Useless Calibers

[Lloyd Smale]

Actually Lloyd, I have multiple guns in the same caliber because that is NOT USELESS!!! That is redundancy and that matters if things go south. To me, useless is owning a 6.5 CM, .270, .280 .308 and .30/06...four different bores to stock bullets for and three parent cases. Anyone who can take advantage of the minor ballistic differences is a good enough shooter that it does not matter. Four of them are "useless".

Been there buddy...I know all about having "useless" toys in the safes and having guns stacked up in closets and the cases and bullets to use them.

Nothing wrong with having lots of "toys" if that is what a person wants...but they are still "useless"...at least for most needs.

I had four "big game" calibers when I downsized. .270, .308, .30/06 and .300 Mag. And for hunting deer I could have added a .243, .243 WSSM, 6mm, .25/06 and .30/30's. So, when it is time to harvest a deer, which one should I select?

I wound up keeping the .30/30's (for reasons other than deer hunting), .308's and the .300 Mag (which I am going to get rid of). Six calibers gone and NONE of them missed. The money from selling those guns, scopes, cases and bullets was "wasted" on components for the guns I need. I will never complain about not having primers, powder, or needing to find cases for some weird caliber like that stupid .243 WSSM. The other advantage of shedding that stuff was gaining a bunch of space.

One powder will work for all my rifles, but I stock two. With six .223's, three .30/30's, and three .308's I can down anything from gophers to elk...seems I have all the bases covered. I now load for three rifle calibers instead of 9. If a gun breaks down or a scope fails, I can pick up another gun and have the right ammo for it. I have a prepper mind set. I would rather have three .308's than a .270. .308 and .30/06...but I know that is not how most folks think.

A while back you ran out of 150 gr .308 Hornady bullets and none were available...I had seven boxes on the shelf...offered some to you but you got some from one of your buddies. I have about the same number of Sierra 165's, Sierra 175's, and Hornady 165's in stock. It is easy for me to have a lifetime supply of stuff by keeping things simple...being old helps too...LOL.

When you head out to harvest deer, what makes you pick either the .280 or .30/06? Is there much of an advantage of using one instead of the other? But more important, for the average Joe who harvests less than 10% of the deer you do, would he need both?

I love the 06 because it just plain works and all the GUN EXPERTS tend to brush it off these days in favor of wiz bang mags and rounds like the creedmores. Fact is the o6 shoots as flat as the creedmore. Is just as accurate and hits harder. Also for a non reloader it has the widest range of factory ammo of any gun and even if a handloader like me runs out of ammo its one round that about every store (other then lately) has in stock. The 280 is more of a romance thing. Ive had one since the 70s and it was just a round like the 45 colt that didnt get the respect it deserved. Everyone wanted 270s because that blowhole jack oconor spun his bs about. Fact is the 280 is just better then the 270 in every aspect. Its not quite as versitile as the 06 but it hands down beats the 270. For about the same reasons i love the 6mm over the 243. Then there are the old classics that everyone forgot like the 250 sav and 257 roberts.

Funny how some get conned by marketing. I remember when the 708 came out and everyone had to have one. they didnt realize that the 757 had been around since before they were born and did the same thing and more. Now its the creedmores. Everyone thinks theres some magic in the 6.5 bullets and the creedmore shoot fiddle string flat. News flash. Ive got a 264 that was bought in the late 70s that will put it to shame. Heck a 308 will. Might not be quite as flat shooting but awful close and it hits harder and is a better big game round. Ill even go back to the 45 colt and this time bash it. Everyone that wants to pretend they know handguns has to have a 45 colt or even a 41 mag. Guys i know that really hunt and know guns know the 44 mag is more versitile and easier to get components for and is about always accurate (which isnt the case for some of the 45 colts ive owned) To me its the 06 of handguns and real handgunners know that. Ive got 45 colts and 41 mags and even the 475 and 500 linebaughs but my go to hunting handgun is a 4 5/8s stainless 44 mag ruger blackhawk. Ive killed game as big as bison with it. It would absolutely be the last handgun that would leave this house. I could hunt the rest of my life with that handgun and my 06 featherweigth. I might not be cool but i left being cool behind 30 years ago.

[dverna]

Lloyd,

O'Conner "saw the light" too late...

https://gundigest.com/more/classic-g...-the-ruger-m77

Here is an interesting thread on the rifle his wife shot...7X57

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...pics/4787667/1

[FergusonTO35]

I like the 6.5 Creedmoor because it works really well with milder loads and makes me look like a good marksman. I shoot 140 grain Hornady and Sierra slugs over 32 grains IMR 8208. I would guess velocity is around 2400 and it is easy to shoot. I've always been a fan of heavy for caliber bullets and the 6.5's excel with them.

