Over the lunch hour today, I decided to go for a walk down to the river to get the blood circulating before I headed back to work. As I was walking back up the grass path, with cornfields on either side of me, I realized that, after several years of buying, selling and trading, I had eventually settled on certain old calibers that, for me, are my favorites. These are the calibers that, now that I have them, I've at long last found contentment.
We won't all have the same pet calibers, but for me, these are the ones that somehow have the greatest nostalgic attraction. To see these old leverguns in these calibers hanging on my wall invokes images of old cedar rail fences, the smell of woodsmoke curling out of a farm house chimney, fall mornings, an old John Deere tractor retired under a blaze orange Maple tree and Whitetail deer cautiously venturing onto a harvested cornfield looking for stray cobs. Here are my favorite calibers and some of the guns they come in. I use cast bullets in all of them and have not bought commercial ammo in years. Each one gives me a special pleasure to shoot or to hunt with.
32 W.C.F. (otherwise known as the 32-20):
Another farm family, just 4 miles from our farm, had an old Marlin leveraction rifle in 32-20. One of my best friends, Alvin, grew up on that farm and one of his older brothers became my brother-in-law eventually. One day, Alvin showed me a new box of 32-20 ammo he had bought. I don't know if it was those little cartridges or that old Marlin that hooked me, but ever since, I wanted a 32-20. I've owned a couple 32-20's and have found it to be my favorite small game cartridge. The one I've settled on is an original Winchester Model 65 shown below ...
44 W.C.F. (otherwise known as the 44-40):
When I was a kid, my grandpa was over one day and started talking about the 44-40. He said the bullet moved so slow, you could catch it in a baseball glove (my grandpa exaggerated sometimes). I'd never heard of such a round before, but it sounded fascinating to me. If that old bullet moved that slow, then it must punch like the dickens to make up for it, I figured. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is that short, fat cartridge and that wide lead bullet. It's probably also the long history of this old cartridge that has great appeal to me as well. Anyway, I don't ever want to be without a 44-40. My current example is an original Winchester model 1892 made in 1913 .....
The venerable 38-55:
The old-timers where I grew up in central Manitoba all seemed to swear by the 38-55 when it came to Elk. By gum, I had to have one. As a teenager, I'd get ammo catalogues from the local shooting supplies store and look longingly at the picture of the 38-55 cartridge (as well as the 44-40). That long, almost straight-walled case and that 255 grain bullet was a-calling to me. The very first levergun I ever owned was a Wincheter model 1894 that letters as shipped in 1899, with a full octagon barrel. I still have that old rifle and never plan to sell it. A few years back, I bagged a Whitetail buck with that old timer. Nothing beats taking game with an original vintage rifle. Here's a photo of it, along with a Winchester SRC in the same caliber, lettered as having been shipped in 1907. I am doggoned happy with these two 38-55's ...
The 45-70:
The 45-70 cartridge was another one that I'd often linger over in those ammo catalogues. I suppose I've got a weakness for these old black powder cartridges. What fascinated me about the 45-70 was its big, wide, heavy bullet. I've owned 6 different 45-70's over the years and still own 3. There was a brief period of time about two years ago when I didn't have one. Talk about withdrawal pains. When I finally got a replacement, I knew that never again did I want to be without a 45-70. Here's some photos of two that I currently have. The first is an original Winchester 1886 Takedown shipped in 1901 and the second one is also an 1886 with a full octagon barrel and half mag that letters as having bee received in the warehouse in 1904.
The 30 W.C.F. (otherwise known as the 30-30):
A lot of farmers in our area had 30-30's either in Winchester or Marlin. The 30-30 had class and I would often practice drawing a Winchester Model 94 as a young teenager whenever I found a blank piece of paper and some spare time. The local store had them for $99. For a 13-year old farm kid, however, $99 was an almost unreachable sum of money. Believe it or not, I didn't get my first 30-30 until the age of 53. Here it is, a Winchester Model 94 made in 1954, the same year I was born.
Here's a photo of my favourite cartridges. From left to right we have the 32-20, then the 44-40, then the 30-30, followed by the 38-55 and, last of all, the 45-70.
