Best choice for common ammunition?

[nukk]

I'm looking for advice on a caliber (or calibers) to settle on for my firearms.

To give some context, what I'm looking for is to settle on a common caliber that will be flexible . I'm something of a prepper, so I'm putting together hardware primarily for emergency use. What I don't want to do is end up in a situation where I'm collecting many different round types. That gets unwieldy and inefficient.

I'm relatively new to firearms, though I have experience using and maintaining a few things. I've worked with 22 rifles, 410 and 12gauge shotguns, 22 and 9mm pistols, even handled some larger caliber items, just for the experience.

So, here's the questions, and please don't poke fun, I'm here to learn

1) Is there a common form factor that is used in both rifles and pistols? I'massuming not, as rifles tend to have a larger charge, and need a larger cartridge.

2) Assuming the above is true, I'm leaning toward 9mm for pistols (I like the size and commonality. I want something that is easy to get ammunition for). Iam in good health and relatively strong and have large hands, so I'm not worried about something I can't handle. I like the size and feel of, say a Sig 938, but I'm also keen on the 92FS, which fits me best.

3) For rifles, for no other reason than "it seems like a good idea", I'm leaning toward 30-06 caliber. I will be picking up a 22 rifle for practice and teaching others how to use a rifle, but I'd like something with long range accuracy and punch, and 30-06 seems right. I see -some- 9mm 'rifles' (which are presented as 'carbines') but they appear to be short-range skirmish type things. Nothing I'd use for hunting or sniping.

Unless there's a simpler formula that will let me have something small and carryable, something with decent handheld punch, and something with long range and accuracy, I'm already looking at stocking 9mm, 22 long, and 30-06 ammunition. Is there a way to make this simpler?

Thanks very much, looking forward to hearing from folks!

 

[bdb]

You could settle on a 9mm AR and 9mm pistols. Different mags but at least ammo is the same. Or a Beratta CX4 Storm and 92 to both use the same mags. Never shot the CX4 and I have no idea on its suitability as a choice for SHTF scenarios.

 

[NorthShore]

Whatever caliber you decide on... buy a bunch of ammo. I am not talking a few extra boxes but so much your worried you can't shoot it all

 

[BTSDOG]

What do you own for firearms now ??

 

[mac1911]

Heck I would just go with 22lr. It's the cheapest you can stock a shit ton of it.
A revolver, a decent bolt action and some semi auto mag fed rifle with a lot of mags.
Maybe a 20g shotgun. 20g is common and the shell is smaller so easy to store more.
As to how much ammo you should stock....well MA residents who obey rules and regulations should have the max allowed to be stored with permit. At all times.
I thank my dad for my ammo habit.... buy a box or 3 when you can.....before you go shooting what you have on hand.

 

[nukk]

Hi BTSDOG - I don't have any equipment yet. Aside from a recurve bow, that doesn't quite fit into this conversation

 

[nukk]

@mac1922 - This is good information. Again, this is my ignorance showing. 22LR is very common, but I thought that was a long cartridge, and hard to use in a pistol. I note you mention a revolver - I'm not a big fan of revolvers. Is there a semi-auto pistol that can take 22LR's? Bolt action is good for me - very durable and easy to work with.

 

[Keeper]

22LR is common to rifles and handguns. It's very common for shooters to have a rifle and handgun in both.

The Ruger SR22 is 22LR and a very popular choice for an inexpensive 22LR handgun that isn't especially picky about the brand of 22LR you use.

 

[nukk]

Rimfire?

Hmm, reading more on this, 22LR are generally rimfires, yes? My understanding (and someone please tell me if I'm wrong) is that rimfire ammunition is less dependable than centerfire? Is that wrong?

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Glock definitely buy a Glock

 

[92G]

can never go wrong w 9mm.
if you're interested in beretta 92, check out the 92G (decocker only model) which four seasons has in stock. beretta did a recent run of them so they are now available again. typically hard to find. one reason i love the 92 series is they can be easily upgraded and worked on at home....sort of similar to a glock. parts are everywhere, relatively cheap and easy to swap in-out on your own.

if you end up digging the 92 platform, then the CX4 storm carbine is a perfect addition since it uses the same mags. i am a beretta freak and would say the CX4 storm is an amazing value now for under $700 if you shop around.

other great 9mm full size handguns to consider:
sig P226, glock 17, 19 or 34, ruger SR9, M&P 9 (the newer M&P 9 models have decent triggers), walther P99 (yes i am a wierdo), HK VP9 or P30L

for rifles you can always figure it out down the road. anything chambered in .223/5.56 and uses AR mags would be a good choice IMO. many options out there....just make sure you have a range that you can shoot .223 (most indoor ranges it's a no-go).

just my 2c. YMMV.

