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The .44 Magnum has inspired this thought. I got into said earlier in the year and wondered why I had not earlier. I can, and have, run everything from delightfully light .44 Specials to hot loaded, wrist-cracking heavy .44 Magnum loads. I've found the factory-loaded 240-grain loads seem like the "sweet spot" and work just fine. It runs fine both in revolver (Model 29) and automatic (Desert Eagle XIX) form and it hits with authority. I haven't taken it hunting, though it has been a blast for informal shooting and packed when hiking. A pleasant memory from this past August was me and the Smurfy-One, on a blistering hot day, taking turns knocking over metallic silhouettes up at the home range (she with her 9㎜ and me with the aforementioned revolver).

All that musing aside, is there a cartridge you adopted and thought "why did I not get into this one a long, long time ago?" What were the reasons why?
 
9mm.

I started pistol shooting with 45acp and 1911s.

Since switching I've never looked back.
 
I would have to agree with .44 magnum, I've had one for years but I wish I had started with one. I cut my teeth reloading the .357 and don't get me wrong I liked it very much and still do, but the .44 is just about as close as you can get to a do all handgun cartridge. Great for targets, hunting, competition, it's well suited to jacketed or cast bullets and is a common round to boot.
 
9mm. I was a 45 ACP guy for a very long time... Since I don't reload, it was very $$$ expensive to shoot. Now I can go to the range and get a good practice in without wrecking my budget.
 
357AMP. If I had of "gotten into it" earlier, I would have been shooting it earlier. :oops:

After shooting the 44AMP, all rumors are that once you shoot the 357AMP you won't want to shoot the 44 anymore. So, I am in the process of finally making* 357AMP loads so I can finally shoot the pistol I bought 15+ years ago (and have never shot).

*Making the 357AMP cartridge consists of necking down a 44AMP cartridge. Trimming to size for my chamber. Loading as you would any other round. Then taper crimping the lip. The taper crimp was just ordered yesterday and should be here Monday or Tuesday (hopefully).

It has always been "too much trouble" to make the ammo so I never thought much about it. Until recently when the Lion's Head (the lion head etched on the barrel) has reared it head and is wanting to be awoken after all these years.

They say that once you get your loads right you can actually push a 125gr bullet to 1700+fps, a 137gr to 1900+fps, and a 158gr to 1600+fps.

Thank you to all who have helped with input in my threads regarding case prep, reloading, etc.!

Good times are ahead!!!
 
The .44 Magnum has inspired this thought. I got into said earlier in the year and wondered why I had not earlier. I can, and have, run everything from delightfully light .44 Specials to hot loaded, wrist-cracking heavy .44 Magnum loads. I've found the factory-loaded 240-grain loads seem like the "sweet spot" and work just fine. It runs fine both in revolver (Model 29) and automatic (Desert Eagle XIX) form and it hits with authority. I haven't taken it hunting, though it has been a blast for informal shooting and packed when hiking. A pleasant memory from this past August was me and the Smurfy-One, on a blistering hot day, taking turns knocking over metallic silhouettes up at the home range (she with her 9㎜ and me with the aforementioned revolver).

All that musing aside, is there a cartridge you adopted and thought "why did I not get into this one a long, long time ago?" What were the reasons why?

Don't forget it's big enough for snake effective bird shot. I used to carry my Redhawk with snake shot in the first two chambers and the next four with bear loads. I loaded everything from gentle wad cutters to self defense and bear. Very, very versatile round.
 
180 degrees to @Reno911, and though I packed and shot 45 long colt revolver for 30 years, my first foray into semi auto pistols was 9mm, (Beretta, CZ, Glock, and finally Sig) after ten years and six different models of that, I went to 1911 in 45 ACP. Not sorry I spent my money on the 9's, all fine in their own right but something was lacking especially in the trigger.
(I still carry the Sig for concealable convenience but shoot the 1911 ten to one)
 
Good point. I think I will have to acquire some. :)

You can load them yourself - CCI sells the empty sabos they load their with. I just filled them with shot and followed the Speer manual. I remember once substituting them for wad cutters when I was teaching a friend to shoot. He was dumbfounded that he couldn't hit anything. I told him he might make a decent storm trooper, then had him get closer and closer to the target... :D
 
I go for the gun that fits me. Then I go for a caliber I can accurately handle.:rolleyes:
So far I have standardized on cast 145gr. 9mm HP.
Rifles are a different matter. I try to use a caliber suitable for whatever I'm hunting.
If I had to standardize on a rifle caliber, it would be, (My old love ) 30-06.:)
 
30/06
I go for the gun that fits me. Then I go for a caliber I can accurately handle.:rolleyes:
So far I have standardized on cast 145gr. 9mm HP.
Rifles are a different matter. I try to use a caliber suitable for whatever I'm hunting.
If I had to standardize on a rifle caliber, it would be, (My old love ) 30-06.:)
One of the last rifles I bought was an 06. Should have been my first, it works for everything. Little harsh on squirrels though:D.
 

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