contender
Ruger Guru
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.
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.