Inexpensive? Less recoil = less CTS or PAIN? You tell us why you shoot 38s or even 32s. Myself? I have shot 38/357 for years. I have all the handloading gear and info I needed to start. I went to 44-40 and my doc said; "No more forty four."
Cost for one. Second was arthritis. Actually, that was more important. My wrists and hands don't hurt as much since I switched to 38's.
Doc
I had a LOD injury three years ago. I went on the street for my last day as a LEO. I rolled to back up another officer in another lobo car. We went 11 rounds with a 400 pound drunk. I have been having issues with my left wrist ever since. I simply could not handle a Ruger 44 with my left wrist anymore.
Don' know about them "toy calibers" but I went with the .45 Colt because they don' make a .65 Colt! :-[ ;)
I didn't reload cartridges when I started CAS so 38's were more economical to get into the game with, and besides, anyone want to tell Wild Bill Hickok that 38's were wimp loads.... ;D ;D ;D
I shoot those litlle bitty .45's. As Cuts said- cause they didn't make a .65's. Guess, I wanted to be a cowgirl and shoot what they used. Can't picture Annie Oakley or Calamity Jane shooting those little .38's, 32's things. :P
As you can see by my signature line, I'm an official WartHog. I love big boomers, especially prodigious BP loads with heavy bullets. My favorite hunting loads in my 44 Mag got awarded the moniker "Oh my God-loads" by my friends who witnessed me shooting them one day. Every time I touched one off, the other shooters would step back and say, Oh my God! What's he shooting?"
That being said, I have fybromyalgia, myofascial pain disorder, and arthritis (in my spine and hands) despite being only 35 years old. On bad days, I am forced to lay aside my big bores and reach for a pair of 32 Vaqueritos if I want to shoot at all. Less weight around the waist and in the hands and lighter recoil than my usual stout 45 Colt BP loads. My 32's actually have more power than the mousetoot 38's I've seen at some matches, so they're not exactly anemic...in the lighter guns they recoil like standard 38's in full size guns. The lighter weight revolvers mean less inertia, though, so it's less painful to shoot.
Blondetta,
IIRC, Annie Oakley performed many of her shooting famous shooting feats with a .22 rifle.
For me, the choice was simple. I don't have a place right now to reload, and I can buy a box of .38s for less than $5. A box of .45s is about twice that. Even were I reloading, .38s would still be cheaper than larger calibers.
Didn't.
Won't.
Can't.
Cause at the all .22 matches you can't shoot the grown up cartridges.
I've shot .357's forever. I just stayed with it because it was what I knew. Also my wife was getting into CAS and I wanted a caliber I could reload that would fit everything. Yeah, I have .45's too, but my ego doesn't require me to shoot 'em to prove anything. For that matter, I shoot 'em at a match now and then, but only when I feel like it.
Howdy cousin,
Got small paws! That a joke for me.True for Daddy! When Mama & him got Married, he wore size six wedding ring! Now Mama thinks it is six & quarter maybe!
So Blacat got small paws! Hugs WD
I shoot .38 Special mostly for economic reasons. I don't reload as of yet, and .38's are a lot cheaper than the larger specimens. Also, I've got fairly small paws and build, so the lower recoil is a little bit easier for me to handle in the handguns. I should note that I don't have any SASS-legal .38 pistols yet, and I'm shooting Remington New Army .44 pistolas, so my rifle caliber isn't a big concern. But, I plan to purchase a brace of .38's of some variety soon, and wanted my rifle to match them when I do.
Vin
When I was starting out in CAS I picked .38/.357 because I already had all the equipment to reload them. I have since aquired a pair of .45 colts and a 73 rifle in .45 that I will use occasionally but the .38s are still cheaper and shooting about 1500 rds per month adds up fast. I do not ever load anything below 750fps so at least I am not shooting mouse farts but I have no problem with those that do. :)
I tried Missouri Marshal's .38s and they seemed a bit much for me. I think the grips had a lot to do with it also. I like my birdshead grip .32s he bought me - a little less recoil and total pistol weight goes a long way for me!
Because it's all good. All together I shoot 38 spl. 357, 44-40, 45 Schofield, and 45 Colt in both smokeless and black powder. Each caliber has something going for it and something going against it. Currently this brace of RM Conversions in 38 spl. are a blast to shoot. Next week it might be Schofields with 45 Schofield or SS RV's in 357.
I normally shoot 45 Colt and 44 c&b, but whenever my trigger fingers and CTS acts up or my BP supply is low, I'll take out the Wife's 38's.
Arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis....and them small bullets is the only ones that fit in the little holes in my guns. ;D
I usually shoot .44s and .45s, but I have a pair of lovely, custom-made Richards-Mason '51 Navy conversions in .38 Spl. I like to shoot them in a match a couple of times a year.
