Assorted cartridges (calibers as most would say) to have on hand?

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Warp

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I've been...very slowly...working on building a small collection of ammunition in various cartridges, starting with the most commonly encountered and working down.

The underlying idea is that, should I come across or acquire a firearm chambered in cartridge I do not currently own/stock...or somebody I know has a firearm with no ammo and no ability to get ammo right then...said firearm can be loaded, even if it's just with a small amount of ammunition.

So, the most sought after cartridges for this collection would be the ones that are the most popular + the ones for which there may be the most guns owned by people who do not have ammo (or trustworthy functional ammo) for them.

Please don't tell me you don't think it's practical I don't care, I like guns and like ammo and like my can of assorted random boxes of ammo I'll most likely never open let alone shoot.


So...what cartridges do you recommend for this box?


(if you think this is deja vu, I have post this every once and again to get a fresh set of input)


Here is what I have so far:

.25 auto
.32 auto
.380 auto
9mm Makarov
9mm Luger
.357 sig
.40 S&W
.45 ACP
10mm
.32 S&W Long
.38spl
.44spl

.410 gauge
20 gauge
16 gauge
12 gauge

.22lr
.17 HMR

.223 REM
300 AAC blackout
.30 carbine
.35 Winchester
7.62x39
7.62x54R
30-06 Springfield
7mm Remington Mag
.243 WIN
.270 WIN
30-30 WIN
8mm mouser
.308 WIN
.300 Winchester Mag



Here are the ones I tagged to eventually add to the pile.

Anything glaringly missing?

.45 GAP
10 gauge
.22mag
6.8mm Remington SPC
.45-70 govt
5.45x39
7mm-08
FN 5.7x28
32 S&W short (I do have 32 S&W long)
22-250

7.5 French
7.5x55 Swiss
6.5x55 Swede
7x57
8x57
6.5 Jap
7.62 Nagant revolver
7.62x25
30 WCF
 
I don't know of anything missing. I would work on getting the .22mag in stock and off the tagged list. There are a lot of pistols and rifles chambered for it.
 
Yes, that stands out to me. I really need to get .22mag and 5.45x39 asap.
 
Cool idea, if you are getting rounds at a "deep deal" price you can call it an investment...

I Like having pistols chambered in .22LR, .25ACP, 38 S&W, .38 Spl., 9mm, Makarov and .45ACP - during a shortage, I have more chances of getting ammo or reloading components for at least one firearm. Also like when I can use the same powder, primers and projectiles to reload multiple cartridges.

For what it's worth, I'd kinda like to pick up a gun in 7.62X25 - or two - as well as one in .380, and ones in .32 auto, .32-20, .327 Fed Mag, .357, .45 Colt & Auto Rim, .41, .44...

Speaking of which, were .308, .357 Mag or any .41 calibers on either list?
 
I'm not seeing the logic to it, unless you have a backyard range and just like handing out ammo to friends.

On the other hand, having an assortment of ammo and the guns to shoot it, too, means you aren't going to be caught out in a panic. The first Banic I still saw .30-30, 12 ga, and .30-06 in quantity from the beginning to the end. 9mm was scarce, .38 was common.

Second panic, same story. To put it indelicately, the Fudd ammo remained on the shelf because they weren't concerned about any confiscations or bans.

Now, as to having some ammo because that way somebody with a matching gun will have some ammo means they would be sheltering in your home or in the neighborhood. They used their's up, which for most of the cartridges means a very low likelihood of superior proficiency vs odd cartridge preference. I could go on.

Not worth the effort for me - I'd rather have 1,000 rounds of the right stuff, rather than 50 boxes of something I can't shoot. I would also not mention I had it - in the unlikely event there was local unrest, I don't need my house targeted as an ammo supply dump.

But, we don't discuss end of the world scenarios, so, be happy.
 
I didn't see .327 Federal Mag in there

Cool idea, if you are getting rounds at a "deep deal" price you can call it an investment...

I Like having pistols chambered in .22LR, .25ACP, 38 S&W, .38 Spl., 9mm, Makarov and .45ACP - during a shortage, I have more chances of getting ammo or reloading components for at least one firearm. Also like when I can use the same powder, primers and projectiles to reload multiple cartridges.

