Why do people pick specific calibers?

[dennishoddy]

At the volume of which you speak, it could be some good savings. Your not shooting lead in full auto's, so that part might not result in some savings, but if your hosing at an indoor range, you don't need full power and can easily save with plated bullets like Berry's., recycled brass, bulk powder, etc. I shoot over a thousand rounds a month.
The search function is fubar'd on the forum, but we have had some members post some detailed expenses of reloaded ammo vs factory. Hopefully one of them will check in and have saved their data.

 

[twoguns?]

Actually , I've settled for the airsoft guns, its about the only thing I get to shoot anymore.

New co2 in the morning, target practice at night .

It holds 38 if you load it right.

At 6-10', self defence range , I'll put Both your eyes out.

Its made like and fits in the M&p 40 holsters...YEA....BazinA boys

 

[_CY_]

here's my reloading die collection ..

 

[dennishoddy]

^^^^^^^^Some of your dies, like mine do dual duty. .38/.357 mag, and so on.

Nice collection!

 

[JD8]

I hope you had a boatload because 9mm was nearly impossible to find for a year. And if you did buy it the first year after Sandy Hook, you put effort into it. This is actually why I have the exact opposite approach. I can to go to a store and if they have ammo, I have a gun to shoot it. When ammo got tough to get, I could get 10mm anywhere.

I stock a bunch of 9mm and 45 because of my machineguns. I have a bunch of 40 because it's mainly what I carry. I also have 10/38/357 pistols that I can carry. I also have 22/380/50AE but those aren't anything I would carry as I'm a 9mm minimum person. In fact, I've never owned 380 ammo. I have a Glock 42, but have not sure if I'll shoot it. I have holsters for 2 40s, 2 10s, 4 9s, 1 45, 1 38, 2 357s. That's 5 Glocks, 2 Springfields, 1 Kimber, 1 Beretta, 3 S&Ws. I have duty gear for 1 40, 2 9s, 1 45, 1 357.

I'm in the same boat here, makes no sense to consolidate to one caliber platform to me. I couldn't find 9mm anywhere, or at least in bulk. After Sandy hook, .357sig was easier to find than 9mm, which was crazy to me.

 

[farmerbyron]

First handgun was a Springfield 1911 in .45 because I thought bigger is better. Then I bought a M&P .40 right when they came on the market because I didn't like the "feel" of the Glock. Never could shoot that pistol for schit so crossed over to the dark side and got a G19. Took a bit to get used to the grip but I am far more accurate with that G19 than any other handgun I've tried.

As time has gone by and I have read more, I have come to the conclusion that the difference in "stopping power" between handgun rounds is negligible. Especially with modern +P loadings. Number one concern is shot placement with not running out of ammo a close second.

 

[dennishoddy]

As time has gone by and I have read more, I have come to the conclusion that the difference in "stopping power" between handgun rounds is negligible. Especially with modern +P loadings. Number one concern is shot placement with not running out of ammo a close second.

Pretty much the bottom line.

Shoot what fits your hand, and make sure its accurate.

 

[SeanO]

9mm.

1. Higher capacity in the same size frame.
2. With today's ammo the "knock down" and "stopping power" between 9mm and .45 is negligible
3. Less recoil
4. Quicker more accurate follow up shots

 

[Brandi]

My preference for a handgun is .45acp just because when I started out as a LEO the 9mm was king and then there were a few famous shootouts where 9mm guns were used by LE with not such great results and the big 9mm purge began. Pretty much every police officer, sheriff's deputy and at some point, the troopers started looking for better choices. I'd say almost everyone I knew of switched to the .45acp S&W 45** series or Glocks and the occasional other brand but a few went to the .40S&W. IIRC, troopers switched to the .40. We always had troopers hanging out in our stations and I remember one day everyone was talking the caliber switch and the trooper there at the time had a Glock .40S&W, which at the time was pretty new.

My first duty gun was a 9mm and while I loved the S&W 59, I wasn't very comfortable with the bad performance of the ammo of that time so I switched, with everyone else, to a .45acp (I chose a G21). It was uncomfortable, so I added a Hogue "roll on" sleeve which made it much more comfortable and despite it's big size I could shoot that thing like a scalded monkey and extremely accurately. I've held the G21 as my favorite handgun ever since. My new M&P40 has made me want to try a M&P45 to see if it shoots better than my G21, it definitely feels much better.

Anywho, it's only been recently that I've bought another 9mm, this time a Beretta 92A1, just because I always liked the gun. I also recently got a .40S&W, the M&P40, a fantastic gun, which I got because during the big ammo shortage .40S&W was everywhere when no other calibers were. It made sense at the moment and I'm really glad I got it, awesome gun, plus I've grown to really appreciate the more powerful ammo.

Nowadays 9mm ammo is much, much better than it was so I do trust them again now but I will always take a .45acp over the 9mm or .40S&W just because I know it works every time and always has. I also have .357 magnum, .45 Colt and .44 magnum revolvers for more specialized work.

For rifles I stick with .30-06 as my standard bolt action deer, elk, whatever hunting rifle (Savage 116 FCSS Accu-stock & Accu-trigger with a Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x42 BDC) but I also have a .44 magnum lever action (Winchester 94), .45Colt lever action (Henry Big Boy), 5.56 AR (Colt LE6920), .264LBC/6.5 Grendel AR (Loki), .50 Beowulf (Alexander Arms) and .45-70 (Springfield "Trapdoor" carbine), in addition to the various .22's. I just like having a wide variety of different guns and calibers.

I suppose if I were to settle for one handgun for defense and one long gun for hunting I would choose a .45acp Glock and a Savage 116 FCSS .30-06.

 

[dieseltech09]

45acp because its going to make a bigger hole for the BG to bleed out of quicker. This is real life not the movies. "Knockdown" and "Stopping Power" are nothing but marketing terms. A bad guy getting shot isn't going to go flying backwards. Most of the time he won't even know he is hit so thats why I carry the big fat 45. As many big holes as I can put in him and hope luck is on my side.