[uscra112]

My SIL introduced me to the old saw about how fishing lures are designed to catch fishermen, not fish.

I think the same applies to many modern (and not-so-modern) cartridges.

[cwtebay]

My SIL introduced me to the old saw about how fishing lures are designed to catch fishermen, not fish.

I think the same applies to many modern (and not-so-modern) cartridges.

Well said!!! My youngest son showed me a video in which a professional fisherman won several tournaments using only hook and line and sinkers and worms - wonder if his sponsors found it as entertaining to watch as I did!?!?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[robg]

6.5 creedmoor is the flavor of the month here .a few of us call them gaymoors as they are a fashion accessory. just kidding they a fun to shoot and its fun to wind up the guys.

[missionary5155]

Well how about the 4 Bore. I have fired one 4 times on two different outings. From what I have read all 4 rounds were about 60% of full potential and sufficient to get my attention.

[Walks]

I saw an OLD Belgain Velodog revolver once. Remarked to My Dad what a "piece of useless junk".
He answered that the French bicyclist that was being "snapped" by a stray dog probably didn't think it was useless if it scared off the dog trying to bite him 125yrs ago.

[cwtebay]

6.5 creedmoor is the flavor of the month here .a few of us call them gaymoors as they are a fashion accessory. just kidding they a fun to shoot and its fun to wind up the guys.

We call it the "man bun of calibers!!!". Hahaha!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Cosmic_Charlie]

When you go into a gun store and look on the rifle rack you do see quite a number of unnecessary calibers. The latest and greatest ones. Over time these have edged out some truly great ones like the .35 caliber rifles.

[Walks]

6.5 creedmore;
"man bun of calibers" Hahaha.
Just Love that !!!

[robg]

6.5 creedmore;
"man bun of calibers" Hahaha.
Just Love that !!!

nice one

[Loudenboomer]

.327 Federal? The interchangeability with the shorter rounds is nice. Other than that we already had a 30 Carbine.

[Good Cheer]

Sad to say I sold my 6.8SPC dies because I really had wanted to make a rimmed long neck cast boolit cartridge with 30-30 brass.
It would have been completely out of place for anything but fun so not totally useless.

[Bigslug]

6.5 creedmore;
"man bun of calibers" Hahaha.
Just Love that !!!

You could look at some proud owner's shiny new rifle and say "You know, that early Arisaka lost a lot of value when you sporterized it."

[Jim22]

How does a 22 short penetrate that cranial plate? Different location of entry? I've been on hog hunts where 9mm did not penetrate the cranial plate. Friend found out chasing one into brush, then came scrambling out when the round deflected. He switched to a 357 after that.

It makes a deal of difference if you are trying to kill hogs from thirty feet away and holding the muzzle right where you want it. Wife and I spent a lot of time in Mexico. Mexicans are forbidden from owning firearms but many still do. When it's time for a fiesta and a hog needs killing they use what they have - usually a .22 rifle. Never seen it take more than one shot.

Jim

[cwtebay]

It makes a deal of difference if you are trying to kill hogs from thirty feet away and holding the muzzle right where you want it. Wife and I spent a lot of time in Mexico. Mexicans are forbidden from owning firearms but many still do. When it's time for a fiesta and a hog needs killing they use what they have - usually a .22 rifle. Never seen it take more than one shot.

Jim

While I am not discounting your experience in Mexico, there is a constitutional right for Mexican citizens to own guns - much like ours, but there are a few restrictions different than our own.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[uscra112]

Technically true, but that right is so hedged about with rules and regulations (e.g. licensing) as to constitute an effective ban. Which is widely ignored, since the government in Mexico is totally corrupt from top to bottom. The black market is for all intents and purposes the only market in Mexico, and not just for guns. And enforcement is largely in the hands pf the drug cartels.

https://davekopel.org/Espanol/Mexican-Gun-Laws.htm

[Tokarev]

Technically, Canada also has RKBA inherited with the British North America act but it's been shoved under the rug by our government that believes that it can do anything it wants.
The current prime minister hates semi-automatics, so he banned a good half of them. We are counting days to the confiscation.

[uscra112]

I'm reading that Canadians are largely ignoring the turn-in.

Government 101: Don't pass laws that you cannot enforce.