All we need,,,,, maybe,,,,!

Reading Dick's posting on his practicing for the upcoming hunting season with his 41, 44, & 45,, got me to pondering a little.
As handgunners,, especially those of us who hunt with them,, just a few calibers seem to truly cover all the bases. (Aside from those who enjoy wildcats, or customs etc.)
The working man who prefers to take his handgun afield, and use it,, is well served by just a few calibers.

A .22,,, is a must have,, just for that small game action. A lot of game has been taken over the decades with the fine little .22. Including much that many would feel it is underpowered for. Marksmanship & bullet placement rules there.

In recent years,, the .32 caliber has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity,, due to the 32 mag & 327'S. with the ability of 4 basic 32 calibers being capable of fired through the single cylinder of a 327,, it makes a fine small to medium game getter. Still not quite as widely used as the rest of the calibers,, but an excellent choice none the less.

The .357 Max. Sadly,,, not a lot of firearms available,, and the very desirable Ruger SA's being highly sought after makes this one a bit harder to get & enjoy. But again,, a single firearm that can shoot mild 38's up to the serious game getter Maxi. This one is where I feel true big game abilities start.

The .41 Mag. The red headed stepchild. Often overlooked,, yet refuses to quit. Why? Because it is a very capable caliber,, and truly appreciated by those who understand them & shoot them. Properly loaded,, most game in North America can be easily taken with one,, all while enjoying a more pleasant shooting experience.

The .44 Mag. Widely popular,, made in all kinds of models & by many makers. (Thanks to Dirty Harry.) Ease of getting ammo, with plenty of power to hunt big game with all while enjoying the pleasant shooting .44 spl. Big game,, it has taken a lot.

And lastly,, the .45 Colt. The oldest of all the centerfires here. It refuses to die,, and enjoys a popularity like Raquel Welch. Timeless. The recent few decades have seen a resurgence in many guns in this caliber,, due to a few different reasons. And it too can be quite versatile. Downloaded,, a pure pussycat to shoot,, or if you have a spare cylinder in 45 acp,, even more options. In a modern design & metal,,, it enjoys heavy hitting power that can not be ignored or disregarded.

With these few calibers,, or even just 1 or 2 of them,, a person can go afield & if he does his part,, supply all the game he needs.

Now,, before anybody says I left out their favorite caliber,, let me say I thought of all this because I was looking at Dick's 3 gun battery he was practicing with,, and kinda thought; "Why?" Any one of those 3 will do as he wishes. Yet,, it's the fun of using different guns & calibers that adds to the enjoyment of a hunt. And anybody who has been around me knows I have a much wider range of calibers in my personal battery that I also enjoy. But,, there was a little more to it as well. Often,, many folks can't afford more than a few handguns,, much less a custom built one. This part of my thinking comes from the comments about collecting vs shooting a gun.
But the same simple working man,, can buy a good quality gun, maybe do a few mods to it to make it fit them better,, (action job, grips etc.) and go afield with a minimum of expense,, and harvest big game to feed the family.
Sure,, there are MANY more calibers to choose from,, and many here enjoy those as well as delving into custom work. TOTALLY acceptable. Or,, there are those that choose to enjoy collecting and shooting,,,, preferring to invest time & money into practice to be a better shooter,, instead of the hard earned money into a custom. Or,, putting the "fun money" into another collectable.

But it still comes back to a few core thoughts.
A simple selection of 1 or 2 calibers,, with considerations towards ammo availability, personal preferences, comfort in each individuals hands, and we could easily have all we need. Or,, as an old saying goes;
"Beware of the man who only owns one gun,, for he likely knows how to use it quite well."

Luckily,, most of us seem to have the ability to own more than just one or two,, AND can enjoy all the different calibers,, or configurations,, all while finding kindred souls to share them with. Even better,, we all can usually get along with each other BECAUSE we are handgunners.

Insightful post as always Contender, thank you. I do try to minimize the number of calibers of guns of all types I own because I view any new caliber gun in my possession an another caliber of ammo I have to inventory. That being written, I'm not completely adverse to adding another caliber.

