Guns & Stuff

The argument FOR uncommon calibers

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It is often professed that a weapons stockpile should consist of firearms in common calibers for one very important reason: Resupply. Due to the sheer volume of rounds with calibers such as 9mm, 45ACP, .223, .308, and .22LR if things get bad these calibers will always be readily available.

Well, maybe not.

Remember the months and months that followed Sandy Hook? It was extremely difficult to find ANY common calibers unless one was willing to pay some extremely inflated prices. I would visit my local gun shop, Academy, Wal-Mart, and DICK’s and there was no 9mm, no .223/5.56, no .22LR. Those were the calibers at the time I was searching for. There was also no 45ACP, no .308, and no .380.  I also could not find any .30 Carbine. I did see 10mm sitting on the shelves. There sitting lonely covered with dust were other calibers such as .270, .300 Winchester Magnum, and even .30-06 occasionally. Back then even the .22 Magnum was readily available for quite some time.

Over the last few months since the pandemic ramped up ammo firearm and ammo sales have gone through the roof. A very similar situation has occurred although ammunition is in better supply and prices are more favorable than after Sandy Hook.

I totally understand the theory that the chances of coming across common ammunition such as 9mm and .223 anywhere in the United States are much greater than finding .41 Magnum. Absolutely I agree. With that in mind there are some advantages to the less-popular calibers.

I remember after Sandy Hook two things:

  1.  I wish I had stocked up on more ammunition when I had the chance.
  2.  I wish I had owned a couple of guns such a .22 Magnum and 10mm.

Lessons learned. Next time – and there will be a next time – be stocked up on what you need BEFORE a shortage happens.

Take care all –

JR

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24 Comments

  1. Gunner says:

    Great post for all. During that timeframe I stocked up .357 & 38 special. Still paid a premium price but it was usually available.

    Reply
  2. Badger359 says:

    i buy i little ammo every payday. If one would standardize there ammo selection to just a few types, say for example (9mm, 5.56, 12 gage, 22lr) one would be able to maximize there money, instead of keep adding new weapons and calibers further complicating logistics. I remember Westmoreland complicating logistics when he had the .45 and 7.62, then dumping the 5.56 into the mix.

    Reply
  3. Oren says:

    Very good point John. I’ve been toying with the idea of a .243 or .270 for rifle. I already have the .357. I just have to get the wife prepped for the purchase. Oh boy. Not a venture I look forward to.

    Reply
  4. goingray58 says:

    Another thought .. “Use calibers in use by your enemy”.. that’d be against uncommon calibers. Not a bad idea to have drop in barrels for common frames .. I did that with 1911 style hardware for some calibers.. or conversion kits..
    Now if the UN is asked for help .. yes it is possible, and in several financial collapse scenarios.. probable. The your enemies calibers will be very different than American calibers. Think FN H or P90 etc.. .308 probably still holds..

    I’d have to say, to me .. it’d make more sense to have reloading materials for my preferred “group” calibers.. Then I can use the materials to load what I need.. of course that takes time and dollars.. so does buying new calibers and hardware to use it. I guess it depends .. You, of course could use the materials for other uses too…

    One of the things I think many people miss is the use of a 12ga. .. ZBuck, Sabo, Slug.
    In the depression My grandfather uses high brass no.4 bird shot, and bees wax to make a devastating Deer slug to great effect. Max 100 yds.. but you’d be hard pressed to have anything more useful up close. Many loads are Armour piercing by nature, goes THROUGH a car, and WILL push something off of you. Tactically you can bounce Buckshot to very good effect.. I agree further off is better.. but .. just a scenario.

    Then there is ammo weight etc..

    You can just about build a scenario against either position og course. So go with most likely depending on whether buggin in, Out or either.
    Now if you are looking to buy another gun or 6, ahem!, well that’d be FOR adding the other calibers. Just sayin JR .. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Panhandle Rancher says:

      Goinggray,
      I own several of the P90s. The cartridge even with government only ammo is anemic at best. The wife shoots one so accurately that I permit it to be carried in our vehicle load out but for anything other than house clearing, I do not recommend. Ammo is a bit pricy as well.

