Variation on the old cabin thread: Northern small town hardware store chamberings

[kjohn]

Not sure what's missing. I remember the time when I could have bought a Carcano carbine and ammo in our local Co-op grocery store. We could buy ammo in two different hardware stores, plus the ESSO service station out on the TransCanada highway, and the IH dealer. There wasn't a huge selection in any of them, but the standard calibers and guages were covered. One of the hardware guys would sell us budding collectors one cartridge out of a box. He stocked some neat calibers, such as 6.5 M-S, 6.5 Jap, 8x57, all good old Dominion.

 

[Ardent]

Not yet!

 

[Eagleye]

303 Savage, 8x57, maybe 7x57?

 

[Mauser98]

6.5X54MS
7x57 Mauser

 

[MiG25]

222 and 30WCF

 

[Ardent]

Got em both nice work guys, 7x57 and .222 were the outstanding ones. I bought both boxes of 7x57.

 

[leverboy]

That is a really good selection for a small town I would say

 

[MiG25]

Not sure what's missing. I remember the time when I could have bought a Carcano carbine and ammo in our local Co-op grocery store. We could buy ammo in two different hardware stores, plus the ESSO service station out on the TransCanada highway, and the IH dealer. There wasn't a huge selection in any of them, but the standard calibers and guages were covered. One of the hardware guys would sell us budding collectors one cartridge out of a box. He stocked some neat calibers, such as 6.5 M-S, 6.5 Jap, 8x57, all good old Dominion.

In the early 2000's I was in a small town and they had 2 boxes of Norma 6.5 Jap, I bought them both and later discovered that 1 box was missing 5 shells.

Do you have them?

 

[Magellann]

It seems like they have all the popular calibers covered.
I'm sure that they would stock whatever the locals there would want,if one of them needed a specific caliber.

 

[conor_90]

Ah man you bought some guys 7x57!

I was given #### for buying someones 8x57 in a small town this October.

 

[Ardent]

Too funny

 

[f780]

I frequently stop at a small town hardware that carries just about everything you can imagine. And new stock, not 40 year old boxes. All the standard calibers, plus the odd ball and old stuff. Want soft point 338 Lapua, no problem. 25-20 or 32-40? How many boxes do you want? It amazes me every time I go in looking for something unusual for someone he's got it. Only time he failed me I was looking for 375 H&H for someone and he was just out. Had 300 H&H tho. Gotta love small towns.

 

[conor_90]

^ sounds like "Caroline Supplies" in Caroline, Alberta.

Big hunting area. The store is half general store, half extremely well stocked gun store. Lots of stuff there I haven't seen anywhere else.

 

[Coolhand_Luke]

I wouldn't be surprised to see 6.5 Creedmoor join that list in the next 5 years or so. My CT has a good selection of 6.5Cm already.

 

[flashman2]

Wow, I was thinking 7x57 was even too far out there to guess as even a wild card. Interesting.

 

[Boomer]

The availability of factory ammo in small towns is determined greatly by what the store owner is asked to bring in for the locals. Last time I looked we even had .257 Roberts here.

 

[Ardent]

A couple notable exceptions in my mind are the .30-30 as others noted, though out West it’s much less a “thing” as ranges are longer usually, or any short magnums.

 

[silverfoxdj]

Got em both nice work guys, 7x57 and .222 were the outstanding ones. I bought both boxes of 7x57.

That's better than most of the CTC stores around here

 

[saskbooknut]

Possibly Ft. Nelson ?

 

[Ardent]

Naw that’s the big city, I used to live there, you can get absolutely anything at Louie’s / CMP. Maybe even .375 Ruger.