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Old October 10, 2012, 09:21 AM   #1
Magnum Wheel Man
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what cartridges have you become disenchanted with over the years ???

this is kinda the anti "who loves the 357" thread for me, as it, & the 9mm are both cartridges I've kinda pulled away from...

I understand they are both wonderfull cartridges so it's just me ( sounds like we're breaking up )

when I 1st was getting into guns ( I think my FIL was grooming me to take over his collection ) I bought one ( the most versitile handgun & rifle ) with the intention that I could borrow what ever I needed from my FIL... ( I think he knew I'd get addicted... but that's how I started )... my handgun was a 4" stainless GP-100 & I still think I'd pick it as the most versitile handgun I own, but since I started carrying it around the farm, & have shot alot of farm varmints over the years, I've not been impressed with how it stopped woodchucks, racoons, opposums, etc... ( I found the light faster bullets planted them better than the standard 158's )... after that phase, I was carry a "9" & it was no better... so over the years I've lost interest in both those cartridges... I still shoot them, ( infact have several guns chambered for both cartridges, I just don't shoot them as much as I used to ) I still think they are viable, just not as much for me...

so the point of my thread, any cartridges that you don't feel lived up to "your" expectations ???
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Old October 10, 2012, 09:32 AM   #2
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Hum....

None of them.

They're all special in their own way.

And, unlike people, the fact that they're all special doesn't make them collectively... not special.
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Old October 10, 2012, 09:42 AM   #3
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MWM,

I am curious. . .which caliber DOES live up to your expectation?

I have guns in all the popular calibers and have a great time with each and every one.

It is not unlike guitars. Sometimes you like acoustic, sometimes electric,sometimes nylon string and sometimes bass.
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Old October 10, 2012, 09:49 AM   #4
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I don't have any cartridges than I have grown disillusioned with. I mean let's face it, there is no one single cartridge that is perfect for every job.

I am curious as well MWM, what cartridge does live up to your expectations? I'm not looking to bash you in any way, I'm just curious as to your thoughts.
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Old October 10, 2012, 10:32 AM   #5
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Not disenchanted.

I have not become disenchanted with 40 S&W, I have just never warmed up to it. Perhaps someday I will find the gun that makes this cartridge work for me.
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Old October 10, 2012, 10:49 AM   #6
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in all fairness I still shoot alot more 357 & 9mm than "normal folks" ( non shooting forum types )

but most of what I would have used the 2 previous cartridges for, ( self defence & farm varmint work ) have been replaced with 44 Special & 45 "long" Colt

I do shoot some paper with 357 still, & do have one of my many 9 mm autos ( a CZ 75 Compact ) that are still in my self defence battery... & I have several 357 Maximum options as well

I just don't like the muzzle blast of the 357 for anything but muffled target shooting, & have pretty much given up on "most" of my auto shooting...

I wasn't trying to bash on either cartridge, was just saying they were once some of my favorites, but I've moved on...
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Old October 10, 2012, 12:32 PM   #7
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It's an oldie....38-40. I've loaded and experimented with it, four ways from Sunday, and have never gotten it to perform with lead alloy bullets...maybe my one failure in that regard. .40 S&W runs a close 2nd. Rod
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Old October 10, 2012, 12:37 PM   #8
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44 Magnum.

It's not the cartridge, it's the guns. I have a Winchester '94 that slugs .433. This is not uncommon. Couldn't get two SBHs to shoot well either. Figure I should give it all up and stick to 45 Colt and 454 Casull, but I still have the Astra in 44 and that's sort of OK with 300 grain bullets.

And the Winchester's a damn sight better now that I got the oversize moulds and oversize sizing die and reamed out seater die... feh.

Never say never but I think the chances of me buying another 44 Magnum, ever, are slim.

My 38-40 Marlin '94 does well with 40 S&W lead bullets. Not great, but it's older than my grandfather and he passed away more than 15 years ago...
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Old October 10, 2012, 12:38 PM   #9
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Never really warmed up to the 9mm. I bought an XDm 9mm in hopes of a whirlwind romance (it has fantastic magazine capacity) but we never could find a spark. Also, though this is a handgun forum, I've fallen slightly out of favor with the .338 Winchester Magnum, which is undoubtedly tied to my lusting for a .338 Lapua.
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Old October 10, 2012, 12:53 PM   #10
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Geetarman... to specifically answer your question...
Quote:
which caliber DOES live up to your expectation
right now I have 2 cartridges that I load more than any other, with tons of versatility...

