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What Caliber to Use


Aunt Jen

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My newbie opinion is that I enjoy the 45LC more than the .38.

Surprisingly, I was going to switch to .38/.357 after buying my first SASS SA in 45LC. I thought... WOW! 45LC ammo is gonna break me.

So my next revolver is a .38/.357 and I took it to the range with it's cheaper priced ammo and it was OK, but it didn't give me the rush of the 45LC.

So, my third revolver purchase was right back to the 45LC.

And I purchased a reloading press and goodies.

 

I like the feeling of sending the more powerful round down range. I think I'll like it even better when I start reloading BP for all of my rounds.

 

(and.... I'm a HUGE Stephen King " The Dark Tower" fan. The main character, Roland's guns are supposed to be 45s in the series. :) )

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I enjoy .45 Cowboy Specials in my OMV in .45 Colt. I also shoot .38's in my Uberti 1873 Winnie. But I mostly get a charge out shooting original guns in .32WCF and .38WCF.

For the beginner, either .38 or .45 are fine. Both are common, easy to load and have their good and not-so-good points.

I do not download the .38's as I have seen too many knockdowns not knock down.

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As for myself I wanted a Cowboy gun and that was the .45. That's what I wanted,(which is what I bought before my interest in CAS), so that's what I have.

 

 

Sm B) kin' Sixes ;)

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Aunt Jen,

 

You may receive a lot of opinions on caliber choice, but what caliber do YOU find you enjoy shooting more?

 

In our club there is a fairly even spread of calibers from .32 to .38/.357 to .44-40 to .45LC. Some of those with lighter caliber handguns may have larger caliber rifles also?

 

Try as many different calibers in as many different firearms as possible and then spend your money on what YOU like.

 

As for me I generally shoot .38 handguns and .44-40 rifle.

 

When I first became interested in CAS and started shooting I joined the Gun of the Month Club and spent a lot of money before I settled on the guns I use most frequently now.

 

Ask a lot of questions and form your own opinion.

 

Happy Shooting,

 

Kid Kneestone

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It's always .38 vs. .45.....what's wrong with .44's? 44 Russian....44 special.....44/40......44mag......even a few 44Colts

Then there is the 38/40 or 38 W.C.F. which is a true 40 cal bore.....401. Just sayin'

 

Big Jake

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My start to SASS was two Old Armies which I already owned and chose conversion cylinders to get me started. That of course put me into 45 LC and my rifle followed. One beefy BP round for both my pistol and rifle, I love it. I shoot 200 grain loads which have plenty of punch for any kind of knock down's and the 200 grain load doesn't kick that bad at all. Smithy.

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Hello all,

 

Other than price, how do you all feel about the differences in CAS shooting .38s vs. .45s? One is lighter and leaner, yet the other is more classic?

 

Aunt Jen

 

 

Like Big Jake mentions in post #7, how about those other calibers that start with "4"? I've the ammo and guns and reloading stuff to shoot 45LC, 45Schofield, 45Cowboy, 44Mag, 44Special, 44Russian, 357Mag, 38special, 38 Long Colt, 38 Short Colt, 32Mag and 32Long Colt. After all the expermentation and that was fun in itself, I settled in with 38Specials cause of the cost factor, plus I really enjoy the speed and getting good at the gun transitioning.

 

Shooting Cowboy is about all that I have "the need for speed" thing going on. I don't need speed in the cars I drive ( think 38 specials) , I rather like the lumbering along of a diesel pickup (think 45LC). I wouldn't know what to do with a fancy sports car nor do I have any desire either for a big ol semi truck. I could drive both, but not well. I don't have desire to shoot the big magnum rifle/pistol calibers either.

 

There is an internal frame of mind one has on what gun caliber gives you the thrill. Find it and enjoy.

 

Classic calliber doen't even enter my mind when choosing a Cowboy caliber. The level of performance does.

 

 

Blastmaster

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I like 45lc. I've shot 10000's rounds in .38 for my job and enjoy shooting something different in my real imaginary life of sass. Its all personal and price. If you can reload then I'd get the 45 and have some fun testing what you like. If not get the 38 because of price. Just get good guns!

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Hello all,

 

Other than price, how do you all feel about the differences in CAS shooting .38s vs. .45s? One is lighter and leaner, yet the other is more classic?

 

Aunt Jen

 

if you have a recoil problem please enjoy yourself and use the .38....see if you can get someone to let you try both...

 

remember though....identical guns (ie new vaquero .45 vs new vaquero .38/.357) the .38 will be heavier as the steel they drill out to make the bigger .45 also makes the bigger .45 lighter.

 

good luck

 

Moose ; )

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Yup, the 45 Colt is a great caliber, but it can have it's costs.

 

Another factor is how much you practice and how are your hands, bones and arthritis.

