The pistol caliber you keep going back to - Page 2

bn12gg · December 17, 2020, 08:22 PM

22lr

.02

Sanch · December 17, 2020, 09:00 PM

1911-A1

Double K · December 17, 2020, 09:54 PM

Post #11 is great and to the poster on # 18 you just haven't shot the right lightweight 1911 in 45acp.
I'll never be without a 45acp 1911 specifically this one.

TruthTellers · December 17, 2020, 10:29 PM

Two ways to look at this question: first is the caliber I keep going back to to shoot and the second is the caliber that is my "do it all" caliber. The answer to the first question is a tie between .32 Mag/.327, .38 Special, and .45 Colt as I load and shoot all of them.

The answer to the second question is .45 Colt. Loaded hot the .45 Colt is capable of killing anything within 500 miles of me, loaded standard with proper bullets my Taurus Judge Public Defender is very easy to carry and capable of great accuracy out to 25 yards and retains its up close devastating power when using proper .410 ammo.

The ability of Ruger .45 Colt's to also shoot .45 ACP is a major plus.

Hawg · December 17, 2020, 10:43 PM

I never left .22 and .45 ACP. The one I keep going back to is .38 special.

Ed4032 · December 18, 2020, 06:20 AM

45 ACP as handed down from God to JMB from the mountain top.

jetinteriorguy · December 18, 2020, 07:26 AM

While I’ve been a .41 mag guy since the early 80’s but in the last ten years have fallen for the .357 mag. Recoil even with hot loads is much easier on the hands, about equal to medium loads in my .41, and .38’s are just plain fun. Plus .357 heavies in my lever are very useable. So .357 for the win.

Moenie · December 18, 2020, 08:58 AM

.357 Mag for me.

ChasHam · December 18, 2020, 09:15 AM

44 mag-- in my former S&W Model 29 with the 8⅜ inch barrel.

I don't know whatever possessed me to sell it!

sparkyv · December 18, 2020, 07:54 PM

10mm. It's versitile like the 44 or 357, but with more varied and affordable platforms than just revolvers, and it's a caliber that starts with a "4". I shoot it in semi-autos and a revolver.

Kreyzhorse · December 19, 2020, 04:01 PM

Not favorite cartridge, that would be .45acp, but I have a thing for snub nose revolvers and I keep going back to the .38 special well.

Nanuk · December 19, 2020, 06:49 PM

Quote:

That's because the .357mag is primarily a revolver caliber and with their high bore axis and inverted cone shaped grip, a revolver is far more difficult to shoot accurately rapidly than a semi-auto is.

You know that you can change revolver grips?

My 1911 has a higher bore axis than my L frame S&W measured from the top of my hand to bore centerline, not much but a couple mm's.

kymasabe · December 20, 2020, 09:52 PM

I keep trying other calibers, but I keep coming back to 9mm and .32acp.

The Happy kaboomer · December 20, 2020, 10:10 PM

One would be BORING. I like and shoot multi calibers and guages.

stagpanther · December 20, 2020, 11:00 PM

I have lots of different ones. I can't even explain why--but the one I enjoy the most over-all and keep coming back to is....drum roll...45 acp.

JC57 · December 23, 2020, 09:50 PM

.38 Special for me. It's what I learned to shoot a handgun on, carried for about 15 years in my work at one time, and tend to shoot the best. Old school, I just like revolvers.

**44 AMP** · December 24, 2020, 02:42 PM

Quote:

That's because the .357mag is primarily a revolver caliber and with their high bore axis and inverted cone shaped grip, a revolver is far more difficult to shoot accurately rapidly than a semi-auto is.

I just love these all inclusive blanket statements...

.357 primarily a revolver round? yes, but I have two different .357 semi auto pistols... cone shaped grip? ok, but grips can be changed...

Far more difficult to shoot a revolver accurately and rapidly than a semi auto??

WHICH ONES???
They aren't all the same, and different guns and calibers makes just a tiny bit of difference!

Clearly, you have never shot a 9mm Bolo Broomhandle Mauser..

As to the pistol caliber I went back to, that would be .357 Magnum. I have lots of others, but that one was the only one I'd ever left. Somewhere around 30 years ago I sold my Model 19 and was "done" with the .357. I had guns on both sides, so I figured I just didn't need the .357 any more.

That lasted 2 or three years, until I saw an unfired, in the box Model 28 6". My Dad had a 6" 28, that was the gun I learned .357 on, and well, you know, I just had to have it. I actually lasted almost 10months before I broke down and shot it, and damn glad I did.

