Gun owner's progression regarding #of calibers

[DRYHUMOR]

Rifles calibers I shoot and reload for
222
223
6mmBR
257 Roberts
260
280
7mm08
308
30-06

I have a 270 and 243 I bought for the actions, haven't shot them. The last time I bought one for the action (30-06) I made the mistake of loading for it. It shot so well, I just can't bring myself to take it apart.....

Hmmm, now that I look at my list, I seem to have a bit of overlap....

 

[zbird]

I will not buy a gun in a caliber that I don't already own, as I have no more room, nor do I wish to make more room in my over filled ammo boxes. 22 Long Rifle
22 magnum
380 ACP
38 Special
9mm
45 ACP
45 Long Colt
.410
12 Gauge

 

[Capybara]

I have to stock eighteen different calibers. But I am a C&R guy so it is mostly unavoidable if I want to shoot the guns I collect. I really didn't want to stock 7.5mm Swiss but if I want to have a K31, have to do it. If I wasn't a C&R guy, I would boil it down to only five calibers and stock the hell out of them. My mainstream calibers, I stock perhaps 2k-5k rounds, but most of the oddballs that I don't shoot very often, I only stock perhaps 100-200 rounds.

It is fun though to try a new caliber, as I recently did with my new Tokarev, 7.62x25. What a great, really fun caliber to shoot. If I only stuck to the mainstream 9mm, .45 ACP, .223, .308, I think I would become bored sometimes and I definitely wouldn't have discovered a cool caliber like this.

 

[george burns]

Started out with a 38 about 40 years ago. Been all over the map, settled on 9mm and 45acp, about 10 yrs ago for pistols. Don't see the need for any other for what I do.

 

[Warp]

I've been buying guns for about 5 years now. I have a nice collection of handguns, and long arms; including some somewhat odd calibers (5.7x28, 10mm, 8MM Mauser to name a few). I've come to the point where I'm selling some of those fringe calibers, and purchasing more magazines, and reloading components for 9, 45, 223, 308 and 12 gauge. I've takked to several people lately about my changing desire to have less number of calibers, with more accessories for my chosen calibers and they've said it seems to be a progression that happens with a good number of folks. Your thoughts?

I consolidated recently as well. Big time. My cartridge inventory, with the one I've vacated [strike]stricken from the record[/strike]

.22lr
12 gauge
9x19
.38 spl
.357 mag
5.56x45
7.64x54R
[strike].32 ACP
.380 auto
.45 ACP
10mm
7.62x39
.30-06[/strike]



Ammo, and even components/tools, are simply too expensive for me to afford to have a bunch of them. I am a shooter, not a collector, not a hunter, if I can't afford to shoot a gun I don't have much use for it, and I don't want to be limited by panics or banics, so I am focusing on a few main cartridges, preferably the ones that have the best economies of scale going and are the most popular choice for their firearm type

 

[Onmilo]

I have found staying with Military use calibers is a good idea as they are all battle proven and good choices in their own right.
As such, I myself own firearms in:
.45/70
.45 Colt
.30/06
7.62X51
5.56X45
.45acp
9mm
.38 Special
.22LR
12 guage
.410 Bore

I also own a few in European military calibers as well:
8mm Mauser
7.62X54R
7.62X39
7.62 Tokarev
7.62 Nagant revolver

Then again, I own a few in 'oddball calibers' too. i.e.
.44 Colt
.44 Russian
.243 Winchester
.32acp

So, I own a rather diverse mix of calibers but must admit the most commonly used weapons for me go back to the U.S. Military issue cartridges,
.22LR
12 guage
.410 Bore
5.56X45/.223
9mm
.45acp
5.56

Heck, even my 'oddball caliber' stuff has been used at one time or another by Military factions somewhere in the world....

In nearly 50 years of consciously being around firearms and ammunition I have learned that odd, non military use, calibers offer nothing of any real benefit and can and do become obsolete/unobtanium in fairly short order.

As a general rule, if you want firearms that you can obtain cartridges for, even in times of hardship, the military stuff is the way to go.

However, The government, the folks we elect to protect us from everyone else, seems to have picked up on this and have recently made ammunition availability something of a catch as catch can event.
During these hard times I found a couple of my 'oddball calibers' were/are always available somewhere if not sale priced when found.

Until very recently when ammunition has become more available, I found myself shooting my .32 acp pistols and my .243 Winchester more than I normally do.
I even used my .243 as my primary coyote rifle the last two years as .223 hunting ammunition was not available in my area for quite some time.

I think a serious shooter should keep a diverse collection however, a shooter working on a smaller budget would be better advised to stay with a minimum of calibers choosing the BEST firearms that meet needs and instead should elect to store as much ammunition as one can afford and obtain.

The above advise seems to be the trend as there is an abundance of used and new firearms on store racks yet common ammunition is still not around in huge quantities.

All that being said, it may not be a bad idea to keep an 'oddball caliber' or two in ones collection in calibers that are commonly available in ones area no matter how bad things get.
Observation of local ammunition sources will give one an idea of what seems to be locally available and always on the shelves.

 

[joem1945]

I bought the .40 cal because finding 9mm and .45 components were getting scarce.