So glad to see that there are so many partially crippled shooters out there! ;D Gotta chime in with the 38/357's not being as hard on the CTS and arthritis as my 44 Extra Longs (mags). Of course as fast as I shoot, the "advantage" of the smaller caliber is a moot point :D.
I shoot .45s because that's what I started with. Now, I have so much invested in .45s that a switch would be cost prohibitive. I watch some of the guys shoot their .38s and wondered if I needed to go that route to compete. Well, a little tinkering on the Dillon 650 and I have .45 loads that are a real joy to shoot. They don't bother my arthritis any and I don't feel like I'm shooting magnums. My brother, on the other hand, LIKES to shoot his PMC factory loads.
Until I started shooting in CAS, all I had was .44 Mag., Ruger Redhawks, and a Marling 1894C. I sold those and got a pair of Vaqueros in .45 Colt and an EMF Hartford 1892 in .45 Colt and that's what I shoot. Ok,Ok, I do shoot .38's in my derringer.
hello i shoot 38s because they are what was available to start with also my son is starting to shoot also mostly 22 but 38 some he is eight and for me it is not what or how you shoot it is the fun and time to be with him that i am looking for // so to each his own just all enjoy and have fun also try to spend some time with a new shooter help them understand so they can have fun also
I shot them - .38Spl/.357Mag - when I started CAS 'cause that's what I'd been shooting forever, before then, and just seemed natural to keep on keepin' on. Now, I've been "layin' off" of shooting for most of the last several years, and have accumulated a complete outfit in .44-40, so when I get back at it, I'll be "Warthogging it", on the dark side, to boot. But, if the CTS and 'Ritis family decide to get their backs up, I guess I can always fall back on the .38s. :o ::) ;D
I started with 357's in som Rugers and a Marlin. I switched to 44-40's fer authenticity and the wife started shootin. the 357's. Now she is shootin' 44-40's, still got the Marlin, but sold The Rugers. I'm thinkin' on gettin' a set of 32-20's fer the lighter side ;D Just love the authenticity.
Dakota Sharp Shooter
I had 44 extra longs, but they bothered my wrists for days after a shoot. Went to 357 in both pistols and rifle. Sold the Rem '75, and replaced it with a Rem NMA 36 cal. They all have plenty of get-up-and-go when loaded with 777. ;D
Don't have any more wrist pain after the shoots, either!
...
I shoot a .45 cal. cause Rooger don't make a .50 cal. :-[
We all shoot them WIMPY .44 Mag guns in our gang. Some Win 231. Some APP smoky stuff.
(1) We started with it. Had 'em already in six-guns & rifles.
(2) They do a fine job on knockdowns. 100 % so far!
(3) My wife & kids handle them jus' fine.
(4) Them guns can be loaded up to mag velocities for huntin'.
(5) We already had the castin' & 'loadin' gear.
(6) We're stayin' wit' 'em.
MG
Quote from: Bear Rider on October 16, 2004, 11:15:18 AM
Blondetta,
For me, the choice was simple. I don't have a place right now to reload, and I can buy a box of .38s for less than $5. A box of .45s is about twice that. Even were I reloading, .38s would still be cheaper than larger calibers.
Where do you find .38's for less than $5 a box. I'm new to CAS and shooting .38 caliber; the absolute cheapest I have found is $6.99 plus shipping. I don't have any reloading equipment so $5 a box would be a significant savings.
JR
Small caliber? Why I never... ;)
When i started in CAS less than a year ago, I had 2 Dakota's one in 45lc and one in 357 and a Rossi 92 in 357. I loaded both cals. Now I have a full brace (plus extra) in both cals. and added a Brass 92 in 45lc.
My shooting and my arthritis (which is getting really bad, the arthritis, not the shooting) seem to lean toward the 357's for hand guns and the 45 rifle is really sweet to shoot long with.
so guess I can answer to both..I shoot small and large.. and love both of them.
cc
I started shooting .32s when I changed to Lady Gunfighter. What prompted it? Well, I won a Ruger Vaquero in .32 at Mule Camp 2 years ago, and then Bulls Head bought me the mate for our anniversary last year. I thought that it would be fun to try, and by golly, I was right. I still shoot .357s and .38s in my Marlin, though.
I shoot .32-20 exclusively in both my long guns and sixshooters. When I came into CAS I already had an old Winchester Model 1892 in .32-20. It had been a wall hanger for years. I had it overhauled and shot it and it worked just fine. Thinking about sixshooters I decided on .32-20 because I wouldn't have to buy two different types of ammo for shoots. With .32-20 there's less recoil and I stay on target better. I've gotten a lot of flack about my "wimpy" caliber, but caliber doesn't win matches. Target hits do.
Started with 45s because that was all I had. After first 4 day event the arthritis in both hands started barkin' - LOUD. Went with Ruger Blackhawk's in 38, needed less recoil and larger sights. Now using RV's in 38/357. The weight of them irons help absorb recoil, they also recoil differently than hog legs. It's accumulative.