Most common caliber

JustMe2 said:

.308 caliber is by far the most popular. Nothing else even close. There are billions of firearms manufactured in this caliber all over the world such as Russian, Chinese, Brazilian, etc. manufacturers; AK-47s, M-1s, 303 British, etc. There are military and civilian warehouses stuffed with .308 caliber ammo.

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You don't believe data? The .223 ammo sales is 3.87 times what the .308 sales are.

coop2564 said:

last 5 years 6.5 CM, last 75 yrs 30-06

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A 13% increase in sales of the 6.5 creedmoor x 19 = 247 and moves it up to 21st on the list from 69th in 2015.

Most common cartridge? Hands down 22lr. What other cartridges were chronically out of stock from 2012 - 2015?

sea2summit said:

9mm...

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Whitetail312 said:

So as a beginner in long range hunting and a small time preppier kind of guy, what do you think the most common cartridge in North America is? I know the 223/5.56 is the absolute most popular, but I think either a 300 win mag, or 30-06 Springfield would have to come in close seconds.

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22 long rifle!

Lots of folks have the 6.5 Creed. If you want to "one up" them get a .260 Rem. Fun to shoot, more zip, and same BC for the 6.5 bullet. Outstanding in Tikka or Sako platforms among others. Bullets can be had off most shelves. My Sako TRG likes Hornaday ELD's a lot and shoots quarter inch groups when I am holding up my part of the deal.

rick523 said:

22 long rifle!

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The .22 LR was 5th in sales.. 9 mm was first. .223 was third in sales..

Your post asks for the most common.
Centerfire = 308/ 30/06
There are probably more rifles chambered for these cartridges in homes across America than any others. Most popular centerfire sold today is quite different. I still love the 45/70 and 22 Hornet and they are way down in popularity today. As bullet/powder technology progresses in the next few years, a new star will shine. Good shooting

Whitetail312 said:

So as a beginner in long range hunting and a small time preppier kind of guy, what do you think the most common cartridge in North America is? I know the 223/5.56 is the absolute most popular, but I think either a 300 win mag, or 30-06 Springfield would have to come in close seconds.

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Ha, ha, I got this. Anyone choosing anything besides a .22 LR loses this one. More game killed, more rifles and pistols bought and sold and more ammo bought than any other caliber by far. Even big game, I know some Aliutes in Alaska that kill moose with this little feller!

.22 cal. Rimfire.

LongestShot said:

By far and away the most popular cartridge is the 22LR. If you get into centerfire cartridges that's another story.

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Was the question the most popular or the cheapest?

LVJ76 said:

Excluding the 223, 9mm and 22 LR, I would say the good ol' 30-06 Sprgfd or the 308 Win

The 270 Win, 243 Win, 30-30 Win, 7mm RM, 6.5 CM, 7mm-08 Rem and others are also very common but I dont think they top the other two, at least not yet. Some like the 6.5 CM maybe in new sales of firearms but the ones that I think you will find the most guns out there are still the 30-06 and 308.

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If it isn't .308, it outta be...

Most common cartridge in the U.S.

This is a bit outdated--from 2015..
I see a lot of comments on 9mm or 22LR--don't think either of those qualify as most common LONG RANGE cartridge..

https://www.chuckhawks.com/best_selling_rifle_cartridges.htm

ARTICLE EXCERPT BELOW:
The .223, .308, .30-06, .30-30, .270, .243, 7mm Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag. appear on almost all lists. The .22-250, 7.62x39mm, .300 WSM, .338 Win. Mag. and 7mm-08 Rem. have appeared on at least one list, but not others, while the .222 Remington, .30 Carbine and .303 British (once Top 10 stalwarts on most lists) have dropped back in popularity. The .300 Win. Mag. and 7mm Rem. Mag. swap places on some lists. Anyway, here are the averaged results based on the data that I could find. Consider it approximate.

USA (Averaged 2015 sales rank)

1. .223 Remington
2. .308 Winchester
3. .30-06 Springfield
4. .30-30 Winchester
5. .270 Winchester
6. .243 Winchester
7. 7mm Remington Magnum
8. .300 Winchester Magnum
9. 7.62x39mm Soviet
10. .22-250 Remington

• Honorable Mention: .300 WSM, 7mm-08 Rem. and .338 Win. Mag.

More info on Hunting cartridges

America's Top 10 Big Game Cartridges
Joseph von Benedikt
https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/americas-top-10-big-game-cartridges/272339

Best Long Range Calibers
https://gundigest.com/rifles/gallery-10-best-long-range-cartridges

What are the best long-range cartridges:

• .22-250 Remington
• .308 Winchester
• .300 Winchester Magnum
• .338 Lapua Magnum
• .300 Weatherby Magnum
• 6.5 Creedmoor
• 6.5-284 Norma
• 26 Nosler
• 7mm Remington Magnum
• 6mm Norma BR

What the PROS use...
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2018/12/14/rifle-caliber/

Most popular? But you mentioned
Both prepper and long range hunting. 22lr for prepping and 308 for long range hunting would be my choices. The .223/556 may be the most popular at the moment but is not sufficient for big game at long ranges. My 2 cent!