All we need,,,, maybe

[contender]

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.

[boots]

I have only used a handgun to hunt 4 legged critters for 40+ years. Years ago I had all the guns I need but that doesn’t keep me from enjoying a new one.

[needsmostuff]

Need + Want = Hoard ,,,,,,, Guilty

[wyo]

I also am a huge fan of the above calibers mentioned. I am fairly new to handgun hunting, haven taken my two first big game animals last year by way of the sixgun. A wyoming speed goat with the 44 mag and a wyoming mulie buck with the 41 mag. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a ruger Turnbull bisley in 45 colt this spring thanks to a forum member here. If all goes well, a wyoming wapiti will meet the 45 this fall. I fall into what I consider the simple working man category, I will always lust for the linebaugh, bowen, horvath, or any other of the many customs in the larger calibers, but may not ever be able to afford one. But like contender wisely stated in his post, I may not NEED them!

Wyo

[sixshot]

Tyrone, I'm glad you included the 357 Maximum & while it may be down it certainly isn't out. I still say if we keep asking & hoping that there is a "chance" we might see it again.... fingers crossed. It's such a great caliber for a long range revolver when scoped & with the right load & yet recoil is down where any seasoned six gunner can handle it. We can only keep asking, that's how we got some of the others.
I would also include in the small group above the wonderful & powerful 480 as a big bore six gun that easily manageable by anyone that can shoot a full power 44 or 45 & be well armed if you are in Africa or Alaska. With today's selection of bullets we are in six gun heaven because our choices have never been better.
We have many quality pistol smiths that can give you a very fine trigger job (a must) and quality optics like Leupold or Ultra Dot if you want fine precision, what else could we ask for?

Dick

[bobwright]

Many years ago I had a Ruger Super Single Six with auxiliary cylinder for .22 WMR. At that time the .22 WRF was readily available which would work very well in the magnum cylinder.

It gets sort of cold here during squirrel season, and I used the .22 WRF simply because the cartridges were slightly larger and easier to handle with cold hands. Worked for me!

And, as much as I love the .44 Magnum, I believe I could get by without it given one of my fine Ruger Blackhawks, not that I'd want to, of course!

Bob Wright

[contender]

Dick,, I do appreciate the qualities of the 357 Maxi,,, as I always felt it was given a bad image by a few shooters. Just enough to piss off Bill. That stretched frame,, the different balance,, and that caliber,, all makes for an excellent gun. And while not often done,, 38 spls are powder puff loads in it,, and even the normal Mags are easily handled. But it shines with a Maxi load & a smooth trigger.

I thought about including the 480,, as it's a caliber which surprises many folks,, but I was thinking more of the average joe,, who could go into a store & buy ammo for the ones I listed. (I know,, I know,, Maxi ammo isn't easily available,, but Magnum is,)
The 480,, often intimidates some folks,, UNTIL they try one. Then,, once they do,, it's hard to wipe off their smile!

But it was also the longer history of the others & their proven abilities. The 480,, in a few more decades,, will likely be right there!

As I said,, it'd be all we'd need,, but maybe we'd just want others!

[bcelliott]

Most of my revolvers are .32s, 41s, or .45s. Though I have revolvers in other calibers larger and smaller, these three can do it all for me. However, it would be difficult to choose just one from these three--they are all versatile for their own uses.

[shorty500]

Have way too many calibers for simplicity but it forced to narrow down- the 3 would be .22lr, .357 Max and a 5/6-shot .45 Colt that was ready for high end loads