For what it's worth, I'd kinda like to pick up a gun in 7.62X25 - or two - as well as one in .380, and ones in .32 auto, .32-20, .327 Fed Mag, .357, .45 Colt & Auto Rim, .41, .44...

Speaking of which, were .308, .357 Mag or any .41 calibers on either list?

Ah yes. Adding .327

There's no .357 magnum because there is .38 spl, and no .44 mag because there is .44 special. To my knowledge all or at least virtually all guns chambered for the magnum of those will also fire the special version, which is sufficient.

Good call on .41 magnum. I thought of the .327 last night finally but the .41 completely slipped my mind. Adding both to my list...towards the top of the next in line.
 
If you want to have everything you should also look into 50 Beowulf. It has been gaining in popularity in my area as of late.
 
I have a few rounds of .32 S&W in my guest box because there are still a lot of the old top breaks floating around out there.

You can shoot a .32 S&W in .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Mag, and .327.

You can shoot a .32 S&W Long in a .32 H&R Mag, and .327.

You can shoot a .32 H&R Mag in a .327.

All the .32S&W Long in the world will do you no good if your friend has a .32S&W

All the .32 H&R Magnum in the world will do you no good if your friend has a .32 S&W or S&W Long.

All the .327 in the world will do you no good if your friend has a .32 H&R Magunum or .32 S&W Long or .32 S&W.

As anemic and nasty as the little olde .32 S&W is, it goes bang in the others and nothing else will do if the gun is chambered for that.

I keep a partial box of .22 Shorts, mainly because I had a couple of friends that had a Beretta 950 in that caliber as always guns and BUGs when carrying anything larger. I had as a kid a semi auto rifle that would cycle shorts and that is what the rest of that box got shot in.

Just incase someone shows up with an Astra 400 or un modified Star B in 9mm Largo (BB) I have a single little block of corrosive nasty FMJ for that. I had a Astra 400 for a bit and saved that little block of ammo when I sold it.

I had a buddy that used to carry a large and heavy tool box to the range when he was range officer with a few rounds of everything he could get in case someone had something he wanted to shoot.

If you have the room to store it and the monsy to buy it in the first place why not have "weird" ammo you can not use in your own guns.....today? You might have something that shoots 7.65 Argie or 6.5 Carcano tomorrow.

-kBob
 
.38 super is another decently common caliber

Dang.

Yes.

Then why have both .32 S&W long and .32 S&W? (The word "short" is not part of the name.)

I'm not too familiar with them, I guess regular .32 S&W is what I need, not "short". Because long was the only one available in a small inexpensive box when I tacked it on to an existing ammo order. That's how I get most of these, whent hey aren't pulled from a cartridge I already own/shoot. I a small box of something not too expensive and tack it onto a larger ammo order for my stuff.

I have a few rounds of .32 S&W in my guest box because there are still a lot of the old top breaks floating around out there.

You can shoot a .32 S&W in .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Mag, and .327.

You can shoot a .32 S&W Long in a .32 H&R Mag, and .327.

You can shoot a .32 H&R Mag in a .327.

All the .32S&W Long in the world will do you no good if your friend has a .32S&W

All the .32 H&R Magnum in the world will do you no good if your friend has a .32 S&W or S&W Long.

All the .327 in the world will do you no good if your friend has a .32 H&R Magunum or .32 S&W Long or .32 S&W.

As anemic and nasty as the little olde .32 S&W is, it goes bang in the others and nothing else will do if the gun is chambered for that.

I keep a partial box of .22 Shorts, mainly because I had a couple of friends that had a Beretta 950 in that caliber as always guns and BUGs when carrying anything larger. I had as a kid a semi auto rifle that would cycle shorts and that is what the rest of that box got shot in.

Just incase someone shows up with an Astra 400 or un modified Star B in 9mm Largo (BB) I have a single little block of corrosive nasty FMJ for that. I had a Astra 400 for a bit and saved that little block of ammo when I sold it.

I had a buddy that used to carry a large and heavy tool box to the range when he was range officer with a few rounds of everything he could get in case someone had something he wanted to shoot.

If you have the room to store it and the monsy to buy it in the first place why not have "weird" ammo you can not use in your own guns.....today? You might have something that shoots 7.65 Argie or 6.5 Carcano tomorrow.

