This is not a caliber war, but more a observation in expanding my know how, education and collection of all things that go BOOM. I recently made a hard choice and moved my concentration from .357 sig, to 9mm since I chose to carry 9mm in my EDC and fact is I shoot the 9mm better. Funds are limited as well so I am not much of a collector, every gun I have gets used and has a purpose, and felt it was best to build up your stores of what you like to shoot and will use.
The three calibers I have narrowed things down to are 9mm, 5.56/.223, and .308, because over all they address a need. I have started hoarding my 9mm which is up to about 2,500 practice rounds, and 800 SD rounds(Hornady, Gold dot, and HST). I have already put in a order for a few different types of 5.56/.223 to test through my new AR that i hope to build within the month, and now I am looking at a .308 down the road in a AR format.
The reasoning behind all this is I feel when you spread yourself around between every caliber under the sun you take away in some measure how good you can become in 2 or 3 calibers. Just thinking out loud and wondered what many here thought.
I consolidated to all 9mm for all 6 handguns in the last 2 years. I load and shoot 2-2.5k a month and it makes a significant impact in my budget. I used to load .40 and.45acp as well keep components in reserve should a good deal come my way. I also load 600-800 rounds of .223/5.56 a month. For me it makes sense and allows me to shoot all I want. I don’t feel at a disadvantage at all, occasionally a buddy will load me a .45 1911 for a local match and I find that transitioning is not an issue. My guns though all 9mm are in both Glock and 1911 platforms. I also have a S&W MP 15-22 that I buy bulk ammo for for training, comes in handy at our local club were the bays available are small at times. We run 1/3 scale targets or 6 inch steel for TAC rifle practice.
I keep up to 10K of 9mm and 5K of .223/5.56 reloading components always on hand. Another 800-1000 of 9mm and 5.56 factory FMJ and 300 rounds of 9mm and 5.56 SD on hand in reserve. I also keep about 300 rounds of 12 gauge 00 buck and slugs for my Remington 870 tactical.
I consider it more a mark of efficiency than that of handicapping yourself. Think of it as an application of the SIMP principle (http://pistol-training.com/archives/70)…
What I’ve found to be more,or at least as, important is consolidating on platforms.
I can standardize on the AR and get:
.22 training gun - teaching new shooters, ranges with caliber limitations
9mm subgun - subgun matches, indoor ranges
5.56 SBR - general use
30 BLK suppressed SBR - home defense
6.8 SPC hunting rifle - hunting
.308 long-range precision - precision
and on
and on
i have to admit the 12ga would serve a huge purpose and i would have to add that, in fact maybe before the .308 if i had to stick with 3 only. It’s partly my fault in being taken over by the Black gun craziness that has swept me up the past few weeks that i left out 12ga.
I think the 12 ga can handle some things better than a 9mm, or 5.56, and the 5.56 can be effective up to a range that most people consider a long shot.
So if stuck with 3 it would be 9mm, 12ga, 5.56, if four add .308
Good discussion. I have been trying to do the same with respect to the number of different calibers. 9mm and 45 are my handgun mainstays (one .357 but it is more of a collector). .308 and .223/5.56 for rifle and 12 gauge for shotgun. I don’t feel the need to go to .40 or .357sig or any others (.380, .32acp…). More calibers would become like the .357, just one more caliber that I feel I have to keep up on.
Unless you have a job requirement that requires you only shoot three calibers you’re handicapping yourself.
What are your training goals and ultimately why are you training?
I routinely shoot:
.22
.45
5.56
7.62
and .338 Lapua Magnum.
Every few years I shoot 9mm (military and National Match bullseye shooting) and 12 gauge – more for 3-gun competition or breaching refresher than anything else.
I applaud the idea, but I have never been able to do it.
In a survival situation, you could do sidearm, shotgun and then a rifle. I don’t think that most people would consider this under gunned.
You have limited your woods guns (hunting/survival).
You have limited your ability for African safari.
You have limited your ability for experimentation.
