Caliber Consolidation

**Mountaintrekker** · 02-22-2010, 03:03 AM

So, after much thought and consideration I've cleaned out the many piles of guns and ammo and I'm sticking with these few as huntimg defensive calibers. We are moving around too much and I can't justify lugging all of this around. We hunt alot for food and I do have a couple of rifles, handguns and shotguns for defensive purposes so, this is what I decided and some reasons why.
Btw we live in Alaska and the ammo shortage/availablility we had last year and current expense has influenced some of my choices.

30.06- Hunting moose, caribou, black tail deer, sheep and goats is the primary purpose. Still plenty of oomph for brown and black bears and wolves. Also to be used as a long range human thumper if needed. I have lots of components and loaded ammo and it's found anywhere ammo is sold. Cheaper than all the whiz bang calibers and has been around for over a hundred years. Lots of options for reloading.

.223/5.56- Primary purpose is in my defensive rifle and secondary purpose is for varmits. Lots of ammo around and at less than .50 each retail it's still not too bad. Also a military caliber and lots of components around, as I reload.

.22LR- Pretty much self explanatory... small game, pest control, survival foraging and training. Even twice as much as they were 2 years ago, it's still cheap.

12 gauge- Primary purpose is for bird hunting for myself and my wife. We also use it for home defense loaded with 00Buck and slugs. Yes my wife can shoot a 12GA!

A versatile round indeed! Cheaper than .410 and 20ga too!

.44Mag- This is my primary sidearm round when I'm in the woods. I can reload this down to plunk small game, or load it up to cause a bear to rethink his intentions. In my Redhawk I can also use shot shells and change the order and type of ammo easily. This round is also found in most stores around here.

10MM- 10MM is the exception to the commonality theme I have going on and I'll tell you why. We like to have a hi capacity semi auto sidearm when in town or in case things really hit the fan. My reasoning is... if we are going to have these in our inventory, they mighnt as well be very powerful, yet retain a resonable profile for ease of carrying. These rounds when loaded up and used in a firearm modified for +p+ ammo will give heavy .357 performance and having a 15+1 cappacity in a .45 frame pistol makes alot of sense to me.

I do believe this is it for calibers. I had way too many and this is what I have decided and sold off or traded to achieve. From the proceeds I have beefed up other areas that were lacking, my fishing gear and our backpacks.

Just some info if someone is interested.

**Pict** · 02-22-2010, 06:46 AM

There's certainly nothing unrealistic in your choices. It looks like a list of the classics to me.

I have hunted in Alaska, one trip for wolves, so take my comments on that basis.

The .30-06 will get the job done and you have a wide range of loads available for it. When I was there I used a (IIRC) 175 grain load for wolves with a mag of 220 grain sp in the stock pouch in case we got into fresh bear sign or spotted a Brown Bear. It wouldn't have worked to swap loads in a defensive situation but one of the hunters was Alaskan and could have taken a bear if we encountered one. Everyone else in the party was using .300 Weatherby so I was the lightweight with the .30-06. Was it a problem? Was I undergunned? Not for the game we were hunting but .30-06 is a minimum caliber for big bear defense. I did have to wonder why the .44 magnum and .454 Casull are considered adequate handgun rounds for bear defense but the .30-06 is not. There was many times that I swapped out the loads. When you use an electronic predator call there's no telling what you're going to attract so when we headed for the ATV's I would load up with the 220's.

The 10mm is one you should lay up plenty of ammo for. It is not an easy caliber to find, maybe a little more popular up there, but it isn't a commonly stocked caliber. Three good loads should do it, practice load, human defense load, animal defense load.

I think you're on the right track.

Mac

**SARKY** · 02-22-2010, 12:36 PM

If you reload, you can get brass from Starline for the 10mm. if you don't reload, you should!

**hunter63** · 02-22-2010, 01:36 PM

Looks like you have your bases covered pretty well.
Personally I wouldn't want a 10mm, ammo reasons only, but would sub in a .45apc.

My choice of long shooter is 7mm mag, but that just me, 30-06 works well on about anything, I do think I would leave the 220 gr in, or at least, the last two in the magazine.

Other wise you done well in both your thinking and assets.