How many of you use less popular/odd ball calibers?

OK, don't worry, I'm not going to throw the telephone book at you, but I have been collecting and shooting unusual guns for over thirty years. So, how about I give you a short list of some of the neat calibers (which I handload for), that I have shot over the years.

22 Donaldson Wasp, 22 Hornet, 228 Ackley Improved, 6.5X54 Mannlicher, 6.5X55 Swedish, 7X64 Brenneke, 303 British, 310 Cadet, 8X56 Hungarian, 35 Whelen, 9.3X72 R, 450/577 Martini Henry and 577 Snyder.

Handgun cartridges I have (and still do), load for include:

320 British Revolver, 30 Mauser, 30 Luger, 7.63X25 Tokarev, 380 British Revolver, 9MM Nambu, 9X18 Ultra, 442 Webley, 450 Webley, 455 Webley and 476 Eley.

All in all, I just did a nose count of all the dies sets that I have. There are 46 different sets.

And, trust me, this is just the slightest, tiniest tip of the iceberg of the cartridges out there, and for which dies are availlable.

I have long been interested in unusual and odd ball calibers. While it is regaining its popularity these days, my current favorite pistol caliber is the old 45 colt (long colt) cartridge. I also fire this round from my marlin cowboy 1894 rifle. I have a CZ 82 chambered for the russian 9X18.

In the past, I have owned rifles in 250-3000 savage, 6mm remington, and 7.62X54R, as well as common calibers like 308 and 30-30. I have never owned 243, 270, 30-06, or any of the magnum rifle calibers, although I have fired all these numerous times. My next rifle, if I buy another will probably be in 257 roberts. I have always wanted to try one. Or maybe 7mm mauser. I would love to find a ruger model 77 International in 7mm mauser!

I suppose that depends on where you are, and what you consider odd. I shoot a lot of the 57mm Mauser cartridges: 6mm Remington, 257 Roberts, 7x57, 8x57 JR and 8x57 JS. JR isn't too common any more, for sure.

6.5x68 and 8x68 S aren't too common around here nor is 9.3x62, but they are other places.

When I go home to visit, nobody looks twice at my 348 Winchester, but I suspect it's less common, if because of age if for no other reason, most places.

Some years ago, I spent some time working up loads that would shoot in a friend's 500-3" BPE double rifle, and that caused a bit of a stir at the local range.

And I haven't had a chance to shoot them, but I've drooled at a couple of other friends' rifles: a double 369 Purdey, and a 450/400-3 1/2" single (Martini action).

I've got a few guns in oddball calibers, mostly old military surplus but some old hunter's rifles:

5.75mm Velo-dog (my personal favorite, great story behind this cartridge)

7.62x38mmR Nagant

.222 Remington

.257 Roberts

.32-20 Winchester

11x60mm Mauser (.43 Mauser)

6.5 mm Grendel

6.5x55mm Swede

6.5x52mm Carcano

.275 Rigby (aka 7mm Mauser)

7.5 French

7.5 Swiss

7.65x53mm Argentine

7.7x58mm Arisaka

7.92x57mm Mauser

8x56mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer

10mm Auto

.22 short, .22long, and .22LR shotshells.

also .22BB, .22CB

all of the above while any .22LR can shoot, are unpopular and uncommon cartridges. most of my subsonic ammo is in .22short and .22BB. I have two boxes of.22LR shotshells, honestly I can't imagine any practical purposes for that kind of useless weak ammo. no wonder its unpopular.

I do not have any guns in an unusual caliber, when I buy a gun I make sure ammo is cheap and easy to get ahold of. that means the caliber must be popular.

I have uncommon ammo, but not guns that shoot it. mostly I find them on a store shelf very under priced so I buy it before anyone realizes how much its really worth.

.307 Winchester

7.65mm Mauser

.375 H&H magnum

.41 Remington magnum

.50 BMG (got alot of that)

.30-40 krag (some old stuff, do not think it fires)

.280 Remington (never heard of it, it was $12/20rds so I figured it must be worth more than that)

.50-70

.45-120

.577-450 Henry Martini

I add one cartridge to my collection of live cartridges, the rest I plan to resell or trade them off. I'm nearly always right about they are worth more than I buy them for, even if I did not know of them before buying. the .45-120 I spent a bit too much.

The only really odd rifle I have is an old 7.65x53 Argentine Mauser. Very old round, somewhere between .308 and .30-06 ballistically. Also my favorite rifle to shoot, and it'll make some impressive shots, geriatric though it may be.

In pistols, I own a 9x18 Makarov, a 10mm Auto, and the crown jewel of my pistols, a .32ACP Colt Model 1903 that was built in 1913, and still runs like a champ.

In fact, I do shoot a .58 caliber minie ball from a three-band Enfield. They're legal for deer in New York. My revolvers are .32 cal., .36 cal., and .44 cal.

I hunt with a 54 cal rifle

I like my Colt .38 Super as a back up to my .35 Whelen. Now I'm showing my age.

With the cost of ammo these days, I'm shooting only what I can afford. I do look forward to the end of this craziness so some of my older guns can get exercise too!