What caliber do you use that you've never bought commercially?

[Richard Simmons]

8x50R Lebel. When I first started shooting it there was basically only surplus, (not easy to find, not necessarily cheap and duds and or hangfires were pretty much a given) and reloading. It's available now as new production but I'll just stick to reloading my own.

 

[Erich]

.32 H&R Magnum
.45 Colt
.45 Cowboy
.45 AR

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Only thing I shoot store bought is .22 rimfire .

 

[Rosco Shooter]

40 Smith and Wesson
270 Winchester

 

[Peak53]

I thought I was going to add a couple calibers to this thread, but they have been amply covered. The accumulated knowledge of handloading on this forum is nothing short of amazing! My hat is off to you fella's. If you want to learn something about loading virtually anything that goes bang, this is the first place to look. The knowledge especially of off-the-wall. obsolete, or wild cat stuff is there for the asking.

 

[df06]

I load about 25 metallic cartridges and four gauges of shotgun. I bought several cases of 16 ga shot shells about five years ago, to get the empty hulls. And I've bought a couple cases of 410 shells. Other than that, I've bought no loaded ammo for any of these cartridges.

 

[pasote]

Well

It just occurred to me, in the midst of my social distancing / Ground Hog's Day boredom, that I have never shot factory 45 Colt ammunition. I've shot thousands of rounds of it, and each one came off my 650. I thought that was kinda cool. Is there a caliber(s) you use that you've never supplied with commercially loaded ammo?

Well I have never bought .38 special, .357 magnum, .44 magnum, and .223 rem. I have always used reloads for those calibers.

 

[walnutred]

I once owned a 7mm Ackley Improved for which I never bought factory ammo. I have also successfully reloaded 32 Rim Fire Long, though I used factory ammo as a brass supply. 8mm Lebel Revolver and 50 US Carbine. Technically I was never supplied LOADED factory ammo for 105mm or 155mm, but I doubt that counts. One of the first calibers I formed was 8x56 Rimmed. At the time even surplus ammo was a collectors item and we made cases and loaded our own, treasuring the one clip I managed to find because those straight pulls are clumsy single shots without the clip.

 

[rich5674]

45 Auto Rim

45 Auto Rim for my 625. Never saw a box of that ammo on the shelf. Hand loaded to make some hunting loads with 200-250 grain bullets

 

[Frank237]

.45 Colt, .41 mag, .357 sig, 10mm, immediately come to mind.

Just RECENTLY I bought my first .45 acp, .44 mag, 9mm factory ammo, only because it was a bargain , on closeout at Wally world.

After my current batch of 10 yr old MT Gold 9mm bullets are exhausted I'm dome loading nines. Quicker, and about as cheap to buy in bulk than reload anymore. Especially with where component prices are now.

 

[ddixie884]

.41spl.....................

 

[Simson-Suhl]

50-90 Sharps Black Powder
40-65 BlackPowder
45-70 Black Powder

 

[Gunslinger808]

My wife's .243 long range rifle, the one she uses for 1000yards.
Never had a factory round even close to it.

Wish I could say the same for my 700 PSS, even with Gold Medal match, it's still not nearly as accurate as with custom loads.

 

[pistolpete10]

.357 magnum is the only one I still have, never bought 257 Roberts but don't have it any more.

 

[cowboy4evr]

After giving it some thought I can list these :
44-40 , aka 44 WCF
38-55
44 special
357 sig
44 magnum
303 British
40-60 (1876 Winchester rifle )

 

[Hair Trigger]

Never bought factory 7.62x51, 300BLK, 6.5 Grendel, or .41 Rem. Magnum

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

.357 Magnum

I started shooting probably 12 years ago when I bought my first handgun ever, a Glock 19. I got hooked and soon had a 1911 in 45 ACP, then 260 Rem, .223, 6.5 Creedmore, 32-20, all of which I initially bought commercial rounds for.

Finally this year got a couple 357 Magnum guns which is a caliber I've never owned. Since I had all the re-loading gear, I just got the dies and some brass and started loading rounds. I doubt I'll ever buy a factory 357 bullet. In fact, the only factory rounds I'll probably ever buy again are .22 rimfire and my self-defense ammo for my carry guns.

 

[bluetopper]

6mm TCU, 7mm TCU, 357 Maximum, 6mm benchrest to name a few.

 

[dave1918a2]

The only commercial I buy is American eagle 125gr 9MM. . Works great in the Luger.. The only commercial ammo I have purchased in 50 years.