Author Topic: what caliber (Read 949 times)

bobg · « **on:** June 29, 2009, 09:19:07 AM »

I would like a rifle that is cheap to shoot. Just something to play with. I have a 17 hmr now. Do to some personal problems i have not done any shooting in 3 years. Ready to start again. No special purpose for this gun. Just something to shoot and have fun with. I am sure Tim and others will have some sugestions.
bobg

buckbeast · « **Reply #1 on:** June 29, 2009, 09:22:52 AM »

223 Remington gets my vote.

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2009, 09:35:11 AM »

Nothing is cheaper or more fun to shoot than a .22LR but to maximize fun potential it needs to be a repeater not a single shot. Ya just can't burn a lot of ammo in a single shot like in a repeater.

Hodr · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2009, 09:47:57 AM »

.357 Mag, fun to shoot, easy to reload, (that's part of the fun), CHEAP to shoot and reload, will stop anything, but is probably light on elk unless your close and use buffalo bores, load 38 special and its quiet with minimum recoil, add a 357/38 sidearm and use only one type ammo, if you get good you can headshoot just about anything and still have the meat left, most fun of all is taking one shot with iron sights and knowing , just knowing with absolute certainty that you will make the shot.

blindhari

Kal52 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2009, 09:49:37 AM »

Id go with

.223 cheap, but tough to get alot of ammo atm
.357 can be cheap if you look hard enough, and again ammo supply issues
.30-30 cheap as well and I can still get a bunch of it here for around 12-14 bucks a box.

its up to you, not sure if you wanna hunt or just shoot, but any of those are good choices imo

Good luck

Dave

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #5 on:** June 29, 2009, 09:59:16 AM »

+1 for the repeating 22LR.
My most fun rifle is a CZ 452 with open sights.
I have a lot of rifles but that one always goes to the range. My tack driving 22 Mag handi gets to be no fun after you break all the clay birds, pop all the water bottles and explode all of the raw potatos.
For a fun Handi. one of the pistol calibers like 357 mag would be a hoot to plink 38 specials out of.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #6 on:** June 29, 2009, 10:17:11 AM »

+3 on the 22Lr if you don't handload, a Sportster will keep it as inexpensive as can be since you can only shoot one shot at a time instead of a whole magazine full!! A 223 Superlight gets my vote if you want a centerfire.

Tim

bobg · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2009, 11:26:18 AM »

I forgot to say i have 3 22"s now. Two Remingtons and a Winchester. I was looking for a centerfire rifle. Not a big fan of the 223. Won't do a thing i can't do with my 22-250. I do reload. I think i will go with the 357 Mag.
bobg

quickdtoo · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2009, 11:28:26 AM »

The 357mag should work well for you!

Tim

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #9 on:** June 29, 2009, 11:35:23 AM »

Tim,
I'm shocked at you.

Are you waiting to tell this man about reaming out the barrel to 357 Max and have the ability to wring every bit out of the little gun while still having the ability to shoot low power practice and plink 357 mags.

Guess you no longer have to. Me and my big mouth did it for you.

mechanic · « **Reply #10 on:** June 29, 2009, 11:36:45 AM »

Another vote for the 357. Good choice. Its become my favorite shooter. With hand cast, it costs no more than the 22 to shoot.

Ben

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #11 on:** June 29, 2009, 12:02:38 PM »

Yup .357 I gots three of them myself.

Swampman · « **Reply #12 on:** June 29, 2009, 12:08:22 PM »

quickdtoo · « **Reply #13 on:** June 29, 2009, 12:53:36 PM »

Quote from: mcwoodduck on June 29, 2009, 11:35:23 AM

Tim,
I'm shocked at you.
Are you waiting to tell this man about reaming out the barrel to 357 Max and have the ability to wring every bit out of the little gun while still having the ability to shoot low power practice and plink 357 mags.
Guess you no longer have to. Me and my big mouth did it for you.

What can I say, I don't have a Max myself, had one, but made a 35 Rem out of it, got a 357mag now, only thing I've shot in it so far is a factory ammo, I did buy some Max brass tho.....just in case!!

Tim

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 29, 2009, 12:57:25 PM »

I really like my 357 barrel, I suggest you get one too. I have reamed it to a Max, so I can shoot any thing from a 38 special up to a 357 Max. I bought some Hornady 357 HBWC and some bullseye powder. Allong with some 38 special cases and some small pistol primers that I had on hand and I have a fun little plinking round. I used 2.6 grains of bullseye for 770 fps out of the 22" 357 barrel. I sighted it in for 50 yards and am about 2" high at 25. Now that is some fun plinking. Cheap, low noise and accurate too. I get about 3/4" at 50 yards, that does not leave a lot of room between the bullet holes for a varmint to hide. Good Luck and Good Shooting

Datil · « **Reply #15 on:** June 29, 2009, 01:44:30 PM »

I vote for 357 mag ream to maxie Easy job do it by hand. Any body can do it, I did.
Works great a lot fun. Marv.

BBF · « **Reply #16 on:** June 30, 2009, 06:59:44 AM »

I vote 30-30 Win. If and when you ever get to hunt that 30-30 has a larger application window then that pistol cartridge.

tykempster · « **Reply #17 on:** June 30, 2009, 02:20:39 PM »

Do you reload? If yes, basically any cartridge you like. If no, 233 or other caliber with surplus ammo.
Do you cast? If yes, 45-70 all the way. I'm shooting mine for less than 10 cents a shot!

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #18 on:** July 01, 2009, 12:51:19 PM »

Out of 25 Handi's, my 3-357's have the most use by me and the wife and kids. Throw in some new shooters and that's alot of rounds down range. Took all 3 out to the 357 Max a few weeks ago and they are just as sweet as they were at the mag length. The 22 Hornet is pretty nice as is the 44 mag, 45 colt, 7mm-08, ect. I guess with 3 of the 357's, I cast 3 votes for that caliber.

DP

wreckhog · « **Reply #19 on:** July 01, 2009, 04:35:47 PM »

The cheapest rifle cartridge to shoot is .223 FMJ, followed by 7.62x51 FMJ aka .308, followed by 30-30 hunting ammo. If a Handi shot Wolf 7.62x39 that would win. Day in, day out, through the last few months, I could always find 30-30 on the shelves. Not so with the other calibers, though the worst appears past us.

The cheapest handgun cartridge that chambers in a stock Handi is a .38 Special. If a Handi shot 9mm, that would win.

The cheapest boom for the buck is 12 gauge birdshot. Certain slugs are quite cheap too. And you tend not to be able to shoot very many of them

The cheapest caliber to reload jacketed bullets for is .223 using military pulls. Reloading does not save money for many people. Depends on how serious you are and how many rounds you shoot. Same with casting. Some calibers practically require reloading because they are so obscure.

My metric is that a Handi costs about 300 rounds of factory ammo. If 300 rounds costs more, then it is expensive to shoot, less, it is cheap to shoot. A lot of folks never put 300 rounds through a Handi. Check the ads for used barrels.

You can buy M2 ball aka 30-06 from CMP for a very good price. Which goes up without warning, but which is still a good price. 6 monh wait from the time you start the process till when you shoot the ammo though.

FW Conch · « **Reply #20 on:** July 02, 2009, 02:49:24 AM »

bobg - Buddy ! - get whatever you want or whatever jumps out @ you !

YOUR NOT GONNA STOP AT ONE ANYWAY ! !

GOOD SHOOTING - Jim