      I cast both hollow base rifled slugs, and the bigger shot 000 through 00 for shotgunning. I find the 12ga overrated for most combat other than protection of a fixed location. 12ga ammo is heavy and not waterproof, still a 12ga slug in the breadbasket will ruin a fine day and I have a half dozen or so Remington 870s here and there.

      One simply must reload to shoot a lot of pistol and also reload if seeking the best accuracy from longer range rifle calibers.

      PR

      Reply
  7. jh says:

    Since the beginning of this year, once a month I buy at least 1 box of brass cased ammo in 9mm or two boxes of 223 to add to the ‘do not touch’ pile. During the ammo shortage, I could always find 30-30, 270, 40cal, 357Sig and 12ga trap, turkey or duck loads on the shelf, one reason I went with the 40cal Glocks is that I can get a Lonewolf barrel conversion and shoot 9mm or 40cal out of it – they’ve been 99% reliable once broken in (takes about 100rds), only problems I’ve ever had were primer related on the cartridges.

    Reply
  8. JAS says:

    Good article. Not just uncommon calibers, but several different calibers. You may have to take what ever ammo you can find and it will be real handy having a spare gun in that caliber.

    Reply
  9. Jim says:

    I’ve been stockpiling wheel weights for cast bullets. A good quality bullet mould and smelter pot too. My military 30-06 readily accepts .310/.311 diameter. Mind you this
    is a solution for bolt action rifles. Several powders work for this purpose. It’s just a
    back-up plan to stockpiling reload supplies while still possible. wheel weights are getting scarce in Washington state where they are now illegal.

    Reply
  10. Panhandle Rancher says:

    Jim, me too. I turn the wheel weights into cast ingots for easier handling. I use gas checks with all cast rifle bullets except the old slow blackpowder cartridges such as .45-70 Gov’t. Unique, Bullseye, Green Dot, IMR4831 and IRM4895 are my stock propellents.

    As a kiddo way back in 1967, I saved up for the radical bolt action Remington XP-100 handgun in .221 Rem Fireball (see June issue of Shooting Times). The .221 RF is one of the oddest of odd ball calibers. I topped it with a long eye relief telescopic sight, shot it less than 100 times, cleaned it and back in the safe/timevault it is stored. Over the years, I have thought about having it either re-chambered or re-barreled to 5.56×45 but due to current non-production, if doing anything with this odd handgun, tend toward re-barreling as it could then be easily re-converted to original configuration.

    From 16 ga shotguns to the biggest of African calibers, I have accumulated them all including venerable .470NE doubles and a .505 Gibbs FN predecessor bolt built during the height of African safari mania in the early 20th century.

    During the last 20 years, I have purposefully reduced the odd ball inventory moving toward common military calibers, along with12 ga, and .22 LR. I still have a few odd fellows, but strongly advocate anyone planning a working firearm collection to initially limit purchases to .22 LR, 9mm or .45acp, (.357 and .44mag if using revolvers), 5.56×45 and 7.62×51 (optimally .308 Win). Later acquisitions can add long range calibers such as .300 WinMag, the .338, or even the big .50 BMG. Only then would I branch out toward the occasional odd ball caliber, single shot or lever action, etc.

    PR

    Reply
    1. goingray58 says:

      Reloading is one of the many many things I have yet to accomplish .. I’ve learned alot but do not practice it .. which is where you do or don’t find out you know what you know.. Like anything else .. You can find a lot of misinformation .. and peoples preferences are just that .. as opposed to facts right .. If I stick with the military calibers and .22 LR / 12 Ga. What’s the average supply cost or loading 100 Rounds of either? And what is you favorite equipment/ investment?

