge is 12 gauge.

and of course 22 rimfire

 

[P5 Guy]

.22LR because it is affordable trigger time, for both handguns and long guns.
38/357 because it is easy to handload and fulfills too many purposes to list.
.30'06 is as American as apple pie.

 

[firesky101]

Handgun: 22LR
Rifle: 22LR
Shotgun: 22 ratshot.

Seriously though

Handgun: 9x23 Winchester
Rifle: 7.62x54R
Shotgun: 12Ga

 

[Chevelle SS]

12ga
38 special
8mm
45acp

 

[tubeshooter]

.22LR (acutally takes the top 2 spots - handgun and longgun)
.38/.357 (more so .38)
12 gauge

All for versatility... posted in decreasing order of "fun to shoot".


I like how I can find 7.62x39 in bulk for low cost, and I'm fond of my old tried-and-true .30-30. But I can't honestly call them "favorites".


I've recently added a .243 and a .223 to the mix. Jury is still out on those...

 

[ccsniper]

Why do people try to start a thread about a favorite caliber and then list some specific cartridges and toss in a few shotgun gauges?

Because I said this
Post your favorite caliber for rifle/pistol/shotgun calibers and a reason why. If you have too many favorites, then list the one you use the most.

 

[Owen Sparks]

I am partial to the 6.5 Swedish Mauser.

 

[B!ngo]

.22LR for all around fun. But that's a given. For the rest, I suspect there's a big difference for those who reload and those who don't. I don't, so:
Handgun- 9x19 - because for me carrying more rounds is better than carrying a larger cartridge. I'm not a particularly good handgun shooter so I plan on missing a lot. So this is the best combination of price, availability, power and mag size.
Rifle - .308 - just the right balance of price, availability and power. They cost a lot more than 5.56 but seems to be a lot more versatile.
Shotgun - I don't have one.
B

 

[Dirty Bob]

.45 Colt is my all-time favorite! Fun to shoot, fun to reload, easy to work with. Even at very modest pressures, it does a lot of what I ask of a handgun, and it's pretty durn' useful in a rifle. Go with heavy bullets and a light charge of fast powder, and I can make it sound like a .22, but with fairly impressive power at close range.

My other two favorites have to be:

.38/.357
.22LR - with better ammo available now than I can remember ever having access to in the past. A .22LR cartridge for almost anything you care to do with it! Target ammo, cheap bulk ammo for plinking, and CCI Quiet-22 for new shooters.

All my best,
Dirty Bob

 

[TurtlePhish]

Because I said this
Post your favorite caliber for rifle/pistol/shotgun calibers and a reason why. If you have too many favorites, then list the one you use the most.

It was a joke. Caliber technically refers to bore diameter, nothing more.

My favorite cartridges are:
.17HMR,
.22lr,
5.45x39mm,
7.62x54mmR,
and the good ol' twelve bore.

I love the Russians, .17 and .22 are just fun to knock golfballs around with, and the twelve is the only one of them you can really bust clays with

 

[sonick808]

I really like the .40 and it's parent 10mm. Of course, the 7.62x39 is great, but I really really enjoy the 7.62x54R. I like oddball or less common calibers; my next rifle will be in .35 Whelen. 22LR and 12GA of course.

 

[303tom]

because i said this
post your favorite caliber for rifle/pistol/shotgun calibers and a reason why. If you have too many favorites, then list the one you use the most.

thirty......................

 

[orionengnr]

Yep, there is a difference between caliber and cartridge.

My favorite caliber is .452. Two of my favorite cartridges, (both of which are the same caliber) are .45 acp and .45LC. The former for pistols, the latter for revolvers.

There are others that I really like, but I could make do with one (or more) 1911s and my S&W M-25 and be pretty satisfied for a good, long time.

As far as rifle and shotgun go, make mine .308 or .30'06 and 12 or 16 gauge.

 

[igousigloo]

6.5x55

 

[MARKMALL]

22 L. R.

22 Hornet

38/357 Magnum

12 ga.

 

[DanTheFarmer]

30 TC.

It's so unpopular I was able to pick up a great rifle for a really low price! Keep on un-loving the cartridge. Maybe I'll be able to pick up one with a synthetic stock at a great deal too.

Seriously, it is a fine cartridge. I handload for it and the performance I get (even without the special factory only powder) meets or slightly exceeds the advertised performance of commercial .308 Winchester. I can't see that it does anything to justify its existance BUT since it is available, does what it does very well, and is cheap, I'm all for it.

Dan

 

[KansasPaul]

.357 mag - can be loaded from mild to hot
.22 because its so soft shooting it can be fun for kids or when introducing adults to firearms - plus it's cheap fun
.223 - accurate, soft shooting and is great on varmints
45/70 - enjoy the history of the round, plus it's just a plain hoot to shoot

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Handguns:

22LR
9mm
40 S&W

Rifle:

.223
.308
7.62x39

I really enjoy shooting my 9mm and 40 S&W and I can plink away with the .22.

My SKS is an awesome range blaster and cheap to shoot, the mini-14 is a hoot and its really fun punching .75" groups with my .308.

 

[DAP90]

@303tom
All those calibers and you didn’t include 22lr, 22Mag or 17HMR?

I’m partial to 22lr and 12ga mostly.

I have a new .243 that’s growing on me and I like all variety that can be had in 38/357 revolvers but I don’t know if they’re my favorites yet.

 

[bugmania]

Pistol: 9mm, .45 Auto, .22 LR, .357/.38 Sp.

Rifle: .17 HMR, .22 LR, 7.5x55 Swiss

Shotgun: 16g., 12g.

 

[kimbernut]

Favorite

303tom- the Mae West of shooters, never met a cartridge he didn't like- thanks you made me laugh.

jimmysad- the .410 kick is like a .22LR but I would not count on it for home defense. 28 ga is the lightest I would go but only if you can find or make some reliable 000 or 0000 Buck loads. I'd prefer 20 ga. with the same loads- recoil is stouter but not unreasonable. It's my wife's choice.

Too many favorites, but:
pistol- .22LR,9mm, .357 Mag., .45ACP
Rifle- 7mm08 Remington, 5.56 Nato/.223 Rem.
shotgun- .410 & 20 ga.

 

[speedway]

308 or 30-30 for long guns

9mm/38super/45acp for shooting pistols.

For collecting pistols, 32acp. Lots of cool WWII guns in that caliber.

 

[Pit4Brains]

.357 mag pistol. It can shoot 38 spl for fun.

I keep a .30-06 and a .25-06. Same shell holder, no adjusting case trimmer. One is big and one is fast.

16 ga shotgun. I have a 60 or 61 model ( Remington won't tell me which) Model 870 Wingmaster. I'll stand next to any 20 or 12 in the dove and quail hunts and even on the skeet range. I will admit that I'm in the market for a new 11-87 when the fall sales kick off. I want a 12 mag. I don't know why...

 

[JohnM]

I'm partial to stuff between about .170 and .500

 

[mdauben]

Lets just take the .22LR as a given for both pistols and rifles. As far as others:

Handgun
9mm - Relatively inexpensive, relatively light recoil, generally accurate and with modern JHPs is entirely adequate for SD.
.357 Mag - Very flexible. Can fire everything from light target wadcutters to full bore hunting and SD rounds.

Rifles
5.56mm - Probably the cheapest centerfire rifle round for non-reloaders. Usable for plinking, target practice, hunting varmints/predators and HD.
.30-06 - Flexible, readily available, can be found chambered in just about any hunting rifle made. The proverbial do-it-all cartridge, that can be used on just about any north american medium/big game.