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Which calibers are most common for pistol/rifle/shotgun?

19K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  davidw 
#1 ·
Which ammo calibers are considered "most common"? Or in other words, when the SHTF, if ammo becomes scarce...which will be easiest to find around?

I know that the 9mm is one of the most commonly used pistol calibers, but what about rifle calibers and/or even shotgun ammo?
 
#4 ·
I might add .308 to the rifle mix.
 
#6 ·
Hand Gun:
1) 9MM
2) .45 ACP
3) .38/.357

Rifle:
1) 30-06
2) .223
3) 7.62 x 39 / .308 winchester mag

Shot gun:
1) 12 Ga.
2) 20 Ga.
3) and believe it or not .410 Ga.( i know people who still use them to hunt and shoot trap with)
 
#7 ·
What are your takes on the 44Mag for the pistol category??
 
#9 ·
I forgot about the 40. I try to make my pistol and rifle purchases based on calibers I already own so that when I go to buy ammo, I am not buying 30 different calibers.

~A
 
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#12 ·
I agree with what everyone is posting but if I was to narrow it down to one of each i\'d opt:

handgun
9mm (with .357/.38 being second)

Rifle
.308

Shotgun
12 ga.

I would also mention that for a true SHTF case the .22 LR would be one of my picks with both the rifle and handgun being available.
 
#13 ·
Originally posted by Bumper
Handguns

9mm
.45ACP
.38/.357


Rifles

.223
7.62x39MM
.30-06


Shotguns

12 gauge
I disagree, back in the days of cowboys they usually had a rifle that was chambered to the same caliber of the pistol they carried. I just bought a Colt SAA revolver chambered in .45 Colt about three months ago. I also bought a Winchester lever action rifle also chambered in .45 Colt. Back in the early days of the wild west it was a absolute necessity, for me it is a convenience being able to load ammo for the revolver and the rifle with the same dies. If you are planning for a SHTF scenario then it might be a good idea to do what they did in the olden days and find a rifle chambered in a common hand gun caliber. If you want the ideal solution you can buy a .45 cal Thompson style sub machine gun that can be legally purchased as a semi auto only carbine for about $1,000. Then you can match it up with a nice 1911 in .45ACP. That would help to simplify things if that is what you are trying to do.


I am assuming that it would be a good strategy if you were stockpiling ammo to have one caliber. But on second thought if you ever have to go into a scrounge mode having two different common calibers could be an advantage. I personally have enough loaded ammo and components to make ammo that scrounging won’t be a necessity.
 
#14 ·
Originally posted by APachon
I try to make my pistol and rifle purchases based on calibers I already own so that when I go to buy ammo, I am not buying 30 different calibers.
I’m trying to do the same thing. I try not to buy weapons in calibers I don’t already have, and over time I have eliminated a few from my collection.
 
#15 ·
Originally posted by JT
Originally posted by APachon
I try to make my pistol and rifle purchases based on calibers I already own so that when I go to buy ammo, I am not buying 30 different calibers.
I’m trying to do the same thing. I try not to buy weapons in calibers I don’t already have, and over time I have eliminated a few from my collection.
If you do reloading it helps cut the cost of dies. I have a Dillon 650 set up with a seperate tool head with seperate powder measure all set up save time and work on changeovers.
 
#16 ·
One of these days I’m going to start reloading. I’ve been saving my brass for quite a while, so I have a good start on supplies.

The main reason I want fewer calibers is in case of any SHTF scenarios. I would rather be able to feed as many different weapons with the same ammo as possible.
 
#17 ·
I recommend a Dillon 650 or 550. There are other good machines out there but I was able to teach myself to reload with zero experience buy watching a Dillon video, reading a few reloading manuals, and following the owners setup manual. Some people recommend single stage for a first timer, but I am sure I would have given up after spending most of the day making ammo and only wing up with enough for a few minutes worth of shooting. A Dillon 650 will give you a few hundred rounds in an hour. Some people can do 500 to more than 600 in an hour but I prefer to work at a slow careful pace.

Most people say you won\'t save money by reloading, you will just shooting more because it is cheaper.
 
#19 ·
PS one of the reasons I am so pro Dillon is their no BS warrantee. If it breaks they fix it for free no questions asked. I have heard of them repairing a press that was destroyed in a fire for free, and an old rusted press with missing parts bought at a garage sale was fixed for free no questions asked. Dillon does this all the time.
 
#20 ·
I can't believe no one has mentioned .22 LR. That by far has to be the most popular rifle caliber in North America. Everyone has a .22. People who own no other guns have a .22 LR chambered rifle.

For the SHTF scenario, it would be immensely useful. You don't want to use your good ammo hunting for food, and if need be even a novice shooter could use a Ruger 10/22 with some effectiveness.

I'm not saying it's my first choice for defense, but it's immensely practical and useful.