32 S&W ( yes I know is much much less powerful ) I have a round ball & light Trailboss load that I test fire my antique revolvers, up to a medium load, to a medium hot load I use for self defense if I choose to carry an antique... none of these perform well on farm varmints, but they all are great fun to shoot...

my most versitile is my 45 Colt... I carry a custom single action snubbie, & use a Buffalo Bore standard pressure loading with Gold Dot bullets for CC duty, a cast bullet load with Trailboss that I use for CAS & general paper punching ( I don't buy into the pop gun loads when shooting CAS, so these are midrange loads, that also function well in my lever action, as well as my Montado CAS guns ) & I hunt deer with a 10" Contender with some hot for 45 Colt loads aproching 454 pressure levels, & while these are punishing, they perform quite well... BTW... either my hunting loads or my CC loads will stop a farm varmit significantly faster when shot COM than anything but the hottest 110-125 grain loads would do out of the 357 mag... even my CAS loads seem to perform better than the standard ( for 357 mag ) 158 grain bullets

I'd also subject that the weapon type & "style" might have swayed me a little one way or the other
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Old October 10, 2012, 12:55 PM   #11
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For me it's the .45ACP

I learned to shoot on a 1911, my first gun was a 1911, and I used to love shooting it, but I've found that I've moved on. I have nothing bad to say about it's performance, I just like shooting other things more.
Also, you're limited to a single stack mag, or a potato handle.
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Old October 10, 2012, 01:02 PM   #12
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Hmmm, not really any for me. I don't think as much of the .38 special as I once did but I never thought that much of it. It's a good plinker for the .357. I loved the 9mm from day 1 and still like it best of all, lots of power and high round count ... what's not to love? The .40 still impresses the heck out of me for power vs size and the .45 has always been big and slow but makes a nice bang and kicks pretty good with a good load in it (still makes it lots of fun to shoot). I think my opinions are still pretty much where they were to start with. Odd huh?
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Old October 10, 2012, 03:50 PM   #13
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For me the 380ACP has been dropped.
I sold off 38Special snubbies and replaced them with a single 357Mag.
The 40S&W G-22 was sold with all the ammo without much interest in replacing it. Good gun- I just have to make decisions on which ones to keep and which can be sold off. I'm happy with 9mm, 45ACP, 357Mag, and 44Mag so the 40cal was not of great importance.
Maybe if I didn't have others already, things would be different for the 40S&W round. My G-22 was a pretty nice gun, and if I could only have a single pistol, the 40 cal would be a strong contender.
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Old October 10, 2012, 03:54 PM   #14
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I've yet to venture into the 40 S&W world ( at least with an auto )

I reload for it for my custom S&W 610 that I shoot 40, 10mm, & 10mm Magnum in...

I expect I'll have to get an auto to help shoot up that ammo... the cartridge seems kinda "light" compared to the 10mm & 10 Mag in the revolver though
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Old October 10, 2012, 05:19 PM   #15
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I shoot mostly .22, .38, 9MM and 45ACP. Not that I dislike others. I would love to have a .44 Special. I have no need for a .40 or 10MM or .357 Sig even tho they're all fine calibers.
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Old October 10, 2012, 06:14 PM   #16
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I have become ho hum about the .38 Special....having used one for about 40 years for various stuff..I do not own a .357 mag...however I do have .41 Mag, .44 Special, and .44 Magnum revolvers...and a Glock 19. Love the 9mm, cheap and easy to shoot. But my heart as always belonged to the Magnum Blackhawks and SBH.....38's are just kinda boring now. Too much more challenges to be had by perfecting all my mag loads, and the ability to fine tune the .44 Mag for hunting ....will keep my 3 .38 revolvers....but gonna shoot them a lot less...
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Old October 10, 2012, 06:22 PM   #17
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Almost all of them, other than the basics.