 

[george burns]

About 5 years ago, I went to 9mm and 45 for handguns, and 12 Gauge and 223 for long guns. That's it for me unless I run across something special in 327 Mag or 357. Other than that it just isn't worth it at 60+, and no local ranges to shoot anything aside from 44 mag down.
Pistol rounds are just too darn close together to make any appreciable difference coming from 4" barrels or less. I go for the easiest to get and the largest hole for the buck. It's not like it's going to make a big difference carrying a 40, 41, etc, and the 460's, 454, and 500's are too expensive to shoot, and too noisy plus it's a waste of time shooting paper. I can do the same practice with dry fire . Maybe a 22 mag if I really get bored. It becomes more of a duty and habit after a lifetime of doing something.
I really wish there was no reason to have to carry a gun, but we aren't going that way anytime soon. I just know if I don't have it, something will happen and I will kick myself for not carrying.

 

[gojuice101]

I like to have as many calibers a possible. It gives me diversity in my shooting, so I'm not always shooting the same thing. Right now I have:

5.56
300BLK
8mm Mauser
8x56R
7.62x54R
9mm Luger
9mm Makarov
25ACP
7.5 Swiss
7.62x39
22LR
5.45x39

I load for most of those, either completely or in part (except 7.62x39, 22LR, 5.45x39 and 25ACP) in addition to a couple others that my brother has (243, 30-30). I like owning some fringe, oddball, or less common calibers (8x56R, and 8mm Mauser to a lesser extent) because when I can't find components for popular ones I can still find components for those. Back during the panic, I couldn't find ammo or projectiles anywhere for the 5.56, 30-calibers or 9mm Luger, but I had no trouble at all finding less common sizes like .323 for 8x57, .330 for 8x56, .365 for the 9mm Mak or .311 for the 7.62x54R. Therefore, I could still load and shoot, even though I couldn't get ammo or components for the popular calibers. If I only had a small selection of mainstream calibers then I would have been dead in the water with two of my hobbies.

There may be some point in the future where I decide to consolidate, but I don't know. I'm always looking for new calibers and guns so I have something different. Most people have a list of guns that they want to own (and I do too, of course), but I also have an entire list of specific calibers that I want to own, not necessarily with a specific gun in mind for them.

 

[Drue]

This is a good thread!

I currently load .303 British, 9mm Luger, .38 Spl. .30-06,7.62x54R, 9mm Styer, 11mm Mauser. 8mm Mauser, 6.5 Carcano. .223, 12ga, .380 Auto, 7.65 Mauser, .45 Auto, .357 Mag. .30 Carbine, .30-30 Win. .30-40 Krag. .45 Colt, 7.7 Jap, 7.5 Swiss, .45-70, .577 Snyder., .44 Mag, .38 S&W, .308, .38-40, .45 Auto Rim. .44 Spl, 8mm Lebel. .264 Win Mag, .357 Herret, .41 Mag, 7.62x39, 7-08, .222, .40 S&W, .260, 7 IHMSA. and .32-20.

I may have a problem. . . .

Drue

 

[maxxhavoc]

This is a good thread!

I currently load .303 British, 9mm Luger, .38 Spl. .30-06,7.62x54R, 9mm Styer, 11mm Mauser. 8mm Mauser, 6.5 Carcano. .223, 12ga, .380 Auto, 7.65 Mauser, .45 Auto, .357 Mag. .30 Carbine, .30-30 Win. .30-40 Krag. .45 Colt, 7.7 Jap, 7.5 Swiss, .45-70, .577 Snyder., .44 Mag, .38 S&W, .308, .38-40, .45 Auto Rim. .44 Spl, 8mm Lebel. .264 Win Mag, .357 Herret, .41 Mag, 7.62x39, 7-08, .222, .40 S&W, .260, 7 IHMSA. and .32-20.

I may have a problem. . . .

Drue

You sure do. You don't reload Swedish 6.5x55 Mauser.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

My calibers started few and then grew. I don't stock them all. I stock the ones I shoot frequently and those that are for self defense. If I had to do it over I would definitely reduce my caliber foot print. In actuality I would reduce my firearm footprint. For some things it was nice to shoot but I don't need to have it again.

 

[WestKentucky]

You sure do. You don't reload Swedish 6.5x55 Mauser.

Or .256 win mag

 

[Inebriated]

In order of acquisition:
12 gauge
.22LR
.45 ACP
7.62x39
.243 Win
9x19
.30-06
7.62x54r
5.56
.338 Win Mag


7.62x54r, .243, .30-06, .45, .22... could be happy without them. If the guns for them didn't have sentimental value, they'd be gone.

I'd actually really enjoy only having to care about 9mm, 7.62x39, 5.56, 12 gauge, and .338...

 

[rduchateau2954]

I'm trying to keep the list down with limited success.

12 gauge
20 gauge
9mm
.22
7.62x39

Got rid of my .270 not too long ago, about to pick up a .44. Looking to build an ar10 to regain some distance. Trying to only stay worth what I actually shoot and what I inherited.

 

[ranger56528]

Uff Da this is tuff,I'm working on only reloading 357mag,44mag,308me,45-70,338winmag,6.5cm,but have dies for a lot more,I've thought about cleaning house but just can't do it because I look at all my weapons as investments,22short,22lr,22mag,380,9mm,38/357,44/44mag,762x39,223,22-250,270,30-30,30-06,6.5 creedmore,308me,338winmag,45-70,410,20,12gauge...this is what I have limited myself too and I'm trying not to add any more calibers.