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Is there any point in pistol calibur carbines or long guns? why not just use a hand gun, and if you want distance get a rifle cartridge? I recently fired the beretta cx4 storm, and I do like it for aesthetic reason. But I wonder is it worth it for self defense? Can I hunt with it?
I’ll try to answer this for you. If I understand you correctly, you’re wondering why would one want a rifle or carbine in a pistol caliber. Furthermore, you’re wondering if it’s any good for home defense, and if you can hunt with it.
Home defense:
There are too many variables. The jack of all but master of none would be the 12-gauge pump action riot shotgun. It probably has the most versatility for home defense, bush defense versus dangerous game, and can be adequately used to hunt small birds to large bears.
Home defense threads always result in a lot of debate with no real answers. There are millions of opinions and even more variables. There are no right answers, but the 12-gauge is generally considered the king of home defense firearms. Could a carbine or rifle be used for home defense? Sure it can. It also has some advantages that other firearms don’t. A 16 inch lever action carbine is fast handling and less cumbersome than a full size rifle. Moreover, over penetration is always the crux of the problem with home defense, and rifle cartridges are the king of over penetration.
Too many people get caught up in type and caliber of firearm. My philosophy is, situational awareness is king. If the perpetrator is ready and catches you unaware, no firearm, regardless of caliber or type, will be a game winner. Furthermore, I don’t need a thousand dollar firearm. I need to learn to run the gun I got.
Why pistol calibers in carbines and rifles?
Cowboy appeal:
One caliber for both pistol and rifle.
Economical:
The logistics are simple. One only has to purchase reloading supplies, cast bullets, or buy factory ammunition for one caliber in all their firearms. Certain already powerful pistol calibers approach, equal, and sometimes exceed the power of many normal rifle calibers.
If one reloads, casting wad or semi wadcutter loads are exponentially cheaper than rifle caliber even for the reloader. Pistol brass can generally be loaded several times more than rifle brass.
Gained power, range, and accuracy:
While all pistol cartridges usually gain a substantial boost in power, there are some that really come to shine in a carbine or rifle. For example, the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt really wake up when shot from carbines and rifles. It greatly increases the already outstanding flexibility of the aforementioned calibers. They’re more accurate in carbines and rifles due to said firearms having a much longer sight radius. Along with the extended sight radius, the huge gain in muzzle velocity and energy greatly extends the useable range of the pistol cartridge.
Hunting:
Local laws and geography will dictate what you can do. In general, some pistol calibers in carbines and rifles are more than adequate on game as large as black bear at ranges not exceeding 100 yards.
Short, Mid, and Long range shooting:
While far from an expert, it’s been my experience that most people are novice marksmen, which dictates that most shooting is done within 100 yards, which happens to be where rifles and carbines in pistol caliber are adequate for the job.
Obviously this question is difficult to answer because it’s too generalized. The task at hand will dictate what type and caliber firearm will serve you best. In general, pistol calibers in carbines will serve most people well. They have light recoil, which many people seem to like, reasonable accuracy, and power. With reloaded wad cutters and even full power loads, they have a very mild report and virtually no recoil in carbines and rifles. The added bonus is that down the road one can purchase a pistol in the same caliber, and they’re far more economical to use.
Those would be some obvious considerations based on my personal opinions and experiences. After reading my post, those interested in this topic and wanting to learn more, can google some of the points I touched on.
In short, if you reload, it's much more economical to consolidate calibers. Regarding the Beretta, sure you can hunt with it. How successful you'll be is another matter.
I've got a carbine that fires .38. It's very economical to shoot.
The longer the barrel, the more accurate a gun is. A 6 inch barrel on a pistol will give you a tighter group that a 2 inch barrel. A carbine can give you a very tight group, indeed, so that means your range for accuracy is a lot further.
It is a lot easier to carry on a horse than a full size rifle.
I wouldn't attempt to use it to hunt large game. However, if you are going to shoot, you need to practice regularly and the carbine is very economical to shoot. You can put a lot of rounds through it for the same price as a few rifle cartridges.
It makes a good woman's gun or child's gun. My very tall husband with long arms finds it too short to be comfortable.
I also have a high opinion of the .22 rifle. Although I am not too crazy about a .22 handgun, but only because guns that are physically small are more difficult to handle.
I have a variety of rifles and handguns in a variety of calibers because they all have their own particular strengths and weaknesses. I have .22 rifle for hunting small game but I can't see any practical reason for getting a .22 handgun. I have a .45 acp handgun and a 12 ga shotgun for personal protection and home defense. A .45 acp rifle would have better range than my .45 acp handgun but it doesn't begin to compare to my .308 or even my 7.62x39.
If I had to bug out with only one firearm it would be my Winchester lever action .44 mag. I have 100 rounds of shotshells, 500 rounds of FMJ and 100 rounds of big game ammo. This gives me the ability to shoot anything from squirrels to grizzlies with one firearm. It has a 16" barrel so it is easy enough to handle in tight quarters. I would choose this over my shotgun because it is more accurate and has a much greater range. If I'm shooting dangerous game (or people) I want all the distance I can get.
I have looked at .44 mag handguns but they are so big and bulky that they didn't make it onto my 'must have' list. I would like to get a ruger blackhawk revolver but it is a low priority for now.
I am considering the beretta cx4 storm in 9mm. I shot the carbine and beretta pistol the same day. I was not very accurate with the Cx4 out at 50yds. I am thinking that is because of the bullet. If it is the bullet, then I may as well just get the pistol. So tell me is it the bullet caliber or is it me that is not accurate at 50yds? I think I did everything right. I line up the iron sights, and shoot.
Besides accuracy you also have to look at the stopping power of a 9mm. There are too many reports from our soldiers that the 9mm isn't getting the job done when it comes to stopping the enemy.
I have a revolver/rifle combo in 45 Colt. A SW 25-5 and a Marlin 94. The old Colt really shines in the Marlin. 21 gr of 296 and a Hornady 300 gr XTP makes for a formidable punch. I won't shoot this load in the 25, but the rifle handles it great. It will drop a muley with authority at +200 yards in a tidy, easy packing package. It also turns out gobs more performance from standard loads I use in the Smith. Only having one cartridge for both hand and long gun is quite nice as well.
Besides accuracy you also have to look at the stopping power of a 9mm. There are too many reports from our soldiers that the 9mm isn't getting the job done when it comes to stopping the enemy.
The only rifle in a pistol caliber I have is an 1860 Henry reprodution in .45 Colt. The main thing I notice about the setup is there is almost no recoil for a big round; it's almost like shooting a .22 and it's VERY accurate. It's also crazy-expensive... I've gotta learn how to reload.
That is the purpose of submachine guns in pistol calibers like 9mm too; they shoot a lot of little bullets fast with less recoil and higher accuracy.
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