Best Caliber for CAS

[Cactus Tom SASS #97538]

My question is for everybody, what is your caliber of choice, be it for financial reasons due to cost or just your favorite cal, me being new just trying to figure out the best choice overall for when i get my cowboy action gun. is 45LC the most caliber shot at CAS or is it .38 or .357. Thanks in advance.

[Zekest Crowe]

.38 Special is the most common.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

If yer gonna shoot black powder, a 44-40 or 38-40 rifle is best to minimize fouling in the action.

--Dawg

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

Hands down 38 special, followed by 45LC

[Fillmore Coffins, SASS #7884]

When it comes to making ammunition, 38 Special is economical because you use a lower weight bullets and generally less powder. That equals lower cost.

Also, 38's result in less recoil which means quicker sight recovery between shots.

Brass can be picked up left over at the ranges. I shoot 44 Magnum but have accumulated a large amount of 38 cases because they are just left sometimes.

 

Fillmore

Edited March 1, 2013 by Fillmore Coffins, SASS #7884

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

There is no best.

[Grizzly Dave]

I shoot 38 special because it is generally cheaper to buy and reload.

 

If you haven't yet found it, check out my youtube channel, the Introduction and Getting Started videos (found in the cowboy action shooting - general playlist) may answer some of your questions.

[Gold Canyon Kid #43974]

At big lost brass matches, there is more 38/357 brass picked up than all other calibers combined. There are a significant number of shooters that switch to 38/357 from all other calibers, like 45 than the few that switch the other way after months or years of shooting CAS.

[Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667]

.38 Special is the most popular chambering. It's what I use, primarily for economy and because I was already set up to reload .38 when I started shooting cowboy. Another point in its favor is low recoil compared to the heavier calibers. The .32 is obviously even smaller but there are not many .32 caliber cowboy guns on the market right now.

 

Is it the best chambering? No, not necessarily. For example, it can't be used for Classic Cowboy category. A .38/.357 rifle is not legal for Wild Bunch Action Shooting. Aside from those considerations, some shooters just prefer the larger calibers. I have to say that a Colt (or Colt style) rifle in .44 or .45 caliber has lots of panache.

 

Ultimately you get to be the judge of what is "best". It's the chambering that lets you play the game the way you want to play it.

[Utah Bob #35998]

38spl is the most commonly used. It is economical, available, andeasily loaded to allow low recoil resulting in fast times. Many of the top award winning shooters in CAS use it. Here is a wide variety of guns chambered for it.

 

In my opinion the best is a 45 Colt cartridge stuffed with black powder and a 250g bullet.

But that's just me.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

In my opinion the best is a 45 Colt cartridge stuffed with black powder and a 250g bullet.
But that's just me.

 

Me Too!!!

[McCandless]

If you're reloading for economy and low recoil, the .38 special....

If you're loading Black Powder, the 38WCF or .44WCF (.38-40 or .44-40 )... that's what they were made for.

My fav's are the .38, .45, and .38-40 (which is a .40 cal - .401 )

if I could have only one, it would be the .38-40

[Pay Dirt Norvelle #90056]

I like 45LC for both my rifle and revolvers. It is easy to have only one caliber for both rilfe and revolver.

[Russ T. Sites]

Depends

 

45lc can be used in all categories

44 40 for black power

38 cheapest to reload

 

Go to a few matches and talk to some of the cowboys before making a choice

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

I shoot three calibers, .38, .45Colt, and 38-40. If I could, I'd shoot the 38-40's all the time, but don't want to over tax the 1889 Marlin I have in that caliber.....Buck

[Kid Ziggy SASS 76870]

Try them all! I shoot many different types and calibers for CAS & WB: (38, 44-40, 45-70, 45 cal ball, 45LC, 45 ACP). Typically use 38s for lost brass matches & main match.

 

Favorites to shoot:

 

BP: 44-40, 45 cal ball, & 45-70

Smokeless: 45 ACP (WB) & 38 main match

[Cowboy Junky]

When it comes to making ammunition, 38 Special is economical because you use a lower weight bullets and generally less powder. That equals lower cost.

Also, 38's result in less recoil which means quicker sight recovery between shots.

Brass can be picked up left over at the ranges. I shoot 44 Magnum but have accumulated a large amount of 38 cases because they are just left sometimes.

 

Fillmore

Exactly.......and when you load for two that really adds up. If it were just me I'd probably still be shooting 44's. But I'm not complaining......lol

[Bart Solo]

I know a pard who swears by 44-40. His license plate is 44 WCF. He shoots a lightning in 44-40 that was slick right out of the box. Apparently the lightning, like a lot of our 19th century firearms, was designed for the 44-40 (and the 38-40) so it works best with the 44-40.

 

As everybody has pointed out the most common caliber is 38 special, and for good reason. It is relatively cheap and has low recoil. You can shoot more and shoot faster. Most of the really fast shooters shoot 38 in big matches.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

Most economical; 32-20. Less lead and less powder

 

Most accurate; 32-20. It was the most popular caliber in the Colt Bisley

 

Least amount of recoil; 32-20

 

Brass; 32-20 has as long of case life as straight cases. It is many shooters do not know how to resize bottleneck brass or like having to lube the case.

