What's your favorite caliber?

[jmr40]

10mm is my favorite, but I shoot many more 9mm. It's really economics. I'll throw 45 in at a distant 3rd place finisher.

I spend a lot of time shooting 22 rifles, but in a handgun not so much.

 

[black mamba]

As a handloader and handgun hunter, the 44 magnum is hands down the most useful and versatile caliber around. From mild to wild, it will do it all, and do it all accurately and economically.

 

[Sistema1927]

For the longest time it has been all things .45, especially .45 Colt. I can load them powder puff, or full screamy meemie.

Lately, I have been doing the same with the .32 family. Soft .32 Long, as well as aggressive .327 and .32 H&R.

 

[Coyote3855]

.45 ACP
.38 Super
9x18

7.62x39
.30-06

 

[LOLBELL]

327 Federal Magnum

 

[Targa]

.44mag

 

[Keyfer 55]

44 Rem Mag

 

[Tallball]

If you go by how many of them I shoot annually:

#1 - 22lr
#2 - 38 special (about half as many as 22's)
#3 - 9mm (not far behind 38)
#4 - 45acp (not far behind 38 and 9mm)

 

[cfullgraf]

If it goes bang when I pull the trigger, it is my favorite of the moment.

I like shooting 38/45 Clerke. Besides having fun with the cartridge, it is fun to have folks look at the little bottle neck case and try to figure out what it is.

 

[sixgunfun]

Of what I own:
1) .22lr
2) .38spl
3) 9mm
4) 45acp
5) 10mm
6) .40

Of what I want/will own:
1) .357 Mag - will own
2) 327 Mag - want to own

 

[LeftyRed]

For the longest time it has been all things .45, especially .45 Colt. I can load them powder puff, or full screamy meemie.

Lately, I have been doing the same with the .32 family. Soft .32 Long, as well as aggressive .327 and .32 H&R.

Ain’t that weird! It’s a fun caliber and very versatile. Wish more firearms were chambered in .32

 

[Choctaw]

In a revolver it is the 45 Colt followed by 357 mag. In an autoloader either 9mm or 10mm, depending upon the current application.

 

[Rexster]

Well, the easy answer, regarding caliber, is .357, which is the bore diameter of several interesting and useful cartridges, whether designated as being .38 or .357. From low-recoil plinking, to defense, to quite long-range tasks, the several cartridges, that use .357 bullets, are collectively, much fun, and quite versatile.

My favorite firearm, with nothing else coming anywhere close, is my first GP100, which I used in a deadly-force defensive incident. Meaning, we each had deadly weapons, and, I remained standing, and he did not. So, my GP100 being chambered for .357 Magnum does have some influence, here.

Had the question been “favorite cartridge,” I would have had a more difficult time providing a quick answer. I have much deep and abiding affection for both the .45 ACP and .45 Colt, and much interest in the .45-70 Government. (The 45-70 does have a considerably larger bore diameter than the .45 handgun cartridges,) These cartridges warm the heart of a US history buff. Even so, the .357 Magnum may have won that won that contest, too, had that been the question.

 

[reloaded_in_pa]

Very hard to pick a favorite. My most shot handguns are
38 special
357 Mag
45ACP

Rifle would be
270
30-06

 

[BullRunBear]

This is a tough one. For a long time it was:
22lr
38 special
45 Colt

Now it's:
22lr (always)
22 magnum
32 long
41 magnum

I still shoot plenty of 38/357s, 44s, and 45s. (There are no 'bad' calibers, especially for revolvers.)

Jeff

 

[P89DCSS]

OP asked about caliber, not calibers. For me, my favorite caliber is .356 no matter if the case is 38sp, 357mag or 9mm.

 

[BigBore44]

22lr
10mm
44Mag
45acp

Those are my favorites. They are not all that I own or like.

 

[mcb]

OP asked about caliber, not calibers. For me, my favorite caliber is .356 no matter if the case is 38sp, 357mag or 9mm.

Except 9mm is nominally .3555 (-.003) and 38/357 is nominally .359/.358 (-.003). That's technically two different calibers who's tolerances overlap ever so slightly.

 

[Space Ghost]

I have different favorites for different types.

1. For hand guns, 9mm.
The small size, and low recoil is (for me) the best all around combination.

2. For shotgun, 12 gage.
The entire reason for a scatter gun is to go big. You can still tailor your load with shot size, shell size, and going with slugs or not.

3. For bolt guns, 7mm Mauser.
A classic that lost favor, it can still do everything needed, and with good accuracy, and less recoil than many more modern calibers.

4. For defensive rifles, 5.56mm... and in a a DI AR.
Hi velocity, high magazine capacity, low recoil, good accuracy, enough range for most combat engagement distances without carrying too much weight...
For 90% of what you need, it just works.

5. For lever guns, .44 mag.
Lever guns are (to me) meant to be light, fast handling carbines for close to medium ranges. A .44 mag round is scooting pretty well out of the 17" barrel on my Rossi 92. It's good for 100, maybe 150 yds on deer sized game.
With 10+1 capacity it also doubles as an anti-bad guy gun, something it often did throughout it's long history. Good enough for me.

6. For pests, or long term survival, the world famous .22lr.
The last round of firearm ammunition ever fired by a human will one day probably be a .22lr... May not even be on this planet... Need I say more?

 

[Trey Veston]

I'll be the weirdo...

1. .40 S&W
2. .45 Colt
3. 10mm
4. .22LR

.40 S&W is the most versatile in terms of use and firearms. It can be found in everything from single-action pistols and revolvers, to ARs and 1911s. It will fit in 9mm-sized autos, and can be loaded hot enough to be an acceptable woods carry caliber.

It is the ultimate do-it-all cartridge. No idea why so many hate it.

 

[jeff-10]

For me its the 10mm or 40 S&W. I go back and forth and my THR handle, which I picked in my much younger days, pays homage to it. Right now though the 40 is edging out the 10. The Glock 23 and VP40 are just about the perfect polymer non-subcompact pistols.

 

[earlthegoat2]

.451-2 is my favorite with 450 Bushmaster being tops followed by 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 454 Casull and 460 S&W.

Also like 22 WMR.

 

[Riomouse911]

That question has no possible answer for me, it's like asking who's your favorite child.

Indeed... but, since I’ve been asked to Schindler my List of calibers down to one...

The .38 Special.

It’s accurate, versatile, inexpensive, easy, pleasant, common and shootable out of over a dozen or more guns in my safe.




Best. Cartridge. Ever.

IMHO anyway .

Stay safe.

 

[sixgunfun]

View attachment 1002423

Best. Cartridge. Ever.

IMHO anyway .

Stay safe.

May I ask, what revolver is the one on the bottom right of the very last picture? It's a Ruger GP100?

 

[Riomouse911]

May I ask, what revolver is the one on the bottom right of the very last picture? It's a Ruger GP100?

It’s a Ruger SP 101 .38 that I put the wooden grip panels from compact GP 100 grips on. (It had the black plastic ones originally.) The GP compact grips got some new inserts from Chiggs Grips and went on my 3” GP 100 .44 Spl to replace the (IMHO) sort of weirdly shaped factory rubber grips.

The GP 100:

The SP 101:


It is a tank of a .38 snub for sure.

Stay safe.