-kBob

You know... I probably knew that about .32 S&W at some point and that my be why I didn't have .327 on my list.
 
I'm not seeing the logic to it, unless you have a backyard range and just like handing out ammo to friends.

Agreed. Unless you are planning to acquire a firearm in that chambering, or just come across a screamin' deal that might yield a profit later on, I see no point in buying ammunition you cannot use.
 
A reminder from the OP

Please don't tell me you don't think it's practical, I don't care, I like guns and like ammo and like my can of assorted random boxes of ammo I'll most likely never open let alone shoot.

PS: It's hard to plan what firearms I will acquire for the rest of my life.
 
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So you're also an ammunition collector. Cool. The array of box label art should be interesting to see, for sure.

I still think you should have some .357 and .44 magnum. It would be most odd if you did not, in spite of your logic of having the specials.
 
.
So you're also an ammunition collector. Cool. The array of box label art should be interesting to see, for sure.

I still think you should have some .357 and .44 magnum. It would be most odd if you did not, in spite of your logic of having the specials.

meh, .38spl works in .357 mag and .44 special works in .44 mag. I won't worry about having the magnum version until I get more of the rest covered.

FWIW I do have .357 magnum because that is one of the cartridges I shoot/have a gun in. That will hopefully and likely never change.

I had to take a permanent marker to some of the packaging and write down what it contains because the factory markings are entirely in a foreign language I cannot comprehend, and being something I don't have much of or actually own or shoot, I wouldn't recognize it in the future lol. I'm sure that as I get into more of the milsurp type cartridges that will be an even more common occurrence. I really need to do the same with what other chamberings one will work in, like the list of what .32 S&W works in
 
30-06 for comparison. Observe, also, the price! Found them at a gun show. I don't think the guy knew what they were worth.
 
A reminder from the OP

Please don't tell me you don't think it's practical, I don't care, I like guns and like ammo and like my can of assorted random boxes of ammo I'll most likely never open let alone shoot.

In which case pragmatism shouldn't factor in, IMO.

It's your money, time and space, though, so whatever floats your boat. But most of us who have done any cartridge collecting do so because we're essentially after a physical, tangible version of COTW, and would sooner drop $40 or $50 on that really unique single cartridge than a box of run of the mill .38 Long Colt for which own no such firearm.
 
A just FYI. You have 30-30 now and plan to add 30wcf. Those are the same cartridge.

You might add 32 winchester special which is essentially 30wcf/30-30 with a 32 caliber bullet. I know there are lots of old lever actions laying back in closets chambered for that.
 
I'm not getting the point either. Keep on hand several thousand rounds of 22LR, 9mm, 223 and 308. Problems solved.
 
I'm not getting the point either. Keep on hand several thousand rounds of 22LR, 9mm, 223 and 308. Problems solved.

Then move on to a different thread please. It's rather simple.

A just FYI. You have 30-30 now and plan to add 30wcf. Those are the same cartridge.

You might add 32 winchester special which is essentially 30wcf/30-30 with a 32 caliber bullet. I know there are lots of old lever actions laying back in closets chambered for that.

It is? heh

This is becoming an educational endeavor lol


See...I don't know how I missed this. Geez. Added.
 
I'm not getting the point either. Keep on hand several thousand rounds of 22LR, 9mm, 223 and 308. Problems solved.

You know, there might be something to this. A round like .308/7.62x51 is extremely common and popular, and even though I don't have anything chambered for it, if I have my way I certainly will at some point in the future. Perhaps I will consider having a little bit more on hand in cartridges like that, under the theory that I will eventually have a gun that uses it...just not yet. Not too much of course because it would eat into my ammo for actual currently owned guns too much...but maybe a couple hundred rounds instead of the ~20 I have for a lot of the rest of the rifle cartridges on the list...hmm
 
Here's what you have that I would KEEP:


9mm Luger
.40 S&W
.45 ACP
.38spl

.410 gauge
12 gauge

.22lr

.223 REM
30-06 Springfield
.243 WIN
.270 WIN
30-30 WIN
8mm mouser
.308 WIN


I would ADD:

.357 Mag
.44 Mag
 
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