No safe queen now, it came with the target hammer and trigger installed and it now wears pachmayr grips, and is my favorite DA revolver.

Omaha-BeenGlockin · December 24, 2020, 07:29 PM

9mm

Finally said screw it and started accumulating handguns in .22, .40, .45, 10mm, .357 and .38 also---none of which are going anywhere.

Ingramite · December 24, 2020, 09:53 PM

For about the last 6 or 8 months it hasn't been a question of which caliber that I keep going back to. It's been what ammo is on the shelf when I go to check on availability.

As unbelievable as it sounds, I have started shooting a beautiful Colt in .38 Super because I can still buy a 50 round box for less than $30.00 locally.

So my "go to" calibers of .45acp and .38spl stay in the safe until ammo prices get realistic again.

Viper225 · December 25, 2020, 10:08 AM

I have always been a 45acp fan. I have owned a 1911 pretty much continuously for the last 40 years or so.
I have also owned 38/357 Revolvers pretty much continuously for the last 40 years or so. I have moved up in size however. J Frames are no fun to shoot. My small carry revolvers are a 2" S&W 64 and a 3" S&W 66. I have found they belt carry just fine, and are way easier to shoot accurately. I also have a 3" Adj Sight GP100, 6" GP100, 4" S&W 686, and my newest Steel Challenge revolver a 5" PC 627.

I like the 40 S&W pretty well as a carry handgun. In a Glock I find a 45acp to be just to big for my hand size. I have owned about every Generation of G21, and have traded off every one of them. My first Glock was a G22.2. At the time I was not all that thrilled with it. My next one was a G27.4, I thought it would be a very good size for a carry handgun. I found it to be a little slow on target due to the small grip. I traded it in on a G23.4 and was happy with that size Glock for a carry handgun.

Then one day I walked in to my local gun shop and he had a deal for me. He produced a Glock Model 38 Gen 3. I did some reading/research on the G37 and G38 and the 45GAP cartridge and was very impressed with what I learned. I purchased the G38.3, and shortly a G37.3 to go with it. As stated above I have always been a 45acp fan. The 45GAP will do about anything a 45acp will with 185 and 200 grain bullets. The 45GAP's smaller case size is no issue until you start taking up powder space with a 230 grain bullet.
I have had some work done on my G23.4, G38.3 and G37.3 pistols to make them more shootable. I have been carrying my G38.3 for a few years now, and I am totally happy with it. I have 5 gallon buckets of once fired 45GAP brass so ammo will never be an issue as long as Dillon makes reloaders.

I skipped the caliber I fire the most, 22 LR. I currently have two handguns in 22 LR not counting my Contender. I have a 6" S&W 617 Ten Shooter that replaced the 4" 617 Six Shooter that I had owned forever. I also have a Ruger Mk IV that replaced the MK III I had also had for years. Everyone needs a 22 LR handgun for cheap trigger time.

In Big Bores I have owned several 44 Magnums over the years. My current Big Bore is a Super RedHawk in 480 Ruger. It is a hunting handgun, and does this job very well.

22 LR
38/357
40 S&W
45GAP
45acp

Unlike most younger shooters I am no 9mm fan at all.

Bob R

ejb69 · December 28, 2020, 09:54 AM

22LR

Kirrich · December 28, 2020, 11:16 AM

Variety is the spice of life. I have .22 all the way up to 12 ga. Diff calibers for different purposes. The .22 cal. became boring to me and since I could afford it, I preferred the .22 Mag. I have a Rem 597 semi-auto rifle for it. .380 for a pocket gun. My gun for the .38 SPC/.357 Mag is stainless and a wheel gun and it was a bitch to clean, but fun to shoot. My fave is Browning High Power in 9mm. A classic pistol. H&K makes a great .40 cal. in the P30L. My .45 is a Ruger P345, lighter, thinner and smoother action then the classic 1911. Did I mention that the BHP is my fave?
For the future I would love to get a so called 1908 in .380, a beautiful classic pistol which has the lines of my BHP, simple yet functional. A .45 LC may also be in my future as well...Just realized the thread was about pistols, so 12 ga. does not apply.

darkgael · December 28, 2020, 05:04 PM

.45 ACP

Danwin22 · December 28, 2020, 09:36 PM

I like the .22 form low noise, no recoil and maximum economy.