 

Safest to reload; 32-20. Healthy powder gives good accuracy, good power for knockdown targets and loud clang when it hits steel for the nearly deaf spotters. It avoids the problem with mouse fart loads that are way too common.

 

Classic Cowboy; 45 Colt

 

Most fun; 44 C&B revolver. Makes for lots of smoke. Lead balls are very easy to cast yourself.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Seldom Seen #16162

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

There is no best.

 

 

Yup..to each his/her own...for ME 45 Colt or 44 WCF. Most of the top shooters (if not all) that I know shoot low recoil 38's....good for them...good for me.

 

GG ~

[Anvil Al #59168]

.38's for me.

 

COST. #1 reason.

 

With what you save on bullets alone. It will just about cover the cost of your primers.

And brass??? Much cheaper and easier to find.

[John Boy]

To each his own - what is the best caliber. But ...

if one wants to be 'truly' authentic shooting CAS, the 45 Colt is not period collect (pre 1898). It was made in 1872 for the SAA, not a caliber for any rifle. The other calibers mentioned were pre 1898 calibers

 

I shoot 45 Colts but if had to do it over again, the 44-40 would be my choice

[Eamon Chute]

The "best" caliber is the one that YOU...and only YOU...like the "best." Have fun!

 

I shoot .38's 'cuz I reload for my wife (Dar Dar Plinks) as well. And I dislike changing the the reloader dies. Shooting .38 special is cheaper, and to be honest, I'm a little lazy.

 

 

EC

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Real men shoot .45 Colt.

[Charlie Whiskers]

Like most have said,38spl is probably the most popular for low recoil and cost considerations.I still shoot my 44-40 on occassion,but 95% of the time it's 38's.Bullets for 38's from where I buy them run from $32-35.50/500....38-40 $41/500....44 spl or mag $37.50-49/500....44-40 $41-42.50/500....45 LC $41-49/500.Then figure in the amount of powder used and the cost difference in small vs large pistol primers ( typically $5/1000 more for large where I live).So,like others have said;shoot what you want to.But go to a few shoots and try out as many different guns and calibers as you can before you decide.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

Real men shoot .45 Colt.

 

And inhale REAL gun smoke.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Best Caliber?

 

Coke or Pepsi?

McDonalds or Burger King?

Ford or Chevy?

Colt or USFA?

 

I don't think any of these questions can be definitively answered, as you can get passionate, logical, legtimate answers one way or the other to all of them.

 

In main match calibers, I have guns in the following calibers...

 

56-50 Spencer

.45 Colt

.44-40

.44 Special

.38 Long Colt

.38 S&W

.32-20

7.65 Nagant

 

Which caliber is "best?" Which ever one I can have the most fun with at any particular shoot!

[Hogleg Hunter]

Even though I shoot FC I shoot .38's for vost reasons. I sarted out shooting .45lc but switched after my second lost brass match. That cowboy you see crying after a lost brass match is the one shooting .45wcf or .45lc.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Even though I shoot FC I shoot .38's for vost reasons. I sarted out shooting .45lc but switched after my second lost brass match. That cowboy you see crying after a lost brass match is the one shooting .45wcf or .45lc.

 

ne'er shed a tear losin' any of my 45 Colt or 44 WCF brass...tear sheddin' is for more important stuff in life

 

GG ~

[Buckshot Frank]

Other considerations:

 

If you already reload for other calibers, primer size might be a consideration. I load a lot of 9mm and .40, so I can switch to .38 without changing primers.

 

If you plan to shoot Wild Bunch, there is a .40 cal and above requirement. Not many people can afford to have match rifles in two different calibers. Best to start with .45 if you think that you might want to shoot Wild Bunch in the future.

[Ordnancebob]

.44 wcf for me.

Heathen loads with Trail Boss and Winchester brass and Pale Rider with APP and Starline brass.

Loaded with .430 dia 200gr bullets.

[Frenchy Cannuck]

.38spl for the last 4 years now. Low cost and lots a fun.

As for recoil you can load lite and that is cool, we keep our loads near the high end we like the recoil.

That's just us.

 

Frenchy

Edited March 2, 2013 by Frenchy Cannuck

[Lead Ringer]

If yer gonna shoot black powder, a 44-40 or 38-40 rifle is best to minimize fouling in the action.

--Dawg

Don't foget about 32/20. Another great choice for BP.

Ringer

[Three Foot Johnson]

I don't have a "long term" favorite, but my current favorite is .44 spl.

 

Some folks frown on the .38 spl as not being historically accurate and not of the period, but it is virtually identical to the .38 Long Colt, the difference in length being about the thickness of three pieces of paper and a bullet difference of about three or four thousandths in diameter.

[Big Jake1001]

I went from .38/357 to .44's cuz of knockdowns back in the '80's. I've been shootin' .44 mag and spl the most followed by .38/.357.

About 2004 I went to .38-40 and .32/20 because of some Real Colts came my way and now they are my Favorite ones to shoot.

 

Jake