I try to buy guns in the cartridges they were made for AND/OR for a purpose. By your choices you will not get an AK in a prefered setup. You will not be getting a 1911 in the traditional setup. You will not be …
My suggestion is to have primary calibers and/or cartridges. Buy it cheap and stock it deep for these and then have other cartridges/guns for specific purposes. I have a 458WM. I use it to keep elephants away. I only have 100 rounds of ammo for this rifle. It is enough. Since I purchased it, I have not seen any elephants in my back yards.
Yes. Why would you ever want to limit your firearm selection based on a 3 caliber rule. Are you talking about some “zombie” type of reasoning?
I shoot:
9mm Glocks
.45 38 Super and 10mm 1911’s (I rarely shoot 38 Super and 10mm but I like to when I feel like it)
5.56 AR’s V93
6.8 AR’s
7.62X39 AK’s and VZ 58’s
.308 Bolt’s
12/20 gauge Shotguns
I can’t think of a single platform that I would want to do without and thats only 8 platforms…
My hoarding is more about buying in bulk to keep prices down. On a good week I can go through 200-300 rounds of 9mm, so on the low end that is about 9,000 rounds a year.
I don’t limit myself to just 3 calibers, but most of my training is done with just 3:
9mm
5.56mm
.22LR
Simply for cost. Used to shoot .40 S&W in place of 9mm, but am transitioning over.
I do give a lot of consideration before adding a caliber, and even more for a platform, simply because the logisitcs train gets longer, costlier and more complex.
I’ve always been of the mindset you shouldn’t really need any more than 5 firearms that you know, love,cradle when the missus isn’t there( or when deeply asleep;)) and shoot all the time.
.22lr
Pistol in 9mm or .45ACP(option for .40 if you must)
AR type weapon
Shotgun
.308 or .30-06 that can reach out and touch stuff.
Anything more is weight that needs to be carried and other calibers that need to be fed that others might not have as far as interchangeability.Missions change, these seem to fill the gaps when needed.
The only calibers I seem to shoot are .22LR, 40SW, 38SPL, .223/5.56, .308/7.62, and 12ga. 12ga is minimal. Everything I hunt, or have need to defend myself against, can be managed by these calibers. When the job stops furnishing 40SW, those guns will be 9mm.
Other calibers may be useful for some, but my needs are met with the above. Were I to undertake a safari, or really-big game hunting, I would make other choices.
I’d say in a way you are. I can see focusing your selection down to a few types for the majority of your collection but you never know what you might want out of it. 22lr for very cheap target practice, a 357 revolver, a classic 1911, etc.
It makes sense to try to organize your firearms to limited calibers when possible but having the odd balls in the mix can be good.
During the last ammo scare I could pretty much shoot any of the major pistol calibers I could find because I had guns in all of them. That being said I still generally focus on 45’s. If I ran across a bunch of 9mm though I could pick it up and run guns with it.
In thinking more on this, if this ideology holds up in my eyes, then it would be beneficial to actually have at least two of every firearm I choose or at least a second one that is very similar to my main in case the first malfunctions In a way you can’t repair it. Also a good idea could be to seek out as much knowledge and be able to make repairs to most of your firearms.
So for me if I choose the M&P line and whatever caliber(9mm,.40,.357sig,.45) I prefer , and then the 5.56 + .308 in AR formats and then learning how to make every repair on those two platforms would go a long way in just being prepared.
I’d consider adding .22lr. Both in pistol and rifle, it is an effective training tool. And it’s fun and cheap to shoot! My kids can go through a brick in an outing. And even with today’s prices, it’s cheaper than many other activities.
I own some guns that I keep for sentimental reasons or because I really like the design. The 1911 is one of those.
For these guns, I will keep on hand a small amount of ammunition.
As I don’t hunt (no moral objection,ect., just don’t have the time or desire), so I don’t have the need for a hunting round.
My needs center around LE work / personal defense. Most of my shooting is with 9mm and 5.56mm. So the bulk of my ammunition that is purchased and stored is in these two calibers.
I do not limit myself to a certain number of calibers. But I have consolidated my guns that I use and train with, both by type and caliber. This has consolidated my ammo purchases by probably 90%.