Well, that's just a few thoughts about my favorite calibers. I have to admit that I don't have a hankerin' for any more; these are the ones, at least for leverguns. As for single actions, well it's the 44 Russian and the 45 Schofield, but that's a different topic.
We won't all have the same pet calibers, but for me, these are the ones that somehow have the greatest nostalgic attraction. To see these old leverguns in these calibers hanging on my wall invokes images of old cedar rail fences, the smell of woodsmoke curling out of a farm house chimney, fall mornings, an old John Deere tractor retired under a blaze orange Maple tree and Whitetail deer cautiously venturing onto a harvested cornfield looking for stray cobs. Here are my favorite calibers and some of the guns they come in. I use cast bullets in all of them and have not bought commercial ammo in years. Each one gives me a special pleasure to shoot or to hunt with.
32 W.C.F. (otherwise known as the 32-20):
Another farm family, just 4 miles from our farm, had an old Marlin leveraction rifle in 32-20. One of my best friends, Alvin, grew up on that farm and one of his older brothers became my brother-in-law eventually. One day, Alvin showed me a new box of 32-20 ammo he had bought. I don't know if it was those little cartridges or that old Marlin that hooked me, but ever since, I wanted a 32-20. I've owned a couple 32-20's and have found it to be my favorite small game cartridge. The one I've settled on is an original Winchester Model 65 shown below ...
44 W.C.F. (otherwise known as the 44-40):
When I was a kid, my grandpa was over one day and started talking about the 44-40. He said the bullet moved so slow, you could catch it in a baseball glove (my grandpa exaggerated sometimes). I'd never heard of such a round before, but it sounded fascinating to me. If that old bullet moved that slow, then it must punch like the dickens to make up for it, I figured. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is that short, fat cartridge and that wide lead bullet. It's probably also the long history of this old cartridge that has great appeal to me as well. Anyway, I don't ever want to be without a 44-40. My current example is an original Winchester model 1892 made in 1913 .....
The venerable 38-55:
The old-timers where I grew up in central Manitoba all seemed to swear by the 38-55 when it came to Elk. By gum, I had to have one. As a teenager, I'd get ammo catalogues from the local shooting supplies store and look longingly at the picture of the 38-55 cartridge (as well as the 44-40). That long, almost straight-walled case and that 255 grain bullet was a-calling to me. The very first levergun I ever owned was a Wincheter model 1894 that letters as shipped in 1899, with a full octagon barrel. I still have that old rifle and never plan to sell it. A few years back, I bagged a Whitetail buck with that old timer. Nothing beats taking game with an original vintage rifle. Here's a photo of it, along with a Winchester SRC in the same caliber, lettered as having been shipped in 1907. I am doggoned happy with these two 38-55's ...
The 45-70:
The 45-70 cartridge was another one that I'd often linger over in those ammo catalogues. I suppose I've got a weakness for these old black powder cartridges. What fascinated me about the 45-70 was its big, wide, heavy bullet. I've owned 6 different 45-70's over the years and still own 3. There was a brief period of time about two years ago when I didn't have one. Talk about withdrawal pains. When I finally got a replacement, I knew that never again did I want to be without a 45-70. Here's some photos of two that I currently have. The first is an original Winchester 1886 Takedown shipped in 1901 and the second one is also an 1886 with a full octagon barrel and half mag that letters as having bee received in the warehouse in 1904.
The 30 W.C.F. (otherwise known as the 30-30):
A lot of farmers in our area had 30-30's either in Winchester or Marlin. The 30-30 had class and I would often practice drawing a Winchester Model 94 as a young teenager whenever I found a blank piece of paper and some spare time. The local store had them for $99. For a 13-year old farm kid, however, $99 was an almost unreachable sum of money. Believe it or not, I didn't get my first 30-30 until the age of 53. Here it is, a Winchester Model 94 made in 1954, the same year I was born.
Here's a photo of my favourite cartridges. From left to right we have the 32-20, then the 44-40, then the 30-30, followed by the 38-55 and, last of all, the 45-70.
Well, that's just a few thoughts about my favorite calibers. I have to admit that I don't have a hankerin' for any more; these are the ones, at least for leverguns. As for single actions, well it's the 44 Russian and the 45 Schofield, but that's a different topic.
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I definately think you have the bases covered with your selections.
