Which Guns Would You Pick If You Don't Reload?

Oh well, I'll add a second post.

I don't reload for a multiple of reasons. One of which is, I have too many hobbies as it is competing for all my free time.
The primary reason is though, I live in the city so I don't get to shoot much. I have to travel to a range. If could shoot in my backyard, I'm sure I would reload.

So as it is, I don't really have the time to work up a load, drive an 30-60 minutes somewhere, PAY for that range, shoot it, see what I did wrong, drive an hour back, mix up a new recipe, rinse-and-repeat. Between time and money, of which is always finite, it's not worth either one to me compared to just buying what I shoot.
 
valnar said:
Oh well, I'll add a second post.

I don't reload for a multiple of reasons. One of which is, I have too many hobbies as it is competing for all my free time.
The primary reason is though, I live in the city so I don't get to shoot much. I have to travel to a range. If could shoot in my backyard, I'm sure I would reload.

So as it is, I don't really have the time to work up a load, drive an 30-60 minutes somewhere, PAY for that range, shoot it, see what I did wrong, drive an hour back, mix up a new recipe, rinse-and-repeat. Between time and money, of which is always finite, it's not worth either one to me compared to just buying what I shoot.
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That’s a very valid perspective. Thanks for sharing.
 
Ks5shooter said:
Location is key especially with long guns.City slickers can go to indoor range but that gets old. Fortunately I have a farm and can walk out the front door and shoot. Yes a very valid perspective indeed.
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Yes, I'm very blessed to have my own land where I can shoot. I feel for folks that do not have that luxury.
 
I reload about 15 different cartridges. If I couldn’t reload I’d keep my 223, 308 & 6.5CM rifles. I included CM because it was easier to find than 308 in my area. Pistols are easy, I’d keep my 9mm.

Of all my rifles, I’d probably miss my 280AI the most.
 
If I didn’t reload, I would go into a country gas station or maybe feed store and see what calibers they stock. I would want the most abundant calibers, available for purchase.
 
Well - I guess I would pick what I picked... since I don't reload...

I do see the value in reloading and I bought a full kit one time when my LGS was running a blowout deal on them. Bought a few manuals, too. Just need components, I guess.


Anyway, it's always been a consideration for me and I stayed away from .45 Colt for a long time due to the retail cost. Not reloading really forces you towards the more common and easily obtainable. Even my "one-off" purchases have to be in something common and established (like .243 for example).
 
tubeshooter said:
Not reloading really forces you towards the more common and easily obtainable. Even my "one-off" purchases have to be in something common and established (like .243 for example).
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Yep, there is one of these that’s more commonly found than all of the others combined.

FF39A74F-EA55-45F4-951B-6CCC997A9EDC.jpeg

No need to pick an odd ball if you can’t feed it. Don’t pick it because the name sounds cool, pick it because you can go buy ammo for it.
 
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I can tell you one thing, I'd have a whole lot less variety. There'd be only the most popular chamberings like 9mm, .357Mag and .45ACP for handguns. Maybe a .44Mag or two. In rifles I probably would've stopped at .270, .30-30 and 5.56.

There'd be no .32-20's, .38-40's, .38Long Colt, .44-40, .44Special, .44Colt, .445, .45Colt, .454, .480Ruger, .500JRH. No .250Savage, 6.5Grendel, .338RCM, .38-55, .375Win, .405Win, .416Rigby, .450Bushmaster and certainly no .50-95. It would be very boring.
 
jmorris said:
Yep, there is one of these that’s more commonly found than all of the others combined.

View attachment 1193121

No need to pick an odd ball if you can’t feed it. Don’t pick it because the name sounds cool, pick it because you can go buy ammo for it.
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Well, now that the can of worms is open, might as well fish. What are those cartridges?
 
Since the premise is you don't reload... do you expect to have an assistant to load for you?
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:rofl:
That old 12 ga was my high school graduation present from my boss and a gunsmith friend/mentor, who took me under his wing as a teenager. We guestimated it was 100-105 years old at the time (1954) based on the Belgian proof marks.
It had ants nests in the barrels, one hammer was cracked and the nipples were badly corroded. My gunsmith friend welded the broken hammer and supervised the restoration. Nipple threads were close enough to 5/16" NF thread that I tapped and turned new ones from machine bolts. Breech plugs had to be heated to break loose and barrel has some pitting. Stock was solid and I refinished it w/lindseed oil. Fortunately mainsprings were solid.

After the restoration, I proofed both barrels with a fired 2 3/4" 12 ga. shell full of ffg, 1/2 Kleenex tamped down and 1 oz shot w/other half of the kleenex for over shot wad. Lashed the shotgun down to a truck tire w/butt against the tire bead. Hid behind the target house and with great trepidation pulled the string on first barrel. :what: It held and I had serious thoughts about not chancing the other, but realized over the years I might not remember which barrel was tested, so repeated and once the smoke cleared, relieved to see everything intact. Recoil was sufficient on each shot to flip the tire/shotgun over on it's back.
Enjoyed a lot of years shooting dove and whitewings with it.
 
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9mm and .223 are first to come to mind. I don't reload them because 9mm isn't worth it to me and I haven't been able to find small rifle primers around me for .223 and still find some good deals on bulk ammo to the point I haven't felt pushed to pay a hazmat fee on shipping for primers.

.357/.38 SPL, .45 ACP and rifle calibers I reload since I can roll them for much cheaper than buying.

If I didn't reload, I'd still also have .357/.38 SPL because I like the platform and ability (pistol and rifle for the woods, <100 yd game), a rifle caliber, probably .30/06, for longer +100 yd hunting and 12 GA.

Also .22 LR.

Be much harder to limit this choice to three 😅
 
Pudge said:
I'm set up to cast and reload for the .358, .429, .308 families, and they cover anything I might have a need for where I live. I really don't want a gun that tosses my brass all over the place. But if I didn't reload, .223, .327, 9mm, .257 might all be attractive. But no interest in them right now.
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This is actually why I really someday want that brugger and thomet 45 auto integrally suppressed modern welrod thingy..... oh and it takes 1911 mags!
 
Mine would be my Marlin 81DL I got in 1959. It wears a 2.5X Lyman Alaskan. That accurate 22 and a load of ammo would be my bug-out gun.
 
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223/556, 9mm Parabellum, 308 win, and 6.5 CM. Possibly 45 ACP and 38 Special.

There is sufficient loaded ammunition of the first group and possibly the second that reloading for them really makes no sense. I reload for 308, 45 ACP, and 38 Special nonetheless.
 
luv2safari said:
The one with the left-hand knurled greebus?
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Yeah it's got like a weird Inline bolt action type thingy.
bt-usa.com

STATION SIX - 45 | B&T USA

Tracing its roots back to the covert, World War II-era Welrod pistol, and more modernized contract VP9, the all-new Station SIX-9 (Silenced Project caliber 9) harkens back to the famed Bride Hall weapons acquisition section, or SOE Station VI and later Station IX, where the original concept was...
bt-usa.com bt-usa.com

Screenshot_20240206_231520_Chrome.jpg
 
Well, since front stuffers don't count;), I can't imagine not reloading since I have done so since the early 1950's, but if reloading was not a possibility, my choices would be 30-06, .308 Win, .223 (and the 338 WM because it's my favorite big game rifle). Handguns 45ACP, 9mm Luger & 357 Mag. Would have to have one each in .22 LR.
 
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very interesting replies. Thanks all for sharing. A Marlin 1894 in 357 Magnum would be pretty handy to cover hunting deer and lesser critters. I’d probably go that route for a centerfire rifle.
 
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