With a large amount of practice, it is costly on the pocket and possibly your hands and wrist. Your wrist is absorbing the recoil and there are a series of bones separated by cartilage. Many folks eventually find that the space between the bones may become so reduced as to limit hand movement and significantly damage nerves. It will take a while for most anyone, but . . .

 

And the 38 Special cartridge designed in 1899 was preceded by the 38 Long Colt (1875) which was preceded by the 38 Short Colt which was designed for converted 1851 Navy revolvers. So in one form or another the 36 caliber has been around for a LONG time.

 

And as noted, there were no 45 caliber rifles either.

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It's not mentioned much anymore but there is a group called the Warthogs.....40 caliber or over only need apply.

 

Named after the A-10 tank killer......big, ugly and deadly!

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If you look at brass picked up at a big match like Winter Range with well over seven hundred shooters the majority shot 357 or 38 spl. There weren't any 45 rifles in the old west.

 

And Ther Wern't NO ,,, NOT ,,,, Nada ,,,, Any .38 specials in the old west !!!!

 

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

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And Ther Wern't NO ,,, NOT ,,,, Nada ,,,, Any .38 specials in the old west !!!!

 

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

And your point is? The rules specify legal calibers. There are significantly more shooters that started with 45s and quickly said Oh No and switched to 38/357 than the reverse. Why do you suppose that is true. Look at the used gun market. Lots more used 45 pistols for sale than 357s and with more 357s sold originally?

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And your point is? The rules specify legal calibers. There are significantly more shooters that started with 45s and quickly said Oh No and switched to 38/357 than the reverse. Why do you suppose that is true. Look at the used gun market. Lots more used 45 pistols for sale than 357s and with more 357s sold originally?

 

My point Was Your Dig at the .45 ....

 

Jabez Cowboy

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There weren't any 45 rifles in the old west.

 

How many .38 Special rifles were there in the old west?

 

Edit: Jabez beat me to it...and the point is, it completely nonsensical to argue that one should adopt a .38 Special rifle merely because no rifles were chambered in .45 Colt until recently, since no rifles were chambered in .357 Mag/.38 Special until recently either.

 

...and the .45 Colt cartridge has been around A LOT longer than the .357 Mag.

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I chose 45 because I wanted to play cowboy. I am switching to 38 because I want to play the game. I am not selling the 45s because they mean a lot to me. In fact I think I just might shoot all 45 tomorrow.

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Just like a lot of other facets in life, if more folks would mind their own business, insteada tellin' everyone else how to go about theirs, a LOT more harmonious outcome could result. Although you only got about two "correct" answers, you're likely to get a whole lot more that directly answer your question.

 

I didn't see where you asked for advice... just how others feel... Forgive me for sayin' so, but this type of question seems a bit "trollish".

Hello all,

Other than price, how do you all feel about the differences in CAS shooting .38s vs. .45s? One is lighter and leaner, yet the other is more classic?

Aunt Jen

So... with all that aside, in answer to the question you posed: I don't. And IMNSHO, anyone that does, is a busybody, plus probably lacks confidence in their own selection and feels the need to gain justification by denigrating anyone else's choice that differs from their own.

 

Now that you got me to come out and tell you what I really think, I'll slink off and let the moderators delete my post in the cowardly manner so often used. By the way, I ain't usin' any excuse for my rude and boorish behaviour, just that my wife ain't around to slap me, and I've NEVER been very PC (that's "public coward" to me, not politically correct, as that's just another form of cowardice).

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38's are 40% cheaper to shoot than 45's. Cookie and I shoot 38's.

 

If 45's were 40% cheaper to shoot than 38's, we'd shoot 45's.

 

Possum

 

 

+1

Either one can be competitive. Those that think you can not compete shooting .45's???

You are wrong. You very well can be. And at a high level.

 

But no matter how you ask. Or what you say. Price DOES come into play for many of us.

And that is how I picked what I shoot.

For many of us. You simple can not take price out of the equation.

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I want to thank you all for helping me think. Sometimes, these days, I have trouble deciding what to have for breakfast, so it's Very nice to give me your thoughts in this area.

 

Putting it all together, I think I'll get a couple of .357 NRVs, shoot .38s out of them, and enjoy. ;) I've been looking at the figures, and if someone shoots once or twice a month for a year or two, the difference in price would pay for the guns, and their resale should hold up better than some things I've bought in this life. I'll keep my .45 rifles because they are just too cool, and I'll keep my .45 revolvers, as well, for the same reason. So I'll keep both. That'd be like me.

 

I really appreciate you all helping me think. It was only a difficult decision for me because of the cost, but after the numbers are run, they're indicated.

 

So, today I drove to Ft. Courage, (Irish Red's place), and-------- He was CLOSED! :lol: But perhaps I'll get them next week.

 

Thank you all for your kind and intelligent input!

 

Aunt Jen

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