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Old November 10, 2015, 06:13 PM   #1
Mastrogiacomo
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Calibers for fun shooting....

Can anyone list rifle rounds that are a blast to shoot at the range but are also cheap and easy to find? Thank you.

Laura
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Old November 10, 2015, 06:29 PM   #2
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.223
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Old November 10, 2015, 06:33 PM   #3
Mastrogiacomo
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I have a Remington 700 in the .223 and I have a blast with it. I'm picking up a CZ 527 carbine this weekend in 7.69X39...looking for others I may never have read about.
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Old November 11, 2015, 10:10 AM   #4
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3 or 4 years ago I would have said Mosin Nagant, but the dirt cheap surplus ammo has doubled in price since then.

You can still find is for ~36¢/round, but that is quite a bit more than the cheap .223 and 7.62X39.

This is excellent ammo though: http://sgammo.com/product/762x54r-am...-brass-case-no
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Old November 11, 2015, 10:58 AM   #5
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Lever action carbines in 30-30 and 44 Magnum are a lot of fun, and ammo is on the cheaper side.

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Old November 11, 2015, 12:44 PM   #6
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AK, or any .22 semi.
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Old November 11, 2015, 02:54 PM   #7
g.willikers
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My choices:
Pellet rifle
.22s, of course.
Pistol caliber carbines.
.223, although I don't have one.
(Donations will be appreciated).
Whatever the choice, reactive targets provide the most fun.
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Old November 11, 2015, 03:09 PM   #8
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Well, now that .22lr is pretty much "back on shelves", that is clearly the best answer.

But .17 HMR, .17 Hornet, and .223 rem come to mind, yes. .22 mag is still hard to find, the last time I checked.
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Old November 11, 2015, 03:09 PM   #9
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My most invigorating blast to shoot gun is my 50BMG shorty, 18"BBL and titanium brake. All bark and little recoil. Cost about $2.50 a round but it puts a big smile on ones face. The feeling of power. I have never had a problem finding rounds.


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Old November 11, 2015, 03:24 PM   #10
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Ain't it kind of lonesome, though, shooting that .50?
The last time a guy unpacked a .50 at the range, everyone within ear shot ran for the hills.
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Old November 11, 2015, 05:17 PM   #11
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Short of .22 LR and steel cased ammo, nothing is what I'd consider cheap to shoot. Fun to shoot? Anything really. The bigger the more fun usually.
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Old November 11, 2015, 06:29 PM   #12
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Cheap, fun and easy to find? 7.62x39, .223, the handgun caliber's, .44, .357, etc.. and of course the .22's, which are still hard to beat.
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Old November 11, 2015, 08:35 PM   #13
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It also depends what you're shooting at. And what guns you're using.
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Old November 11, 2015, 08:54 PM   #14
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Anything in .45 Colt is pretty fun, but it may not be inexpensive or readily obtainable. It makes a good round for a carbine, and even in a revolver, it's capable of surprising accuracy out past 100 yards.

It's pretty fun to shoot at an 8" diameter gong and hear it "sound off" when a .45 Colt projectile hits it.
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Old November 12, 2015, 05:50 AM   #15
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Anything shooting cast bullets

Anymore I find myself purchasing cast bullet friendly firearms. I have been able to obtain quite a bit of free lead, and have a pretty good assortment of moulds on hand. One can have a lot of fun at the range for not a whole lot of money shooting them. Figuring 3 cents apiece for primers, and assuming one gets all of his brass back, the cost in expendable components for any of the cartridges I shoot is something like 4 to 8 cents per round.

Last I looked that was less than 22 long rifle -- if you can find it.

Cartridges presently under use include 45 ACP, 357 magnum, 32-20, and 32-40.
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Old November 14, 2015, 06:36 PM   #16
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I know you said 'rifle' rounds, but my most fun rifle is my Beretta CX4 in 9mm. It's so fun in fact I have to pace myself so my reloads last longer than a few minutes.

Given the parameters though, I vote for the 223.
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Old November 14, 2015, 08:13 PM   #17
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just for fun

44 spl in single action revolver well as a lever action.
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Old November 15, 2015, 08:59 AM   #18
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The 30 cal carbine is a kick in the butt for plinking.

Another of my favorites, not good for much and hard to find ammo for is my little Rem. Model 25 in 25-20.

Want cheap, and fun, try an inline muzzle loader. By pass the fancy sabot rounds. I got a 300 gr. 50 cal Lee Mold for mine and its cheap and I've found as accurate as the sabots.

Casting bullets for just about any rifle is cheap and fun. Check out IMR 5744, its great for cast bullet loads. Check out Lyman's #49 manual for loads to almost all rifles.

Another is the 30-40 Krag. I can shoot cast bullets at near factory velocities.

5744 w/cast bullets gives you 30-30 factory velocities in 308s and '06s

Cast bullets in rifle is underappreciated. Cheap and fun, and with care accurate.
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Old November 15, 2015, 10:30 AM   #19
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Most "fun"..is easy for me and would be the .22 Hornet… It is inexpensive [relative] for me as I handload exclusively for mine.
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Old November 15, 2015, 04:04 PM   #20
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Quote:
Another is the 30-40 Krag.
What rifle? I briefly had a 1895 carbine that had a lot of recoil.
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Old November 15, 2015, 07:36 PM   #21
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Quote:
Another is the 30-40 Krag.

What rifle? I briefly had a 1895 carbine that had a lot of recoil.
Today 08:30 AM
Its an as issued Model 1898 Krag.

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Old November 15, 2015, 10:46 PM   #22
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i have a 30-40 krag also, but itis barrel has been cut and a bishop stock has been put on. it shoots 165gr ranch dogs real well.

also for fun, i use a tc encore with a 444 marlin 23" MGM barrel with a load of trail boss under a 280gr ranch dog.
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Old November 16, 2015, 01:08 AM   #23
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9mm
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Old November 16, 2015, 01:50 AM   #24
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All of them if you reload and shoot cast bullets...

Tony
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Old November 16, 2015, 02:06 AM   #25
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As fun and affordable shooting goes, my .357 carbine may be my favorite. I don't know that it's about the cartridge so much as it is that I like using a lever action. My cast lead reloads cost me about 14 cents each.

Factory ammo costs more than 9mm, but most 9mm carbines are semi-auto, so you'd maybe burn through the ammo a little faster. And as a reloader, I find that semi-autos make it harder to keep track of my brass.
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