How many calibers are too many??

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matai

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So I only have 4 complete guns right now and only plan to have about 10 or 11 total so I'd like to have a good cross section of firearms and calibers.

Do you guys think that this is too many calibers to keep track of? Or is it enough to do pretty much anything I would need to do?


.22lr
9mm
.40S&W
10mm
.45ACP
5.56x45mm
7.62x39mm
7.62x51mm
12GA

Thanks!
 
The way I see it, you left out 20ga, 30-06, .223, and .17HMR, to mention only four of the other "must-haves".

Les
 
well, I'm currently stocking 47. I don't really think there is such thing as too many. I mean, really, what's the harm? yeah, I've got alot of money tied up in reloading dies and a whole closet full of plastic containers separating everything from .17 rem. to .50 BMG, .25 ACP to .50 AE. But unless you're really tight on space, why not?
 
Depends on what you're trying to do. If you're collecting, then there is no limit to the number of calibers you can have.

If you're looking at SD you could probably drop the heavier calibers.

If you're looking at hunting you could probably add a few heavier calibers.

You have 4 handgun calibers (5 if you include the 22LR)
you have 3 rifle calibers (4 if you include 22LR)
you have one Shotgun round (2 3/4, 3, or 3 1/2 inch?)

Hunting wise to cover everything you likely need a 338 round (Win Mag or Lapua) or the 375 H&H. You have 223 covered by 5.56x45, but 30-06 is a good general purpose cartridge which should find a home in any hunting collection even though you have listed a 7.62 NATO.

Personally in My collection I have
22LR, 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, 5.56 NATO, 30-06, 338 Win Mag, 50 BMG, 12 Gauge Magnum

It covers all my self defense, and hunting needs (overkill on the BMG, but that's a nice long range toy).
 
Thus far I have only handguns, all 7 of them are different calibers:

.22 Long Rifle (Ruger 22/45 Mark III 4")
9MM (Springfield XD9 Sub-Compact)
.357 Magnum/.38 Special (Ruger SP101 2 1/4")
357SIG (SIG P239)
.40 S&W (Glock 27)
.45 ACP (Kimber Tactical Ultra II)
10MM (Glock 29)

I still consider the .44 Magnum to be "essential", as it were, albeit impractical for carry unlike all of the above.

So, I'd say that 8 calibers is enough for me, and even that may be too many if you look back at the thread I started where a guy loaded the wrong ammunition into one of my guns and fired.
 
and even that may be too many if you look back at the thread I started where a guy loaded the wrong ammunition into one of my guns and fired.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I suppose there could be too many for someone who is too lazy or inept to differentiate between .380 and 9x18, or 7.5 MAS and 7.7 Jap, etc.
 
Gungnir said:
Depends on what you're trying to do. If you're collecting, then there is no limit to the number of calibers you can have.

If you're looking at SD you could probably drop the heavier calibers.

If you're looking at hunting you could probably add a few heavier calibers.

You have 4 handgun calibers (5 if you include the 22LR)
you have 3 rifle calibers (4 if you include 22LR)
you have one Shotgun round (2 3/4, 3, or 3 1/2 inch?)

Hunting wise to cover everything you likely need a 338 round (Win Mag or Lapua) or the 375 H&H. You have 223 covered by 5.56x45, but 30-06 is a good general purpose cartridge which should find a home in any hunting collection even though you have listed a 7.62 NATO.

Personally in My collection I have
22LR, 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, 5.56 NATO, 30-06, 338 Win Mag, 50 BMG, 12 Gauge Magnum

It covers all my self defense, and hunting needs (overkill on the BMG, but that's a nice long range toy).
Click to expand...
Thats very interesting, but can't a 308 do pretty much anything a 30-06 can? Or is a 308 good for hunting most anything in the CONUS?
 
matai said:
Thats very interesting, but can't a 308 do pretty much anything a 30-06 can? Or is a 308 good for hunting most anything in the CONUS?
Click to expand...

In theory yes, if you're reloading maybe, there a greater selection of commercial cartridges for 30-06 than 308 Win. If you're reloading you have an extra 11mm of cartridge length for heavier charges.

I wouldn't take a 308 to a Grizzly bear or a Musk Ox hunt. Sure the natives in Alaska have killed whales with 223, but that doesn't mean that it's the best idea.
 
Oh. And once you get into cartridge collecting, you'll never have enough. I have a cabinet with (IIRC) 10 drawers. Each drawer is, idk, 24 inches wide, with two dividers running across to make three sections. It's dang near full, with very few duplicates. And with the exception of .40 S&W and .357 Sig, the newest cartridges were invented in the 50s and 60s.

When it comes to cartridge collecting, I'm way behind the times. No short mags, no ultra mags, no RCMs, etc. I got a lot of catching up to do.:banghead:

Wyman
 
No, you only need to have a stockpile (for lack of a better term) for a select few. The rest are fine for a box or two for hunting or plinking.
 
So how many calibers are there really? I reload for I think 34 at present and that doesn't include rimfire. I am still gaining at a decent pace.:D I just got a set of Herters 8mm Lebel dies and fear that another new firearm is in my future.:)
 
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