I can see owning a 308, 223, .45, 9mm, and .22lr, and that's about it.
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Old October 10, 2012, 06:25 PM   #18
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I have at least 3 guns each ( Sigs or 1911's ), in semi-auto calibers of
(.22, 9mm, .40S&W, .45 acp ) and S&W & Freedom Arms revolvers in (.22,
.38 spl, .357 mag and .44mag....)

and its not that I've fallen out of favor with any of them ...

a. but I shoot very little of .38 spl / preferring instead to shoot .357 mag ..../letting the grandkids primarily shoot the .38 spl I load.
b. and I shoot very little of .40S&W ...although I have carry guns in that caliber and a nice 1911 as well..../ instead I shoot a lot of 9mm and .45ACP.
c. I don't shoot a lot of .22 / because I can reload 9mm for under $5 a box ...and premium .22 ammo is over $10 for a box of 100...

and since I reload all of my calibers...it isn't really the cost differential that matters much at all to me.../ I kind of run in cycles....and one of these days I'll decide its a .40S&W day at the range ...and take 3 or 4 guns in .40S&W to the range...just for the heck of it ....
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Old October 10, 2012, 06:29 PM   #19
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460 S&W. It was so cool to have a massively powerful cannon at the ready. Other people got a kick out of watching me shoot it. Very few of them would step up and pull the trigger themselves.

For the record, I'm talking about a 15" Encore in 460, not the heavy X frame revolver. This beast did not have the recoil absorbing weight of the big Smith. Before it was muzzle braked the gun damaged the cartilage in my wrist. That was with less than 20 rounds through the tube.

I reload and found myself looking for softer charges to put in that big case. There is not much middle ground. I could toss 230 gr fmj between 2200 and 2500 fps. I could lob 250 gr lead over Trail Boss at 1200 fps. All of the mid level published and non-published loads gave me poor accuracy with the exception of 5744 and it leaded the barrel horribly. Even the brake had lead in the ports. Forget factory loads. Hornady 200 gr bullets left the muzzle at 2800 fps.
it got to the point where I don't shoot that barrel any more.

The shine is gone from that cartridge.

Last edited by feets; October 10, 2012 at 07:00 PM.
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Old October 10, 2012, 06:31 PM   #20
siska
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So who says you have to shoot "premium" 22 ammo,

especially in a handgun? And is your time (spent reloading) worthless? My .22's are sub 5c a shot, and commercial reloads are 15-20 c a shot, if bought by the 1000 rd lot, with brass exchange. So the 22's saving people 15c a shot, most likely. Lots of people don't wish to cough up $200 for 1000 rds at a time, haven't got 1000 rds of brass to exchange, etc. So it's more like 25-30c per shot, actually.
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Old October 10, 2012, 07:17 PM   #21
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Quote:
I just don't like the muzzle blast of the 357 for anything but muffled target shooting

I've pretty much become disenchanted shooting any handgun without muffs. The days of being too cool to shoot wearing ear protection are gone along with my hearing. The "bark" of my .45 colt and .44 special seems to hurt my old ears just as much as my .357s.

Altho my preference for certain handgun calibers changes with the wind, I don't ever remember being "disenchanted" with any of them. Especially if they fit in a revolver or a carbine.
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Old October 10, 2012, 07:31 PM   #22
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When the .32 H&R Magnum came out I bought a Ruger Single Six in that caliber. Thought it would be a good intermediate caliber. But after considerable experimentation with handloads, I concluded there was no "gap" between the .22 WMR and the .357 Magnum.

The .22 is a fine small game round and efficient for small edible game. And the .357 handles light fast .38 Specials on up to full blast magnum ammunition.

Pretty much the same can be said for the .41 Magnum.

Don't get me wrong, both the .32 H&R Magnum and .41 Magnum are fine cartridges, but having good .357s and .44s, there was no place for them in my battery.

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Old October 10, 2012, 07:48 PM   #23
feets
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Gap between the 357 and the 44?

I use my 45 Colt as my intermediate and magnum gun.



NO, I'm NOT trying to fire up the 44 vs 45 debate.
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Old October 10, 2012, 08:16 PM   #24
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feets wrote:
Quote:
I use my 45 Colt as my intermediate and magnum gun.
Well, so have I, sort of. My Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt guns are set up like Super Blackhawks and can pretty well do anything the .44 Magnum can. But my Colt and Ubertis .45s are smaller framed guns and I don't subject them to the harsh stuff.



Quote:
NO, I'm NOT trying to fire up the 44 vs 45 debate.

Wouldn't care if you did.

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Old October 10, 2012, 08:25 PM   #25
oldgranpa
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.38special. Just doesn't cut it in my wetpack tests. And most 38 only revolvers too big for my pocket and not really enough for HD. YMMV!
og...it's only my opinion.
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