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I think you made the right call on that proposed trade Skeet. I think because of the economy we are going to go through the pairing down cycles again, you will see alot of calibers drop off of the shelves and market, and go to the back of the shelf while old standbys (243, 270, 308, 30-06, 222, 223, 30-30, etc.) will be back in the limelight. You might see a FEW of the other survivable calibers still survive the mainstream (25-06, 7mm mag, 22-250, 257 roberts, 7mm-08, etc) but they will be rarer and rarer. People will scream and yell I don't know what I am talking about, but you know what? I remember when I was 14 years old the stores paired down, and you could shoot any shotgun you wanted so long as it was a 12 gauge, and any rifle you wanted so long as it was one of "the five" (243, 270, 308, 30-06, 30-30) but anything else and you were reloading or buying specialty ammo from expensive gunshops, and fringe reloading companies. Heck you could shoot an old military gun (303 brit, 30 carbine, 7.62x54r etc) IF you could find a military surplus store with ammo. And of course the 22 short, long, and long rifle were everywhere, and a few 22 magnums could be found. Forget finding ammo if you had a 32-20, 44-40, 38-40, a 45 colt, etc etc. And you could have any pistol round you wanted so long as it was a 38 special, a 357 mag, a 44 mag, a 45 acp, or a 9mm.
I'm not saying it's right, I am saying when times get tough folks who live on them trade in the fancy dancy one use guns, and go for calibers with as much coverage as you can get to feed a family. Oh there will always be places here and there where you can pay premium prices for calibers that are dropping off of the shelves and out of the stores. Nonstock prices always make a gunshop giggle. 45 long colt is averaging $47 for 50 rounds now in my area for example. Two places have it. One has one box, the other has two boxes. I will keep reloading for it because it is an easy caliber to load for.
Who knows. Maybe the economy will heat up again, new calibers will continue to bust the doors open, and the gottahaves will get their new WSSMUDLRIO#$!@% calibers from this months article and be happy until they read the next months article that declares it a dead caliber, but the new and improved WSSSSSSSSSMUDDLRIOPP2 will be around forever! Or until a new one comes out two months later......
I don't play the new(or newer) caliber game, I fell for that trap once and once only, never again. And I understand that just because a caliber is old doesn't mean it's a classic. But there are calibers that stand the test of time, and calibers that are the one hit wonders of the shooting world.
my 2 cents.
GoodOlBoy
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(Moderator - Gear & Gadgets, Cowboy Action, SouthWest Regional, Small Game) GoodOlBoy@huntchat.com
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 KJV
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 8:15 KJV
"The gun has been called the great equalizer, meaning that a small person with a gun is equal to a large person, but it is a great equalizer in another way, too. It insures that the people are the equal of their government whenever that government forgets that it is servant and not master of the governed." - 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan 1911-2004
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