Edit: Also wanted to add 7.62x39 must surely be the most popular rifle caliber in the world at large. If it's not, it's up there. Also, .45 ACP is practically unheard of outside the USA.
 
#21 ·
I think the way the question was posed the main concern is what would be most available if the SHTF. I am assuming the main concern is if the U.S of A. While other rounds such as the 7.62x39 may be more popular outside this country it really wouldn’t matter unless there were some kind of outside invasion and we had to resort to picking up ammo from attackers. I would want one round that can be used both in rifles and handguns. I like the .45 ACP but a good argument can be made for 9mm because you can carry more rounds with the same weight penalty. If it is an outside invasion and you are running out of .45ACP then just pick up a fresh weapon from a defeated attacker. You make a good argument for the .22 but if you have to keep moving that would involve more weapons to carry around. Maybe a .22 semi auto pistol might be a better choice because you can carry 500 rounds for the same space and weight penalty of 50 rounds 0f .45ACP.
I guess it all depends on whether your plan is to dig in and stay in one spot. Or if you plan on bailing out, packing up all your stuff and heading for the hills.
 
#22 ·
SHTF situation , better plan on 9mm, 12 guage, 5.56. All Mil. cartridges currently standard issue. Lots of mil. bases around and comercial sources.
 
#23 ·
We will need to have a lengthy discussion about this. I am about to purchase a 650w/case feeder from B. Enos.

~A

silvercorvette said:
If you do reloading it helps cut the cost of dies. I have a Dillon 650 set up with a seperate tool head with seperate powder measure all set up save time and work on changeovers.
 
#24 · (Edited)
APachon said:
We will need to have a lengthy discussion about this. I am about to purchase a 650w/case feeder from B. Enos.

~A
That is the setup I have I also recommend that you consider buying the quick primer change over kit if you switch from large primers to small primers often. It costs about $70 and it allows you to do the primer change over without taking to assembly apart. It is not really a must have but for $70 it saves time and makes life easier. I also load a lot of different calibers and I have tool heads with a different powder measure all set up for each caliber. It is expensive to do it that way but it cuts change over time to almost nothing. It is somewhat time consuming to get the powder measure set to the correct amount. So if you can just leave it set and change a second measure that is set for that load it is a big time saver. Even if your measure hasn’t been touched since the last session always recheck to make sure.
I had a better setup in my basement but had to move my press into the garage. Make sure your press is mounted on a good solid platform. Make sure it is solid on the up stroke. If it lifts up on the up stroke you will wind up with high primers.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v308/silvercorvette/Dillonone.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v308/silvercorvette/Dillontwo.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v308/silvercorvette/Dillonthree.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v308/silvercorvette/dillonfour.jpg

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I posted this on the 1911 forum a while back so instead of re-typeing the whole thing I just copied it from there and re-posted
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I reinstalled my reloading press and took some pictures
that may be helpful to anyone that wants to setup a press but has limited space.

Here are some pictures of my reloading press setup. I had a small room set up in my basement set aside as my reloading room but unfortunately I had a water pipe leak in the basement and although it didn't get the press wet it made things messy. I had to take everything apart in the reloading room, I didn't want to go through the trouble of making a new reloading room because I want to move someplace warm soon. Fortunately my house has the space of a three-car garage. It consists of an oversize two-car garage that was added to the house that I use it to park my cars in. I also have the space of the one car garage that was part of the design of the original heated one car garage that the house was built with. I now use it as a workroom and to keep my snow blower, and lawn mower and assorted tools. I cleared away a small spot in my garage and bought a small table from Sears for $39.99 (less 10% if you have a Sears tool club card)Sears item #00922201000. I like it because it is adjustable for height in 2-inch increments. Plus you can rest a foot on the bottom cross bar for added stability. I set it to 28 inches, which should allow me to sit on a stool and reload comfortably. I'll have to load some rounds and see if I have the height set right.

I think this may be the quickest easiest way to get set up again. If anyone is tight for space this setup can be put up and broken down for storage when it isn't being used. I think that when I finally move to a new house I will continue with this set up.

The first picture shows the press with a stool next to it to give you an idea of how comfortable to use sitting on a stool

The second photo shows a picture of a 2X4 that I used as a wedge to add downward pressure to the bench and give added stability.

The third picture shows the method I used to add downward pressure to the board, by turning the adjusting nuts I can add as much force as I need to make it a solid platform. The Vicegrips shown in the picture aren't necessary but I added them because I had them in my toolbox and I figured it wouldn't hurt to have them there to prevent the assembly from jackknifing.

The forth picture just shows an extra board that I added to make sure the boards would rest on the ceiling beams and not push through the sheet rock.
If someone else is thinking of putting in a press but is putting off because they have limited space these pictures may be helpful.
 
#25 ·
reloading is a good way to go. I have pistol and rifle reloading equip. Also shotgun. Like to custom my loads, and shoot lots of ammo thru the pistol as well. Also i have a few friends who have the same caliber pistols.
 
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