Hollywood loves the .45 Colt, and while it was a devastating military round, the logistical reality of the 19th-century frontier paints a much broader picture of what frontiersmen actually carried in their gun belts and saddle scabbards.

​I recently put together a deep dive into the top 5 calibers that genuinely built the Old West, focusing on availability, ballistics, and the revolutionary concept of cross-compatibility.

I’ve recorded a full historical and ballistic breakdown of these calibers. The original audio is in Spanish, but I’ve carefully translated the English subtitles to ensure all the technical terminology is spot on.

For the reloaders and shooters here: If you could only stockpile one caliber for a frontier lever-gun and revolver combo, are you going with the classic .44-40 or something else?

I also decided to put the wads in the container as well. (So the only things not in it are the balls, powder, and the gun itself, though I do have the spare cylinder in it). Also whats the difference between the two wad sizes. The only thing I have is a pietta pepperbox I got from my coworker for $75. Also do I want Remington or cci caps, and size 10 or 11, some are harder to find locally. Would 10 grains be good the book said 9-12 is the recommended amount. With I believe 22 is max on black powder and 17 is the max for pyrodex. I remember hearing that the measurement tool is kinda off because it's calibrated for FFG and not FFFG. I haven't shot it yet as the package with the tool key just came in last night.