If you could have only one caliber, what would it be?

[OlDeuce]

It would half tobe the .44mag Ol Deuce

[Bazoo]

I chose the 44 magnum. Mostly, because its big enough in a rifle, but also chambered in pistols. I know, you could get a 45-70 pistol... but why? And there isnt as many options available for a 454 chambered rifle... so 44 magnum is the optimum choice for me. A blackhawk in 44 magnum is easily carried afield, so would a smith 44 special in town. And a marlin 1894 in 44 would hold up well. Not to mention, a sweet, vintage winchester 92 conversion.

If It was 1 pistol caliber, and 1 rifle caliber, it'd be 44 magnum, and 30-30, just like i have.

Or If the pistol was not part of the equation... i'd be 30-30. Not that there arent many better calibers, with 30-06 being at the top of the list. Not much is handier to carry than a winchester 94. And If the 30-30 was in a bolt gun, with pointy bullets... it'd hold its own pretty good.

Least thats the way I reckon it.

[JohnH]

OK, I'll play. I don't like this though. We have more than one caliber/cartridge because it is useful to. Yes, one can kill squirrels with a 308 but a 22LR or a 20 gauge is much better suited to the task. A 12 gauge will certainly kill lions, but a 375 H&H is much better suited to the task. Once upon a time men had to play this game for real. Money was short and need long. Read the responses, men are willing to work with one option, provided they can make it for themselves and know the limitations going in. But what happens when we don't know the limitations? Lewis and Clarke set out with the men armed with 50 caliber rifles which met their limitation on grizzly bears. But note they also carried repeating air rifles which were comparable ballistically to the 45 ACP; the point being they understood the limitations of their mainstay arms and understood the advantages of firepower (get the most lead in the air) and didn't stick themselves with one arm or even one type of arm alone. Even those of us who grew up in "one arm" homes were more likely than not to find they were two or even three arm homes, certainly a rifle and a shotgun with a handgun thrown in among us. Today we have disposable income, so we do silly things like have four or five models of the same basic arm justifying them by telling ourselves they are for different purposes (One for carrying for defense, one for hunting, one for target, just how many 1911's do you have at home???) I will never need another 30 caliber rifle, yet there is only one of those I might consider as "the choice" I've a couple other rifles that will serve almost exactly the same performance parameters and in a pinch those would do as the choice. With the exception of two handguns I would take on most anything with any of my handguns but none are what I'd consider for "the choice" unless the limitations allowed for the fact that any one of them could get me another, which is true of the rifles as well. In the end, no I won't limit myself to just one, if forced out the door or into TEOTWAWKI I'm gonna have a long gun and a handgun. Now to play the game.... a 308 Winchester because it can be loaded large or small and actually does both rather well. The real question is sighting. 100 grain boolits at 1000 fps have a radically different trajectory than 200 grainers at 2000 or even 150's at 2900. Scope and cheat sheet on the butt stock? Peep? Bolt or lever or semi auto? Practice up, time is short and ya gotta know your limitations. Edit, 3/26/17 Just want to add that Otzi the iceman was found with at least three different weapons, a bow, a copper ax and a flint knife. He died 5000 years ago. The idea of "just one" is impractical at best and certainly unrealistic

[jamesgpobog]

I think it would be very hard to beat .357 MAX. Good in both handgun and rifle, and a wide spectrum of mouse fart .38spl loads up to heavy bullet 200 yard loads out of rifle barrels. 650 fps 148 wadcutters up to 2400fps 200grain with as much energy as a .308.

Yeah, I'll take a MAX.

[frogleg]

357/38sp I could make it work for most of what I do.

[davidheart]

357/38sp I could make it work for most of what I do.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement as well as 19% of those who voted.

And it's cool to see this thread is still going!

[mr surveyor]

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement as well as 19% of those who voted.

And it's cool to see this thread is still going!

caliber wars never end


jd

[CIC]

Where I live a 38/357 can do everything I need from defense to hunting to plinking. Works in a handgun and rifle. If that were true though, I would only have 2 guns.

[gnoahhh]

I used to answer .30-06 to that question, based on its versatility for handloading and being capable of taking pretty much anything in North America. Now I vote .30-30, because at my age I doubt there are any grizzlies, elk, moose, etc. in my future.

[Jedman]

A 12 ga. would do it all for me if that's all I could have.

Jedman

[lawboy]

Voted 30.06 but 308 or 357 would do me just as well.

[arlon]

As much as I love the .41 and as cheap and plentiful as 9mm is, if it seriously came down to one round I would have to take the 357/38. I have more of them than anything else. Tons of handguns available, rifles available. If it came down to a serious SHTF moment, then I might have to vote 9mm just for availability. I think everyone I know that owns a gun has at least one 9mm and 2-3k rounds of surplus ammo in the garage. Surplus ammo for the 9mm is a huge plus. AR 9mm platforms are also interesting. Hmmm.... have to go with a pistol cartridge just because it's easier to store, hide, carry a lot of ammo. A .22 rimfire would be a close consideration too, only lack of reloading kept me from writing it in for my vote.

I voted for the .357/38..

[like it all]

12 gauge can cover it all.

[kawasakifreak77]

Without a doubt it would be 22RF. It can feed you, protect you, and you can carry a lot of ammo.

Read a book one time that opined that if the SHTF times come, 22RF ammo would become the "coin of the realm."

I hope you're right about 22 becoming "coin of the realm"... I've lost track of how many 22s I have & just don't see the point of shootin' 22 anymore.

[northernlead]

45/454/410 load'em up load'em down,they just work

[brass410]

I'll go with 45-70 stops everything here that I would encounter furry feathered finned or otherwise its just plain universal for me as northern lead says load'em up or load'em down.

[luvtn]

I voted for the 12 ga also. From bird, to deer, to bear etc
luvtn

[james6600]

327mag. Can be hot enough to kill anything but may not immediately stop a large critter, light enough to be quiet, takes 5 different cases, easy on lead and powder. But pretty much any caliber would do it just depends on my interest at the time. I'm trying to make 327 replace 25-20 at the moment but last week I got sidetracked with a 45lc Henry carbine.

[davidheart]

What are the five 327 mag cases you're referring too? Curious.

[bradley.moss72]

What are the five 327 mag cases you're referring too? Curious.

I believe what he is referring to is that 32 S&W, 32 S&W Long, and the 32 H&R Mag can be fired in a 327 Mag, but that is only 4.

BW

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