 

[nukk]

Glock definitely buy a Glock

I am not a fan of the Glock safety mechanism. I understand others like the fast action on it, but it doesn't match what I'm looking for in a pistol. Thanks though!

 

[Katie-B]

I'm looking for advice on a caliber (or calibers) to settle on for my firearms.

To give some context, what I'm looking for is to settle on a common caliber that will be flexible . I'm something of a prepper, so I'm putting together hardware primarily for emergency use. What I don't want to do is end up in a situation where I'm collecting many different round types. That gets unwieldy and inefficient.

I'm relatively new to firearms, though I have experience using and maintaining a few things. I've worked with 22 rifles, 410 and 12gauge shotguns, 22 and 9mm pistols, even handled some larger caliber items, just for the experience.

So, here's the questions, and please don't poke fun, I'm here to learn

1) Is there a common form factor that is used in both rifles and pistols? I'massuming not, as rifles tend to have a larger charge, and need a larger cartridge.

2) Assuming the above is true, I'm leaning toward 9mm for pistols (I like the size and commonality. I want something that is easy to get ammunition for). Iam in good health and relatively strong and have large hands, so I'm not worried about something I can't handle. I like the size and feel of, say a Sig 938, but I'm also keen on the 92FS, which fits me best.

3) For rifles, for no other reason than "it seems like a good idea", I'm leaning toward 30-06 caliber. I will be picking up a 22 rifle for practice and teaching others how to use a rifle, but I'd like something with long range accuracy and punch, and 30-06 seems right. I see -some- 9mm 'rifles' (which are presented as 'carbines') but they appear to be short-range skirmish type things. Nothing I'd use for hunting or sniping.

Unless there's a simpler formula that will let me have something small and carryable, something with decent handheld punch, and something with long range and accuracy, I'm already looking at stocking 9mm, 22 long, and 30-06 ammunition. Is there a way to make this simpler?

Thanks very much, looking forward to hearing from folks!

.223 / 5.56 NATO and .308 / 7.62 NATO are two common calibers and will offer a good selection of long guns.I have a 30-06 that stays in my safe due to the cost of the ammo.

 

[Tracer1951]

[h=2]For my two cents, stick with 9mm and get a 9mm pistol and 9mm carbine that share the same type magazine.

9mm is the most available round used...NATO, police, etc all use it and its easy to reload. Look below and you'll see a number of carbines that use a berretta mag,[/h]

There is no real reason for us to do a "best" list, because each gun is so different. What is awesome is that a 9mm bullet has a muzzle velocity of 1400 to 2000 FPS from a carbine barrel. One thing is for sure; the fun factor is very high! We didn't list those over $1000. If we missed any, please let us know.

Hi-Point 995 Carbine: Haggle Price $300-$330

Barrel: 16.5", Weight: 7 lbs., 10 shot magazine. Scope mounts, Sling and swivels, Grip mounted clip release, Quick on-off thumb safety, Operations safety sheet, Free trigger lock, Lifetime warranty, 100% American-made, parts and assembly. The Hi-Point 995 carbine has a reputation of being indestructible. These are much more reliable than the Hi-Point pistols. Great house gun. Hi-Point 995 Carbine page Shooting 995 Video

JR Carbine: Haggle Price $690-$720

Barrel: 16.3", Weight: 6.5 lbs., Takes Glock Magazines. The Just Right Carbine is built close to the AR15 or M4 platform. However it is not a true AR. The major difference is it takes Glock 17 magazines. It does cost a few dollars less than a good M4 rifle. The JRC also takes many aftermarket AR-15 accessories. No doubt, the JR Carbine is the ultimate prepper weapon. Also available in 40 and 45 calibers. Just Right Carbines site JR Carbines Video

Citadel M-1 9mm Carbine: Haggle Price $530-$640

Barrel: 18.0", Weight: 5.8 lbs., Takes Beretta 92 magazines. I want one of these so bad! Everywhere I look, they are sold out. These look just like a 30 caliber M1 carbine. I am always worried about finding magazines for replica and offbeat guns. This one takes the Beretta 92 (M9) pistol mags, so problem solved. Chiappa also sells the same gun. The wood stock version is $100 more. I am getting one this year, even if I have to go to the factory! Legacy Citadel M-1 9mm page