      I was just talking the other day with a knowledgeable friend .. about a longer range long gun .. .300 Win mag and .338 LAPUA in Rem 700 were what we discussed..
      Not sure if I need it my .308 is solid at 600 yards and me on the trigger.. Less solid at 800 yds depending on how much coffee or stress is involved.. Then there is windage.. Lake city ammo is very solid .. but I just don’t have the math and time in my head no more often than I use it.. I’d love to have one of the little computer they use now .. Pie plate is a maybe .. man size would be a definite center mass..

      Never shot an NE.. Shot the .50 once .. It’s an altogether different ride that the 30-ish cal variants.. and the cost to shoot is amazing .. in a bad way.

      any opinion on .300 winmag or .338 LAPUA ?
      Thanks PR

      Reply
      1. JR says:

        goingray58 – I will ask you this question – “What is the scenario which you feel will ocur that you will need a rifle that can shoot beyond your current 600 yard .308?”

        Reply
        1. goingray58 says:

          Well JR.. I can’t come up with one that is defensive. I could come up with several that were offensive or proactive. Offensive is in an out right .. so every foot further away increases the chance of a successful Exfil.. along with concealment and tactics of course. My Driveway is 1300 yards from the public road.. and my house can’t be seen with the exception of from the upper most window… almost..(I planted a visual barrier and there is a small hill between).. narrow tree line on all sides.. So bug in almost no reason. So unless I want to solve a problem before it becomes one or similar .. probably not one. However a larger faster round with more weight in an AP load might get you more effective penetration from distance.. Likely I just want another stick that goes boom! in a big way. I might make a case for having a capable spare big brother I suppose.

          Other views welcome

          Reply
          1. JR says:

            I hear you goingray58 and that certainly helps understand your needs. I asked the question because I have come across so many people who talk about needing a rifle to shoot 800-1200 yards and really are unrealistic as to why. In my area I could find any land which a shot like that could ever be taken. The geography just doesn’t apply. Another school of thought is you will survive much longer leaving others alone and not bringing attention to yourself. With that long driveway of yours I can see the application.

            Hey – if .300 Winchester Magnum was good enough for Chris Kyle I would say it would be good enough for you.

            JR

      2. JR says:

        I have an interest in reloading but so far the expense to get into a progressive reloader is just too much. I look are the amount of ammo I could buy with that and well – I buy more ammo. I do see a time though when I would make the leap though. I have a member in my group that reloads and I have started saving my brass for him and plan to discuss funding some primers, powder, and bullets.

        Reply
        1. goingray58 says:

          only one I trust is 3 hours away .. man I desperately need more qualified folks local. Between Texas, SC and Nashville .. they are spread all over the place.. I agree is is a decent option .. and maybe I will just start collecting more .. IN CASE. If you go to the range here most of the urban plinkers and many other just leave their brass on the floor .. they don’t even sweep it! pitiful

          Reply
          1. Panhandle Rancher says:

            Back to your original query. I started reloading back in the seventh grade, .45acp and .303 British (which in most rifles shouldn’t be reloaded). I quit reloading when working for Uncle Sugar as my friends and I had access to unlimited ammunition and actually were paid to train. Having retired three times, I’m back to reloading.

            If you scrounge wheel weights free, like I do and cast .45acp bullets (Lyman makes the best moulds and sizer, – a machine press that trues the cast bullet to round, sizes to the .001″, and lubes. I like RCBS presses), I assemble a cast bullet round with Bullseye for just over a penny. Primers are the next biggest expense with pistol calibers so I buy in 10,000 round lots. Price goes up accordingly when using factory produced bullets to about half the cost of production rounds.

            I find hard lead cast bullets perform quite well in my 1911 and SIG P220s but use them only for target practice.

            The rifle rounds I assemble these days all use commercial bullets, typically Hornady XTP and similar. I like the Sierra MatchKing HPBT for long range shooting in .30cal. Back when, I laid in more than 100.000 rounds of this fine projectile in 220 grains. This weight is great for the .30-’06, .300WinMag and similar .300s but too heavy for the .308Win.

