Claude Clay
Member
27
inventory is not a problem--just lable and
don't put things in front of other things
inventory is not a problem--just lable and
don't put things in front of other things
How many calibers are too many??
- Thread starter matai
- Start date
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Onward Allusion
Member
MattTheHat
Member
This is like asking the proper number of guns to be kept in a safe. Depends on the size of the safe. 
-Matt
-Matt
MattTheHat
Member
BLASPHEMY!
-Matt
Deus Machina
Member
Need? Only 3.
9mm/.40/.45/.38/.357/etc., .22lr, and a .30/7.62 of some sort or 12 or 20 gauge.
But 'too many' is the point where you can't keep enough ammo for all of them.
The plan I'm working on is to have a .30-caliber milsurp can full of every caliber I own, and replenish whatever I shoot. I'm still working on that, but even .22, 9mm, .38, 7.62x39 and x54R are hard to keep stocked up when you're broke like me.
9mm/.40/.45/.38/.357/etc., .22lr, and a .30/7.62 of some sort or 12 or 20 gauge.
But 'too many' is the point where you can't keep enough ammo for all of them.
The plan I'm working on is to have a .30-caliber milsurp can full of every caliber I own, and replenish whatever I shoot. I'm still working on that, but even .22, 9mm, .38, 7.62x39 and x54R are hard to keep stocked up when you're broke like me.
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22-rimfire
Member
There is no limit. It's not a race. You don't even have to have ammunition on hand for every firearm you own. Most have at least a box of ammo for modern firearms they own at least, but not required. Most stock the calibers that they shoot a fair amount or the ammunition is difficult to find.
Ed Ames
Member
Why, do they wander off?
I'm kidding...but, really, what tracking? Loaded ammo lasts effectively forever (50+ years) so you don't need to rotate stock. Buying ammo isn't that big a deal...you probably have a list of more than 10 different things to buy every time you go to the grocery store. If you want to stock 500rds of handgun ammo it hardly matters whether that's 500rds of one or 50rds of ten. In fact there is an argument (which I find compelling) in favor of the variety -- as the recent ammo shortages demonstrated, the stores can be cleared of 9x19 and still have plenty of .40S&W or vice versa, and you are SOL if you don't have a gun in each.
My "range regulars" list has half a dozen or so chamberings and I guess that's overkill. Who REALLY needs more than .22LR, .45ACP, 6.5x55, and 12ga? Between those you can do anything that really needs to be done from cheap plinking to self defense, moose to goose. Still, I wouldn't be so happy if that's all I had, as my "long list" of around 30 different chamberings demonstrates.
MachIVshooter
Member
You stock according to a perceived need. I keep lots of .22 Rimfire, .223, .308, 9mm, 10mm, and any other cartridge that I use frequently. But why would I want thousands of rounds of 7.62 Nagant, .38 S&W, 7.35 Carcano, .454 casull, etc. when I rarely shoot those guns?
ozarkhillbilly
Member
You only need three calibers.
Handgun calibers
Rifle calibers
Shotgun calibers
Opps I forgot rimfire calibers so I guess you need four.
To be honest I have enough trouble just keeping track of my guns to ever worry about how many calibers I have. I just bought a Beretta in 22short the other day because I didn't have one in that caliber how crazy is that.
Handgun calibers
Rifle calibers
Shotgun calibers
Opps I forgot rimfire calibers so I guess you need four.
To be honest I have enough trouble just keeping track of my guns to ever worry about how many calibers I have. I just bought a Beretta in 22short the other day because I didn't have one in that caliber how crazy is that.
IdahoLT1
Member
Id say nix the .40. There isnt anything the .40S&W can do that the 10mm Auto cant, especially if its in a Glock platform. The 10mm can be loaded to 40S&W specs and can be loaded to push the same weight bullet 200fps faster. If you have a G20, theres no capacity argument there.
I have 6 to look after, And id like it down to 4 or 5 max as i like to keep 200-300 rounds of everything except .22lr which gets 2k.
Just keeping that many rounds for each caliber i own i figured out i have about $600 in ammo, For a person with a low fixed income thats a bit much. I will be downsizing as i shoot and keep it at 100 rounds each and buy as i shoot it.
I know thats sounds dumb to many people here who order by the case and many thousands for each caliber, I don't blame anyone i wish i could do that also.
.22lr
.25
.380
9mm
.45acp
12 gauge
Just keeping that many rounds for each caliber i own i figured out i have about $600 in ammo, For a person with a low fixed income thats a bit much. I will be downsizing as i shoot and keep it at 100 rounds each and buy as i shoot it.
I know thats sounds dumb to many people here who order by the case and many thousands for each caliber, I don't blame anyone i wish i could do that also.
.22lr
.25
.380
9mm
.45acp
12 gauge
Every time I say 'enough' I end up buying another caliber. 32-20 for instance, or .17 HMR or .375 H&H.
Only one I can't find a reason for is .40. Think Colt only made the CZ cross-over piece the Z40, but thats sort of an ugly duckling.
Only one I can't find a reason for is .40. Think Colt only made the CZ cross-over piece the Z40, but thats sort of an ugly duckling.
mcdonl
Member
When you have more calibers than guns to shoot them.
Onward Allusion
Member
Ammo availability...
...AND the .45 ACP is just as good if not better!!!
...AND the .45 ACP is just as good if not better!!!
MattTheHat
Member
Join Date: May 22, 2007
Location: Allen, TX
Posts: 202
Quote:
Nix the 10mm
BLASPHEMY!
-Matt
Onward Allusion
Member
Sure - all things being equal, but .40S&W is much more available in terms of ammo AND pistols. <yeah - I like fanning the fire>
Officers'Wife
Member
Oh my.