Road_Clam · December 31, 2020, 01:17 PM

Dont have a "favorite". 45 auto, 40SW, 9mm , 10mm, 357 Sig, 357 mag, 44 mag , 460 mag, and 243 Win (yes i have it in a single shot handgun), i love em all ! Each offers a slightly unique shooting experience. A few offer a very unique shooting experience.

December 17, 2020, 10:29 PM	#29
TruthTellers Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2016 Posts: 3,888	Two ways to look at this question: first is the caliber I keep going back to to shoot and the second is the caliber that is my "do it all" caliber. The answer to the first question is a tie between .32 Mag/.327, .38 Special, and .45 Colt as I load and shoot all of them. The answer to the second question is .45 Colt. Loaded hot the .45 Colt is capable of killing anything within 500 miles of me, loaded standard with proper bullets my Taurus Judge Public Defender is very easy to carry and capable of great accuracy out to 25 yards and retains its up close devastating power when using proper .410 ammo. The ability of Ruger .45 Colt's to also shoot .45 ACP is a major plus. __________________ "We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out."

December 18, 2020, 06:20 AM	#31
Ed4032 Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 306	45 ACP as handed down from God to JMB from the mountain top. __________________ Gun control is like stopping drunk driving by making it harder for sober people to drive.

December 18, 2020, 07:54 PM	#35
sparkyv Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2015 Location: Deepinnaheartta,Texas Posts: 318	10mm. It's versitile like the 44 or 357, but with more varied and affordable platforms than just revolvers, and it's a caliber that starts with a "4". I shoot it in semi-autos and a revolver. __________________ μολὼν λαβέ NRA Life Member

December 19, 2020, 04:01 PM	#36
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Not favorite cartridge, that would be .45acp, but I have a thing for snub nose revolvers and I keep going back to the .38 special well. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

December 20, 2020, 09:52 PM	#38
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	I keep trying other calibers, but I keep coming back to 9mm and .32acp. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

December 17, 2020, 08:22 PM	#26
bn12gg Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Winter Park, Florida Posts: 470	22lr .02

December 17, 2020, 09:00 PM	#27
Sanch Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2020 Posts: 154	1911-A1

December 17, 2020, 09:54 PM	#28
Double K Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 486	Post #11 is great and to the poster on # 18 you just haven't shot the right lightweight 1911 in 45acp. I'll never be without a 45acp 1911 specifically this one.

December 17, 2020, 10:43 PM	#30
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	I never left .22 and .45 ACP. The one I keep going back to is .38 special.

December 18, 2020, 07:26 AM	#32
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,176	While I’ve been a .41 mag guy since the early 80’s but in the last ten years have fallen for the .357 mag. Recoil even with hot loads is much easier on the hands, about equal to medium loads in my .41, and .38’s are just plain fun. Plus .357 heavies in my lever are very useable. So .357 for the win.

December 18, 2020, 08:58 AM	#33
Moenie Member Join Date: December 17, 2020 Location: In a house Posts: 53	.357 Mag for me.

December 18, 2020, 09:15 AM	#34
ChasHam Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2018 Location: Deep South Posts: 130	44 mag-- in my former S&W Model 29 with the 8⅜ inch barrel. I don't know whatever possessed me to sell it!

December 20, 2020, 10:10 PM	#39
The Happy kaboomer Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Posts: 226	One would be BORING. I like and shoot multi calibers and guages.

December 20, 2020, 11:00 PM	#40
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,792	I have lots of different ones. I can't even explain why--but the one I enjoy the most over-all and keep coming back to is....drum roll...45 acp. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

December 23, 2020, 09:50 PM	#41
JC57 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Posts: 375	.38 Special for me. It's what I learned to shoot a handgun on, carried for about 15 years in my work at one time, and tend to shoot the best. Old school, I just like revolvers.

December 24, 2020, 07:29 PM	#43
Omaha-BeenGlockin Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2001 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 1,183	9mm Finally said screw it and started accumulating handguns in .22, .40, .45, 10mm, .357 and .38 also---none of which are going anywhere. __________________ I take the leech that's bleeding me Can't stop to save my soul I take the leash that's leading me -------Metallica

December 24, 2020, 09:53 PM	#44
Ingramite Member Join Date: October 24, 2017 Posts: 54	For about the last 6 or 8 months it hasn't been a question of which caliber that I keep going back to. It's been what ammo is on the shelf when I go to check on availability. As unbelievable as it sounds, I have started shooting a beautiful Colt in .38 Super because I can still buy a 50 round box for less than $30.00 locally. So my "go to" calibers of .45acp and .38spl stay in the safe until ammo prices get realistic again.