Kel-Tec SUB-2000: Haggle Price $350-$380

Barrel: 16.1", Weight: 4 lbs., Takes Glock, Beretta, Sig, or S&W magazines. The SUB-2000 has a greatly extended range compared to a handgun. The superior precision is also very useful against small or partially covered targets at shorter range. Rifle can be reduced to a size of 16" x 7" to facilitate secure storage. Kel-Tec SUB-2000 site Kel-Tec SUB-2000 Video

Taurus CT9: Haggle Price $700-$730

Barrel: 16.0", Weight: 6.6 lbs., 10 round magazine. There is a lot of excitement over this new carbine. From what I hear, the Taurus CT9 is premium quality stuff. High capacity magazines are already in the works by aftermarket comapanies. Also available in 40 S&S. Now if they could only get the price down to about $600, I would buy one. Taurus CT9 Webpage

Ruger PC9 Carbine: Haggle Price $400 and up

Barrel: 16.25", Weight: 6.375 lbs., 10 shot magazine. Ruger has discontinued production of PC9 Carbines, but you can still find them in good used condition. They were so well made, you can take a chance on a good used one. The PC9 was one of the best and used by hundreds of police departments. It takes the P series pistol magazines. Ruger Police Carbine Wiki

Beretta CX4 Storm: Haggle Price $710-$740

Barrel: 16.6", Weight: 5.75 lbs., 15 shot magazine. This is a popular carbine for police use. Form follows function in a symphony of smooth, sweeping curves made possible by the use of modern high strength techno polymers. Berettas use of cutting edge materials also keeps weight down, making the Cx4 a pleasure to carry Beretta USA CX4 page Shooting CX4 Storm Video

AR-15 Type Rifles & Carbines: Haggle Price $650 and up

The M16, M4, A3, A2, and AR-15 type rifles are made by about a dozen companies. Normally the 9mm Luger is priced the same as the .223 (5.56mm) centerfire rifle. It may be a better choice to get the .223 as it is twice as powerful, even though 9mm ammo is cheaper. These military type guns are very durable and fun to shoot. Aftermarket accessories galore. Bushmaster Colt Website CMMG site Olympic Arms Lone Wolf Also see ar15cheap.com

Century UC-9 Centurion Carbine: Haggle Price $700-$730

Barrel: 16.0", Weight: 9.0 lbs., 32 shot magazine. The Centurion uses both Israli (UZI) and American made parts. Fires from the closed bolt and features 2 position adjustable sights. Comes with one 32rd Magazine. Century Arms

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Calico M-900 Liberty I 50: Haggle Price $690 and up

Barrel: 16.0", Weight: 3.7 lbs., 50 shot magazine. Retarted blowback action. Heat treated Chrome Moly barrel. A-356 aluminum reciever. Also check out the Liberty II with 100 round magazine, and the awesome M-950 Liberty III pistol. Can you believe a pistol with a 50 round mag! Calico Weapons

Vector Arms UZI Clones: Haggle Price $650 and up

Vector Arms has a huge selection of knockoff UZI carbines and pistols with recievers made in the USA. What is cool is that the Vector product is very high quality at a lower price. There is too much to tell, so it is better to visit the Vector Arms website. Vector Arms

Masterpiece Arms MPA30: Haggle Price $400 and up

Used by the bad guys on TV. These machine gun type pistols are available with 3", 6" or 10" barrels. You also have the option of top cocking or side cocker (MPA30ST). In the accessories section of the website it shows the 32 round Sten Magazine. These pistols can be a lot of fun and do get attention at the range! MPA also makes Defender Carbines based on the pistol action. See website. Masterpiece Arms Site Shooting MPA30 Video

 

[dgrafton]

You could settle on a 9mm AR and 9mm pistols. Different mags but at least ammo is the same. Or a Beratta CX4 Storm and 92 to both use the same mags. Never shot the CX4 and I have no idea on its suitability as a choice for SHTF scenarios.

Lone Wolf AR uses Glock mags, and there are other carbines that use common pistol mags.

 

[FrugalFannie]

You could settle on a 9mm AR and 9mm pistols. Different mags but at least ammo is the same. Or a Beratta CX4 Storm and 92 to both use the same mags. Never shot the CX4 and I have no idea on its suitability as a choice for SHTF scenarios.

I have these. CX4 is fun to shoot. honestly never shot it for 'accuracy' at distances. But I am pretty accurate without trying real hard with the 92. And the CX4 is 'bull pup' I think they call them? Short. Easier to conceal if desired. I prefer my AR for distance and would go with .308 or 30-06 for large game hunting.

 

[Kevin_NH]

Unless you live in a restrictive state, there are many in-between options in 9mm, including long-barreled pistols and short-barreled rifles.