For revolvers, a 6in. stainless GP100 and a 6in. S&W 617 meet my needs very well. I do have a couple of 9mm semi-autos as well. My problem is I'm always on the hunt for new guns of all types...

Jim

Hunting in my state could likely be done with just two. .22 lr and .45 colt. Biggest huntable critter is black bear, and you'll likely never get a chance. Pigs and deer are nicely handled by the .45 colt. Everything else the .22 lr will handle.

Heck, you're more likely to need a handgun to fend off wild dogs, coyotes and puma than any other reason. I think so far the puma has killed or injured more folks than either bear or coyote. It's impossible to find, for me at least, statistics on wild dogs. Regardless, a .45 colt will handle any of these.

You could probably pare down your list if you don't reload to just the two cartridges: .22 and .44Mag due to ammo availability.

I reckon I've got it covered. .22lr & mag rifles and revolvers. .41Mag rifle and revolver. 12 gauge shotgun. Covers all my game needs.

If you really had to keep it basic a good 22 LR & a 12 gauge shotgun to take pretty good care of you.
I'm pretty sure very few readers have ever heard of Earl Parrott, "The Hermit of Empassable Canyon" Earl was a crusty old hermit who lived along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River for many years back in the early 1900's. He lived there alone, by choice for many years, just like many other people in the Salmon River country back then.
He had a big garden, caught a lot of Salmon & had a gun, a Colt 45 that kept him well fed for decades. Twice a year he would walk for 2 days to Shoup for matches, bullet,salt & a few other supplies, other than that the mountains & that old Colt took good care of him.

Dick

Thanks for the story Dick! I have a .22 LR Mark ll, .357 Blackhawk, and a .44 mag RedHawk, and SBH. My bases are covered! 8) :lol:
gramps

For better or worse , the .357 Max is now an historical trivia question . For mid bore versatility , there is the .357 Mag .

.41 or .44 mag or .45 Colt ( of strong construction ) can be lumped together as one category . For a non- handloader, who would use it frequently ( as opposed to one box a year, strictly for actual hunting ) , I will take the other approach , and recomend the .45 Colt . A whole buncha mfgs offer hunting suitable , hot .45 Colt rounds , easier to find than mid range .44 mag .

I have made a cardboard wad shotshell out of a 45 Colt case using #4 Buckshot and I think it could kill rabbits or squirrels at 15yds.
The 300gr and heavier +P 45 Colt ammo out of a 7 1/2" barrel will shoot lengthwise all the way through a 1500lb wild range bull.
I figure every other critter on the planet can get covered somewhere between those loadings in a 45 Colt chambered Bisley.

Deer season coming up again soon and my Bisley will be on my hip

Curious why the .454 Cassul is not being mentioned. To me it's the ultimate in versatile.

Thanks

Since I'm the OP,, I can answer the question eveled.
I only mentioned the calibers I did because of how sixshot is using the 3 calibers, in sixguns, as his primary handguns for this fall's hunting. Either one of them would do the job he's planning,, and much more,, but those 3 calibers are very versatile for most of the people. I did add the .22, the .32's & the 357 as a bit of a rounding out of calibers that the average guy, working joe, could possibly own to allow him to cover most of what 95% of the people would do outdoors.
As noted, there are many good, solid versatile calibers I didn't mention. I chose those because of the average guy,, not active gun guy's choices. Let's face it,, even many guys fail to use or enjoy the power of the 44 mag,, and choose other calibers. A 454 is too powerful to many non gun guys. And ammo availability as well as it's cost. Many smaller stores just don't carry the 480, the 454 etc,, or if so,, just one offering. NOTHING wrong with any of them.
I was just looking at what we'd most likely find in the average joe's truck, on their hip, or in their pocket as a comfortable everyday tool. My post was NOT,, and never was intended to debate the pro's & cons of any caliber.
Heck, I almost didn't include the 32 caliber guns,, but for the fact that for all my life,, I've known many an old guy having some form of a gun in 32 cal.in their pocket.
So,,, my OP was mostly about all a person may need,, when you look at the average joe guy who isn't a gun guy like most of us here are.