            Perhaps Rourke can connect me with anyone wanting to buy a box or two of these heavy .308″ bullets. The individual boxes hold 500 rounds each and are unopened. Eyesight these days limits my long range shooting.

            I like the .30 caliber magnums, preferring the .300 Win Mag. It is a proven long range cartridge and lighter bullets overlap with the .308Win/7.62×51.

            I’ll do my best to answer any questions about reloading and do it all from .50BMG to shotgun.

            PR

          2. Panhandle Rancher says:

            I’ll try to answer the reloading equipment question in one place.

            Cast bullet moulds and sizing – Lyman

            Single presses – RCBS rock chucker (now Pro chucker or the like)

            Powder measures: pistol Lyman, rile RCBS.

            Powder scales: Redding mechanical,
            RCBS combination electronic scale/ dispenser

            Priming tool – RCBS hand tool. A great product! I use the one with the primer flipper tray.

            Shotgun press – MEC 600Jr. Best price v capability ever. Mine (12ga and 20) were bought in the 1960s and are a functional as ever.

            Case trimming – RCBS trimmers along with primer pocket uniforms, military crimp removers, and hand neck trimmers.

            .50BMG – I use the RCBS AmmoMaster II although the Summet press looks interesting. Summer makes a line of engine performance products as well.

            Measuring tools: order from Grizzley.com. Grizzly has a great line of gunsmithing lathes and machining tools as well as woodworking tools. Every gun nut should have a Grizzly catalogue.

            Production pistol presses: Dillon by far.

            PR

      3. Panahndle Rancher says:

        Goingray,
        The venerable Nitro Express cartridges must be shot to be appreciated. The wife and I were hunting Cape Buffalo in Tanzania when one fine day she surprised a hippo hiding from the sun under a small tree. I was carrying a double rifle in a NE wildcat (.500NE necked to .416 that shot a 600 gr nickle solid at about 2500f/s). I shot the charging beast twice with no effect, reloaded from my belt pouch, shot, reloaded ,shot, reloaded shot (eight rounds to little effect other than to cause the beast to stumble a bit with each round). Out of ammo for the double rifle, I handed it back to the gun bearer who in turn passed me a .458 Lott. I emptied the Lott (which was loaded with 500 gr soft nose) before finally dropping the adrenaline infused hippo. The wife stunned and bent over with her fingers in her ears and likely eyes shut – and the PH was just amazed at the whole thing that took place in seconds.

        Those 600 gr solids were shooting through the hippo lengthwise (if not encountering big bone). They would reliably give a Cape Buffalo a large headache. Of course such things are why one hunts Africa. Then there was the lung shot lion, etc. etc. Of all the monies I have wasted over the years, our trips to Africa were some of the best spent. My son became a man on an African lion hunt. Truly the stuff of TR.

        Oh, that first snap shot at the hippo with the double rifle broke my collar bone. In the rush to protect the wife, I did not have it securely mounted to the shoulder pocket. Each subsequent shot exacerbated the injury. Through it all, I never even noticed the recoil.

        PR

        Reply
        1. goingray58 says:

          WOW PR .. Great story! .. you need to write that stuff down and publish for your kids .. and everybody else ..
          On the wheel weights .. Where do you guys get them .. cultivate a garage owner or ?

          Just so you know .. I take all your input as well as JR’s and others. it goes in my research pile and I go look at prices in various places and read up and educate myself some. I am sure the friend in Nashville will be happy to give me some hands on training .. he’s offered before.. I ask experienced people like you and then get training from them if willing.. Some mistakes I want to make myself… and some I don’t .. this would be in the “I don’t stack”.
          Anyway I don’t want you to think your time in replying is wasted.. and it IS valuable.
          Thanks again guys!
          GG58

          Reply
    2. Jim says:

      Yeah -I agree with you. I have a near pristine 1917 Enfield 30-06, Russian SKS, 870
      Remington 12 ga, .22, and CZ-52 pistol. I live in the mountains in the northwest and
      being armed is necessary. I also use gas checks.

      Reply

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