BULLET CALIBRE

Question
I'm about to purchase a rifle.  I have previously had .22 air rifles and have used a variety of military weapons.  But I am confused about calibre.  Is there anywhere that can give me an "at a glance" pictorial representation of different calibres.  For instance how much bigger calibre is the .243 against the .22, and what is a .250 etc etc

Answer
Hi Allan.

Caliber is a very confusing topic so you are not alone.  Many people assume that the name or number of the cartridge or rifle caliber will correspond to the exact diameter of the bullet or cartridge case but this is not always true.  Unfortunately there are many exceptions so there aren't any set rules to make it easy.

Sometimes the number is the exact diameter of the bullet, or the width of the cartridge case, or a similar number that was picked by the inventor of the cartridge or firearm.  Here are some links which have some good info to help you understand the factors and variations that are involved:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/bullets.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliber

You can also buy a handbook for reloading from any major gun store which will contain a comprehensive listing of all major cartridges with very specific drawings, pictures, exact measurements, and information about each.  Here is a link to a good manual at a reasonable price:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hornady-Handbook-of-Cartridge-Reloading-New-7th-Ed_W0QQitemZ...

To select the best caliber for your needs you should consider many factors including who will shoot it, what will be shot, how often will it be used, where will it be used, budget, ease of maintenance, etc.  Here is a link to many articles which will help you make the best decision:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=selecting+a+rifle&btnG=Search

Hope this helps.

Bob