Think about it. Many folks grew up in a rural home where a gun was a tool & they never looked at it any other way. Just last night,, Miss Penny had a thing on TV,, where the Dems are pushing for a ban on AR style firearms. (DO NOT MAKE THIS POST POLITICAL!) I saw a couple of Dems say they were raised in homes with guns,, and even a couple said they still own a gun for whatever,, but they still were pushing for a ban or restriction on AR's. Basically antigun,, yet they owned a gun for whatever. But their knowledge of firearms in general was VERY, VERY limited,, as they mis-spoke a lot. My point to this,, is MANY, MANY folks are NOT gun people like we are here,, so they are usually served by just a few,, common & useful calibers. That's all.
I know guys all around me in my area,, who only own a few guns,, and are not gun people like we are here. They are well served by their choices.

So,, I didn't include many good guns or calibers that are quite good or desired & used by many of us more serious gun folks.

Once again, Ruger's Convertible Blackhawks more than double the chamberings available to the hunter. The only SA guns I look for.

Anything from BBs to the largest arthritis-gifting big bore handgun cartridges will punch paper and ring steel.

For ANY hunting round (save for my 22LR guns), my only NEED is a 2" practical accuracy at 60 yards - FIRST shot. After that its all academic.

Needs vs wants. 8)

All these years I have resisted adding .45 Colt dies, projectiles to my inventory, and didn't buy guns in that caliber. My daughter came to live with me, and complained she was out of .45 Colt. I dote on my girls, so her choice of projectiles and dies were procured, she gave me her casings, and voila! Now I lust after guns I hadn't even looked at previously! :shock: 8) :lol:
gramps

gramps said:

Thanks for the story Dick! I have a .22 LR Mark ll, .357 Blackhawk, and a .44 mag RedHawk, and SBH. My bases are covered! 8) :lol:
gramps

Click to expand...

There it is! If you can't get it done with a .22, a .357, and a .44 Mag, you need to move up to a 12 gauge and/or a .308 or larger rifle.

Here endeth the lesson. :wink:

I seldom handgun hunt now. Never have been a duck/goose hunter. I don't hand load.

All that said, when I rifle hunt, my companion sidearm is a 357, generally a 4" SP101. If I tag out or am just walking the woods I carry a .410 Mossberg 500 and either a 686 Smith with hard cast 180gr ammo, a 629 Smith with heavy loads, or a Sig P220 10mm with 200gr hard cast loads.

On the rare occasion I do handgun hunt it is with the 44mag. So I guess I would have 3 calibers; 10mm, 357, or 44mag. I haven't carried a 22 handgun in the woods for years, just camp plinking. My 22 action is with a rifle.

Getting ready to go hunting again. I'm torn between taking a Security Six and a Wrangler. Sure don't need to haul 2 of them around, along with my 30-06.

Contender,

Funny how this topic keeps popping up about calibers. I've been posting on the singleactions/link.

I could not agree more with you on your caliber selections from sixshot, plus a few.

I want to thank you for your inclusion of the 357 Maximum. It is not dead as asserted and I think we may yet see an interest renewed if more folks continue to read and study. Thanks to David and Lee we even saw a new design and mold this year tailored for that 357 Maximum.

I'm with you on the 32's as well. The versatility is truly amazing. The oldest in the bunch is still my favorite, 32-20.

I am a handloader and that has brought me to the "Don't really care crowd." concerning calibers. I can pretty much make any caliber do what I want.

My history is with the 357/38, but I'm currently chasing the .32's all over the place. I really enjoy the versatility of the .32's. And then there is the mighty 44's and 45's. Mild to Wild and everything in between.

I sometimes have a hard time understanding the real world difference between the caliber designations. They all use light and/or heavy. They all go slow or fast. They all make holes.