@mac1922 - This is good information. Again, this is my ignorance showing. 22LR is very common, but I thought that was a long cartridge, and hard to use in a pistol. I note you mention a revolver - I'm not a big fan of revolvers. Is there a semi-auto pistol that can take 22LR's?

The .22 Long Rifle (22LR) is always a rimfire cartridge, and pistols chambered for this are very common. There is such as thing as "22 long" as well as "22 short", but not many modern firearms are designed around these less common rimfire variants. 22 Revolvers can often accept nearly any length 22 rimfire cartridge, as can most single-shot (no magazine, no tube, load each round by hand) pistols and rifles chambered for 22 rimfire.

Several companies make either 22LR clones of their full-size firearms, or conversion uppers for existing guns. Examples of the latter include Sig 229 upper for the popular pistol, or AR-15 conversion uppers in 22LR, and of course Beretta's 92 practice kit. The conversion kits are almost always unserialized mail order parts.

For rifles, for no other reason than "it seems like a good idea", I'm leaning toward 30-06 caliber. I will be picking up a 22 rifle for practice and teaching others how to use a rifle, but I'd like something with long range accuracy and punch, and 30-06 seems right. I see -some- 9mm 'rifles' (which are presented as 'carbines') but they appear to be short-range skirmish type things. Nothing I'd use for hunting or sniping.

Do you expect to be engaging targets out beyond 100 yards?

If not, then realistically you might be better served with multiple 9mm "centerfire pistol caliber" firearms (carbine and pistol) and skip the "centerfire rifle calibers" entirely, at least until you are fully stocked and fully proficient with 9mm. Once you have fired a few thousand rounds of 9mm and have several times that stored away, or when you're ready to go elk hunting, then you'd start thinking 30-06.

 

[JRT]

357 magnum revolver and a 357 magnum lever action rifle. The ultimate survival package.

 

[mac1911]

Revolver...... a good revolver is very dependable
Rim fire. Some really sucks. As does any bargain ammo.
Semi auto 22 pistols? I have only 2 Smith and wesson model 41....awesome pistol
Ruger MKIII Hunter. I bought this out of looks alone although it has been flawless with anything but the scrappy ammo...armscor and remington golden suck.
Sadly I stopped buying USA manufactured 22lr. Aguila extra runs in all,my 22s better than,anything else.
Your prepper side might really like a revolver.
There is so much to consider......The guns that take the same magazine is good also.

 

[browncoat]

22 LR is a great choice for being cheap and easy to store. You mention 30-06. 30-06 is a very popular round for hunters. However, in recent times the price has increased considerably. One thing about most hunters is that they don't shoot very many rounds a year, so it matters less to them (usually, generalizing) how much ammo costs. Right now, you can get 7.62x51 (308) at Walmart for 50 cents a round. That is an excellent price for a relatively powerful, brass cased cartridge. It is a lot of fun to shoot either one, and the right hunting round in 308 will work on most of the same game that a 30-06 will. Heck, for that matter, one of the most prolific elephant hunters ever used mostly 7mm mauser, which is a less powerful round than 308.

 

[xtry51]

If you want a single caliber rifle and pistol, go 9mm. It provides the best options. If you're going two calibers go 9mm and .223/5.56 unless you make a lot of money, in which case I'd go 9mm and .308/7.62.

I'd avoid 30-06. The selection of guns is smaller and the ammo is way more expensive than .308.

It's nice to have a gun in 22lr for small game or small people to carry, but ammo is not as reliable as one would like to bet your life on and there's a lot more training involved to shoot even short distances due to drop rates.

 

[RImike]

Whatever caliber you decide on... buy a bunch of ammo. I am not talking a few extra boxes but so much your worried you can't shoot it all

Just recently I had accumulated enough disposable income to do this just his and I recommend it to others, save up and buy in bulk. Thankfully I made it through the last scare because I reload 5.56 and had plenty of brass/powder/primers and bullets stock piled.

If you going to the range and stop at Walmart for a 100 round box, buy 2 more and save them.

 

[Chet0729]

22, 9 and 45. There are a ton of pistols and rifles that shoot 22. 9MM and 45ACP can also be found in rifle platforms. I would say that 9mm is probably the happy medium between cost and stopping power.
Reloading can also be very beneficial but you need to stock up on components when they are available just like ammunition. The upfront costs are a little high but are quickly recovered through low cost per round. I am currently making 45ACP for about .16-18 cents a round. That is 8-9 a box. this can be done even cheaper with cast bullets.

 

[xtry51]

Expanding on Chet: It's around $0.14-0.15/rd right now for me to reload full velocity 9mm.

That's CCI primers, titegroup powder and 115gr bullets.