Well, around here we tend to keep four or five thousand 22 rimfire rounds. My husband's vintage Ruger rifle tends to go through that caliber. And at least a thousand or two rounds of 5.56 again to keep hubby happy. Since I prefer bolt actions, there is always at least a hundred rounds of .303 Brit available when I want to embarrass hubby. Likewise there is usually a thousand rounds of .308 and/or 30-06, the latter kept for the Garand bought on a whim as it reminded me of my Grandfather. Finally a mixed bag of sidearm rounds namely 38 Super (when we can find them), 9mm, 32-20 (rifle and handgun but a handgun cartridge nonetheless), 44-40 (again rifle and handgun), 45 rimmed and ACP. Then, of course, various shotgun shells as well as powder and ball for
Do we have too many calibers? We have what we enjoy and what we have.
Well, around here we tend to keep four or five thousand 22 rimfire rounds. My husband's vintage Ruger rifle tends to go through that caliber. And at least a thousand or two rounds of 5.56 again to keep hubby happy. Since I prefer bolt actions, there is always at least a hundred rounds of .303 Brit available when I want to embarrass hubby. Likewise there is usually a thousand rounds of .308 and/or 30-06, the latter kept for the Garand bought on a whim as it reminded me of my Grandfather. Finally a mixed bag of sidearm rounds namely 38 Super (when we can find them), 9mm, 32-20 (rifle and handgun but a handgun cartridge nonetheless), 44-40 (again rifle and handgun), 45 rimmed and ACP. Then, of course, various shotgun shells as well as powder and ball for
Do we have too many calibers? We have what we enjoy and what we have.
OregonJohnny
Member
Well, let's see. I have:
.22 LR
.22 WMR
.380 ACP
9mm
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
.40 S&W
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP
.30-30
.30-06
12 Gauge
I plan to add:
.223/5.56
.45-70
.220 Swift
.375 H&H
And my Dad's collection, which I hope to one day inherit, would add:
.32 ACP
.38 S&W
7.65mm
.300 Winchester Magnum
.410 Gauge
So that all totals 21 different calibers/gauges, so my answer to "how many is too many" is...22, obviously.
.22 LR
.22 WMR
.380 ACP
9mm
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
.40 S&W
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP
.30-30
.30-06
12 Gauge
I plan to add:
.223/5.56
.45-70
.220 Swift
.375 H&H
And my Dad's collection, which I hope to one day inherit, would add:
.32 ACP
.38 S&W
7.65mm
.300 Winchester Magnum
.410 Gauge
So that all totals 21 different calibers/gauges, so my answer to "how many is too many" is...22, obviously.
Cosmoline
Member
I like to keep it down to two handgun chamberings and three or four rifle. Otherwise I run out of space real quick.
MMCSRET
Member
I grew up in Montana and Idaho among farming and ranching folk. Not many handguns were seen in use, they were often pulled out at family picnics and 4Th of July outings and then in hunting camp to plink with. Every house had a 22 rifle, a shotgun, usually 16 or 12 gage, and a centerfire rifle, often a 30-30 or a "high powered" 30-06. Of course there were the exceptions from town, usually Doctors or Lawyers that didn't depend on their firearms for work but strictly for sport.
Ronsch
Member
This sort of goes with the "how many guns..."
For years, when I was younger, I bought whatever caught my fancy.
The problem therein was finding the money to buy ammo to shoot everything I owned on one or two trips to the range.
As I got older, I decided to streamline my collection and buy the guns that strike my fancy in the particular calibers I have. Since I do not reload, I have not bought any really exotic or esoteric calibers. My last few purchases have been pretty straight-forward and fairly available factory ammunition friendly. I keep the shooters and standards as follows:
.22LR (for both pistols and rifles)
9mm
.38 Special
.380 Auto
.45 ACP (Zoot Shooting)
.45 LC (CAS shooting)
.410 gauge (my daughter's single shot shotgun)
12 gauge
.308 (Hunting rifle)
8mm
Basically, I keep about 2K =/- for each. My stock of .308 is lower as is the 8mm right now. I have some loose .45 and .50 caliber round balls for the muzzleloaders I have.
I have to blame my mother-in-law for the .38 Special. She gave me her (now deceased) husband's old S&W 38 Special revolver, so I went and bought two more to shoot. She also gave me the 8mm Czech K98 as well, so I had to get ammo for that as well. The 410 I won in a raffle and gave it to my daughter, so we had to buy shells for it to go shoot.
For years, when I was younger, I bought whatever caught my fancy.
The problem therein was finding the money to buy ammo to shoot everything I owned on one or two trips to the range.
As I got older, I decided to streamline my collection and buy the guns that strike my fancy in the particular calibers I have. Since I do not reload, I have not bought any really exotic or esoteric calibers. My last few purchases have been pretty straight-forward and fairly available factory ammunition friendly. I keep the shooters and standards as follows:
.22LR (for both pistols and rifles)
9mm
.38 Special
.380 Auto
.45 ACP (Zoot Shooting)
.45 LC (CAS shooting)
.410 gauge (my daughter's single shot shotgun)
12 gauge
.308 (Hunting rifle)
8mm
Basically, I keep about 2K =/- for each. My stock of .308 is lower as is the 8mm right now. I have some loose .45 and .50 caliber round balls for the muzzleloaders I have.
I have to blame my mother-in-law for the .38 Special. She gave me her (now deceased) husband's old S&W 38 Special revolver, so I went and bought two more to shoot. She also gave me the 8mm Czech K98 as well, so I had to get ammo for that as well. The 410 I won in a raffle and gave it to my daughter, so we had to buy shells for it to go shoot.
jnyork
Member
What does "too many" mean, and what does "need" have to do with it?
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