December 25, 2020, 10:08 AM	#45
Viper225 Senior Member Join Date: September 20, 2009 Location: SC Missouri Posts: 663	I have always been a 45acp fan. I have owned a 1911 pretty much continuously for the last 40 years or so. I have also owned 38/357 Revolvers pretty much continuously for the last 40 years or so. I have moved up in size however. J Frames are no fun to shoot. My small carry revolvers are a 2" S&W 64 and a 3" S&W 66. I have found they belt carry just fine, and are way easier to shoot accurately. I also have a 3" Adj Sight GP100, 6" GP100, 4" S&W 686, and my newest Steel Challenge revolver a 5" PC 627. I like the 40 S&W pretty well as a carry handgun. In a Glock I find a 45acp to be just to big for my hand size. I have owned about every Generation of G21, and have traded off every one of them. My first Glock was a G22.2. At the time I was not all that thrilled with it. My next one was a G27.4, I thought it would be a very good size for a carry handgun. I found it to be a little slow on target due to the small grip. I traded it in on a G23.4 and was happy with that size Glock for a carry handgun. Then one day I walked in to my local gun shop and he had a deal for me. He produced a Glock Model 38 Gen 3. I did some reading/research on the G37 and G38 and the 45GAP cartridge and was very impressed with what I learned. I purchased the G38.3, and shortly a G37.3 to go with it. As stated above I have always been a 45acp fan. The 45GAP will do about anything a 45acp will with 185 and 200 grain bullets. The 45GAP's smaller case size is no issue until you start taking up powder space with a 230 grain bullet. I have had some work done on my G23.4, G38.3 and G37.3 pistols to make them more shootable. I have been carrying my G38.3 for a few years now, and I am totally happy with it. I have 5 gallon buckets of once fired 45GAP brass so ammo will never be an issue as long as Dillon makes reloaders. I skipped the caliber I fire the most, 22 LR. I currently have two handguns in 22 LR not counting my Contender. I have a 6" S&W 617 Ten Shooter that replaced the 4" 617 Six Shooter that I had owned forever. I also have a Ruger Mk IV that replaced the MK III I had also had for years. Everyone needs a 22 LR handgun for cheap trigger time. In Big Bores I have owned several 44 Magnums over the years. My current Big Bore is a Super RedHawk in 480 Ruger. It is a hunting handgun, and does this job very well. 22 LR 38/357 40 S&W 45GAP 45acp Unlike most younger shooters I am no 9mm fan at all. Bob R

December 28, 2020, 09:54 AM	#46
ejb69 Member Join Date: January 3, 2013 Posts: 49	22LR

December 28, 2020, 11:16 AM	#47
Kirrich Member Join Date: December 21, 2020 Location: N. Nevada Posts: 32	Variety is the spice of life. I have .22 all the way up to 12 ga. Diff calibers for different purposes. The .22 cal. became boring to me and since I could afford it, I preferred the .22 Mag. I have a Rem 597 semi-auto rifle for it. .380 for a pocket gun. My gun for the .38 SPC/.357 Mag is stainless and a wheel gun and it was a bitch to clean, but fun to shoot. My fave is Browning High Power in 9mm. A classic pistol. H&K makes a great .40 cal. in the P30L. My .45 is a Ruger P345, lighter, thinner and smoother action then the classic 1911. Did I mention that the BHP is my fave? For the future I would love to get a so called 1908 in .380, a beautiful classic pistol which has the lines of my BHP, simple yet functional. A .45 LC may also be in my future as well...Just realized the thread was about pistols, so 12 ga. does not apply.

December 28, 2020, 05:04 PM	#48
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	.45 ACP __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

December 28, 2020, 09:36 PM	#49
Danwin22 Member Join Date: April 7, 2016 Location: Longwood, FL Posts: 25	I like the .22 form low noise, no recoil and maximum economy. __________________ USAF 1958-62 NRA member, CCW

December 31, 2020, 01:17 PM	#50
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	Dont have a "favorite". 45 auto, 40SW, 9mm , 10mm, 357 Sig, 357 mag, 44 mag , 460 mag, and 243 Win (yes i have it in a single shot handgun), i love em all ! Each offers a slightly unique shooting experience. A few offer a very unique shooting experience. __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"