How do you support so many calibers?

[winnre]

I'm looking at having the perfect pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

Now for those of you who have several pistols or rifles, do you tend to stick to one caliber to ammo savings, or are you all over the map?

I'm thinking if I have 4 pistols, 3 rifles and a shotgun that can be as many as 8 different ammo calibers I need to maintain. Can you do that? Can you do it well?

Or are folks better off to stick to a certain caliber for a certain reason and leave it at that?

[CSACANNONEER]

I'm looking at having the perfect pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

Perfect for who and for what reason?

Now for those of you who have several pistols or rifles, do you tend to stick to one caliber to ammo savings, or are you all over the map?

.177 airguns to 50BMG rifles. .410s to 12G. The 3" cannons I shoot belong to friends of mine.

I'm thinking if I have 4 pistols, 3 rifles and a shotgun that can be as many as 8 different ammo calibers I need to maintain. Can you do that? Can you do it well?

Rookie! I can reload for over 20 calibers right now.


Or are folks better off to stick to a certain caliber for a certain reason and leave it at that?

If you have problems remembering which gun takes which ammo, you should probably stick to one chambering for all your firearms.

...

[Jonathan Doe]

Pistols: 22LR, 38 Special, 9mm, 44 Mag and 45Auto
Shotguns: 20 and 12 Gauge
Rifles: 22LR, 223 Rem/5.56, 7.62X39mm, 308 Win, 300 WSM and 45-70.

I buy ammo when there is a good deal, and I also reload. I buy reloading supplies in bulk, so I don't have to think about it for a long time.

[winnre]

"Perfect" is the holy grail I may never find but I'm happy to search.

You sure do have lots of different calibers there. I guess I equate it to photography. I may go out with 3 cameras but they are all 35mm.

[9mmepiphany]

when starting out the trick is to start with calibres at go on sale, are available as surplus or are commonly available from commercial reloaders.

when you see a good price, buy several cases...at least 1k rounds...and never pass up a good price just because you think you have "enough" on hand.

that's how i took care of my:
5.56x45mm, 5.45x39mm, 6.5x55mm, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51, 8x57mm and .303 British (surplus)
9mm, .40, .45 and .22lr (on sale)
.38 spl, .357 mag (commercial reloads)
then i only had to pay more for the odd calibres like .41 mag, .44 spl, .25 ACP, 7mm-08 and of course my defense ammo.

save your cases...unless you are getting a killer deal on non-reloadable ammo...and you'll eventually get into reloading.

i find myself shooting a lot of 9mm and .22lr, but then i teach and besides being cheaper these allow more shooting without fatigue from recoil

[joelogic]

9mm, .45, .223, .308, and 12g. End of story.

Unless you are rich, then buy everything until the cops show up.

[Ding126]

I've consolidated to 5 calibers..lol

[Scratch705]

i'm trying to limit myself to the 5 common calibers,

22lr, 9mm, .223 , .308, and 12ga

and with most my ammo going to .22lr and 9mm since those are the ones i shoot the most.

[Maltese Falcon]

Okay my turn..

22LR, 223/5.56x45, 45 ACP, 44 Mag, 7.62x39, 7.62x51, 12G

I consider them all "core" holdings.

Three is a good start.....GL!!

.

[edward]

I do not agree with the consolidate to a few calibers line of reasoning. I prefer to have the widest range of choices possible - that wherever I go I can buy ammo for atleast some of my guns.

.22lr - .223/5.56 - 7.62 Soviet - 7.62 Russian - 7.62 Nato - 30-06 Springfield - .375 H&H

10mm - 45 acp - .38 special - .357 magnum - .45 long colt - 454 casull - 460 S&W magnum

12 ga.

working on 6.8 spc - .338 lapua - 460 wthby mag - 9mm - .45 super and .510 or .416 barrett

[ETD1010]

I prefer to have a bunch of guns, all in different calibers (aside from a select few that are designed to stay together in case of emergencies). I only buy ammo (or load it up) when i decide to go shoot it (again, aside from a select few that I have mags filled, ready to go, yada yada).

[joelogic]

Diversity is great if you are a collector but I am a shooter. I would rather have a glock in 9mm, 20 mags, and 10k in ammo than 10 different gun, 2 mags each, and 1 WWB per gun.

[b.faust]

Here's my argument for variety.

When I see a good deal on some ammo I generally have something that'll shoot it.
For example, .45 is generally pricey, but now and then I find a great deal on it and I'm the happy 1911 gunner.
More often than that though, I'm finding insane deals on .40 so I have to suffer and go shoot my Sig.

End of the day, I just REALLY like going shooting. I mean a lot. And if all I can find is .22lr, so be it, I have a nice target rifle and a buckmark that'll keep me happy and feeling like I'm still keeping a perishable skill up to snuff.

So, yup, to me variety means options and consistent time at the range.

[smarter]

Gotta shoot them all!

As for me, so far I got .22lr, 9mm, .45acp, 5.56

[evidens83]

Hanguns: 9mm and 45acp
Rifles: 5.56/.223
Shotgun: 12 gauge