The Miser's Cartridge

Any cartridge is going to cost one primer per reload, and those are the main concern nowadays.

The real question is what you need done downrange, or if you could do with lighter recoil.

The flexibility to load the expensive bullets or cheap cast, or to do mild or aggressive loads, is another big plus. Something that comes in large-primer and small-primer brass (.45 ACP and 6.5 Creedmoor are the two that come to mind) gives you the chance to use what's available.
 
A neat trick is 32-20 in a subcal adapter in 303 British. My son has a Martini Enfield in 303 british with a subcal adapter in 32 WCF
Or, it would be a neat trick if he reloaded...which he refuses to learn. His loss LOL
 
For the best one gunner the 30-06 is hard to beat. It's all you need for North America. It's so common that finding free brass wouldn't be a problem for the reloader. If you don't reload there's plenty of factory ammunition. One rifle for everything.
 
For cheapest it's my 45 Colt with cast 255gr RNFP. 14gr of powder gives me 1800 fps. For longer range it's 6.5 Grendel. 123gr SST's for less than $.40 each and 30 odd grains of CFE223 makes for a decent 400 yd deer round.
 
agreed with some of the suggestions revolving around a large pistol cartridge using cast bullets

enough bullet weight to be useful hunting deer sized game at reasonable ranges

not a huge case so 5-15 grains of powder should be enough, depending on powder

and you can use small pistol or small rifle primers, whichever is available.

38/357, 44, 45 all seem to fit the bill
 
woodchopper said:
agreed with some of the suggestions revolving around a large pistol cartridge using cast bullets

enough bullet weight to be useful hunting deer sized game at reasonable ranges

not a huge case so 5-15 grains of powder should be enough, depending on powder

and you can use small pistol or small rifle primers, whichever is available.

38/357, 44, 45 all seem to fit the bill
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.44/.45 take large primers.
 
I agree with all the suggestions made so far. But right now primers are impossible to find; so what do you do to shoot for cheap? At 60 cents a round, commercial 12 gauge target loads are about half the cost of commercial 30/30 rounds ... and still readily available. It follows, then, that if you cast your own rifle bullets, you likely can convert 7.5 shot into slugs and reassemble with the 3 other components into a full cartridge ... and continue shooting for cheap. And if you’re concerned about distance, pretend you’re a bow hunter and learn to get closer.
 
Al Bear said:
I agree with all the suggestions made so far. But right now primers are impossible to find; so what do you do to shoot for cheap? At 60 cents a round, commercial 12 gauge target loads are about half the cost of commercial 30/30 rounds ... and still readily available. It follows, then, that if you cast your own rifle bullets, you likely can convert 7.5 shot into slugs and reassemble with the 3 other components into a full cartridge ... and continue shooting for cheap. And if you’re concerned about distance, pretend you’re a bow hunter and learn to get closer.
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or buy a bow and reuse the arrows until you get bored
 
Re: At 60 cents a round, commercial 12 gauge target loads are about half the cost of commercial 30/30 rounds ... It follows, then, that if you cast your own rifle bullets, you likely can convert 7.5 shot .. and continue shooting for cheap.

Did this a few years ago with a bunch of my trap loads that I loaded years ago when I shot Trap. 1 1/8 oz. lead, 20 grs. of AA452 per shell, used the primers to use in in-line muzzle-loaders; I salvaged a whole heck of a lot of usable components.

You wouldn't believe how many 140 grain bullets you can make out of 3 flats [750 shells] of 12 gauge trap loads! [2,600+ 140 grain bullets & ~2,500 powder charges for those bullets in my .298 Minex]. And yes, that cartridge (think .32-20 but using a 0.300" 140 grain bullet at 1,400 fps) will bring down a deer in the Shield where I hunt, where a normal shot is 25-35 yds. & you can't see farther than 75 yds in the Black Spruce swamp in broad daylight, much less dawn & dusk.
 
So much good stuff here. I had some ammo but had sold/traded the guns away. When components started to get tight I decided to pick up some replacements so I can use the ammo I had. Primers are the bottleneck around here now. I would like to try casting soon. And 30-30 would be my choice for miser cartridge. Especially since I have a single shot and can use any type of 308 caliber bullet.
 
you'd have to make a list of all the possible shooting things you want to be able to do beforehand

you want to big game hunt across most of the country and be covered for most of the big game choices?
that's bush to open country, deer/elk/moose/sheep/caribou/black bears (21st century minimums, why choose less? - .5 bc, .25 sd, 120 gr, impact velocity 1800 fps by 400 yards)

you want to hunt coyotes/wolves? (covered in above but if no care to hunt big game then can drop down on bullet requirements and therefore case requirements - .223 for win)

you want to plink and target shoot lots for enjoyment? (minimum powder to achieve above requirements for barrel life, costs, common case, bullets)

best to start with the bullet, from there you figure out the case that makes most sense but before any of that you need to list out everything you'd like to be capable of

in my listing above need about 30 grains of powder and a 123 gr eld-m bullet, the 7.62x39 case is most versatile but with a 21st century bullet to maximize efficiency/potential which equals the 6.5 Grendel (standardized/released 2004), reloading is optional, and for premium ammo it's less cost than premium standard short action/long action ammo, nothing will do more for less inside 450 yards, near .22lr barrel life, the case is a solid choice to always be able to find, 6.5 bullets will be above average, 30 grains of powder reasonable for 400 yard big game potential basically mirroring a 30-30 but can do open country work no prob with the 21st century bullet
 
Dogleg said:
That depends where you live. Where I am 200 yards is considered a very short shot, and if you miss at 400 you have to ride home in the back of the truck.:)
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Suppose there’s a reason there’s reference to “Westerner” in the STW name, things are no different in the mountains out here naturally except there’s just the heavy sinking feeling to pack back to camp as penance.

My vote for the miser’s cartridges would be the 7.62x39 and .22LR.
 
The 270Win for me. The inexpensive Powershock 130s will knock down anything on the continent. $28 to $35 per box, just prior to the pandemic ammo shortages.

Since the shortages of off the shelf ammo, I would have to say the 308 has taken the lead on low price and availability.
 
Any non magnum! Speed takes energy ( powder ) more prouder requires more storage = bigger case makes the energy expansion less efficient requiring more prouder. IE .308 averages 45grs for a 150 to go 2800fps but 300wm takes 60 to 65grs or more to do 2800FPS. I consider the 3006 and all its variants the mid point be standard and magnums. So mine is .44 .308 and living on the edge my 8x57.
 
Not quite getting how folks can vote our normal favorites in this when a primer can sell for as much as a whole 7.62x39, or a small handful of .22 cartridges, these days. :) I have 2000 rounds of 7.62x39, mix of mostly FMJ and a bunch of HP / SP, subsonic, Hornady SST, etc etc I can’t find a buyer for at $750. 2000 rounds of anything else but rimfire is in another constellation price wise.
 
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