 

[EddieCoyle]

What do you want the guns for?

You mentioned sniping and hunting (I assume deer or other medium game). Neither the 9mm nor the .22LR is suitable for either of these activities.

What is more important, that the ammo is cheap or the firearm/ammo are effective?

 

[whacko]

I'm looking for advice on a caliber (or calibers) to settle on for my firearms.

To give some context, what I'm looking for is to settle on a common caliber that will be flexible . I'm something of a prepper, so I'm putting together hardware primarily for emergency use. What I don't want to do is end up in a situation where I'm collecting many different round types. That gets unwieldy and inefficient.

I'm relatively new to firearms, though I have experience using and maintaining a few things. I've worked with 22 rifles, 410 and 12gauge shotguns, 22 and 9mm pistols, even handled some larger caliber items, just for the experience.

So, here's the questions, and please don't poke fun, I'm here to learn

1) Is there a common form factor that is used in both rifles and pistols? I'massuming not, as rifles tend to have a larger charge, and need a larger cartridge.

2) Assuming the above is true, I'm leaning toward 9mm for pistols (I like the size and commonality. I want something that is easy to get ammunition for). Iam in good health and relatively strong and have large hands, so I'm not worried about something I can't handle. I like the size and feel of, say a Sig 938, but I'm also keen on the 92FS, which fits me best.

3) For rifles, for no other reason than "it seems like a good idea", I'm leaning toward 30-06 caliber. I will be picking up a 22 rifle for practice and teaching others how to use a rifle, but I'd like something with long range accuracy and punch, and 30-06 seems right. I see -some- 9mm 'rifles' (which are presented as 'carbines') but they appear to be short-range skirmish type things. Nothing I'd use for hunting or sniping.

Unless there's a simpler formula that will let me have something small and carryable, something with decent handheld punch, and something with long range and accuracy, I'm already looking at stocking 9mm, 22 long, and 30-06 ammunition. Is there a way to make this simpler?

Thanks very much, looking forward to hearing from folks!

I get the whole concept of "common cal" for prepping. There is, however, a flaw with this concept. Guns are tools. Having all your fire arms (rifle, pistol,, hunting gun) in the same cal is like trying to rebuild an engine on a truck with one single 1/2 inch wrench.

The well prepared gun owner would have the following:

1 each 22lr rifle (small game hunting and PRACTICE)
1 each semi auto rifle chambered in 5.56 (yeah talking about the ar platform......some would argue 7.62x39 ak platform)
1 each shotgun (12 or 20 gauge as the ammo is the most common for those two....this is for home defense and hunting)
1 each bolt action chambered in some form of 30 cal......30-06, .308 and the like (reach out and touch someone.....and big game hunting)
1 each self defense pistol (may choices here)

Just because you have a pistol caliber round and fire it out of a rifle does not mean you have a powerful rifle.......its still a pistol cartridge going just a little faster due being fired out of a longer barrel. I had a cousin that was new to shooting that argued with me that his 45 colt chambered henry lever gun had more power than my m1 garand cuz the bullet was bigger ........I put that stupid ass opinion to rest quick when we took turns shooting at a pumpkin!!!!

 

[fshalor]

I think 4 is a minimum. .22lr, 9mm or 45 acp, strong rifle (30-06 or bigger) and shotgun (12 ga perfect, 20 ga not bad). Also a good pellet rifle.

 

[nukk]

A lot of fantastic information here guys, thanks very much.

I think what I need to do now is basically decide between picking 22lr or 9mm, as I had guessed.

Both of them have benefits and drawbacks. I do like that a lot of the 9mm weapons can share magazines, which lowers the 'specialized hardware'
necessary for each firearm.

Someone asked about the 30-06 and sniping/hunting comment. I think for me this is wrong time to start going down that road, as I could easily get into the "MOAR GUNZ!" trap. My itch I'm trying to scratch is having something available that I can use for my own defense, light hunting, and peace of mind. I think I'll avoid the larger caliber / long range guns for a while. My budget just doesn't allow it.

I suspect what it may come down to is what fits my (large) hands the best. I like the Ruger 22 pistol mentioned before, but I'm concerned how well it'll fit. Probably my next gun show I'll go in with a shopping list and choose from what fits best there.

 

[Parker Duofold]

Glock definitely buy a Glock

Yup. Definitely!

 

[hminsky]

357 magnum revolver and a 357 magnum lever action rifle. The ultimate survival package.

If you go that route, one of the good deals I've seen is the Rossi 92 357/38 lever rifles. These are replicas of the Winchester 1892, and they are available lots of places for about $450 or so.