Caliber Basics 

Steps off into what we think would be gravel - Sound of pure round casings is heard.

Nobody; Hickok: *loads weapon with educational intent*

Best gun channel hands down

Yep, there are variations within just about any caliber of a thousandths or two. In my stash of .44 Magnum and .44 Special ammo, the bullet diameters range from .429 to .431 and all shoot fine in my handguns.

He used the word clip and was actually referring to a clip. This man is a genius.

I often get strange looks when I say that the M-16 is a .22! More people should watch this!

“Ahhh I seeeee...said the blind man” hickock js a legend.

"that can needed a hole in it"

I thought I understood, but this visual demo really made it sink in.

About "gauge" regarding shotguns. The gauge number refers to the number of round balls it takes to make 1 pound. Thus, if 12 lead balls weigh 1 pound, that's "12 gauge." The .410 is an exception with shotgun designations, in that it's the actual bore diameter....sort of....actually, the .410 is a little bigger than .41", and it will usually accept a .45 Colt (.455") round. That's why we have some cool pistols that fire either .410 shotshells or . 45 Colt.

This has become my favorite gun channel. Man could shoot the wings off a fly.

@gragrn , My students probably wish I had chosen to be a truck driver! :-)

8 years since you posted this and I just now understand the differences between calibers, your videos are awesome

I love how we can hear a "ting ting ting" noise as you walk through that gravel pad there.

What an excellent teacher. Thanks.

love how you can hear brass when he walks

Man goes through a lot of baking pans, wonder how Mrs. Hickok45 feels about that lmao 😂😂

you always explain everything in such a fantastic way, pretty much everything I have learned over the years about shooting, I've learned from you. thank you for everything you do Hickok

I've been apprehensive about buying a gun but I have to say, your enthusiasm for them (which is on full display in every video of yours I've watched which is about 30 now) is undeniably infectious! Thanks for all your hard work!

Man, I've been watching you for a few years now. Honestly, coming from someone who has shot only a handful of times, your more "educational" videos are the true gems. This day and age, gun control is about the right people with the right qualifications. You sir, are a shining example, and it starts with education. Keep on teaching!

@TheSleepermgm , Yep, there's definitely a Part 2, and maybe a Part 3 and Part 4 to this discussion. :-) Except, some of the caliber craziness gets out of the "Basics" category, I suppose.

Even though I am a minor, I will use this series as a study guide for when I can own a firearm

This guy has the best fire arm channel on you tube. Straight to the point, just as educational as an episode of Sesame Street, and non political. Hickok45 deserves a TV show.

Super concise, and easy to understand for beginners. It seems like so many channels that do the caliber tutorial think they need to bring out 20 example of every caliber when in all actuality a few examples and explaining the decimal places .45, .458, .452. Tenths, hundredths, and thousands. I’ve been shooting for thirty years now and this honestly might be the best explanation I’ve seen/heard! Keep it coming with the great videos! You @hickok45 and John are super intelligent (which I’m sure could go without saying), informative, great sense of humor (dry humor is under rated), and just all around well thought out, and entertaining content! Thank you for everything you do for the shooting community, and 2A rights! I hope to meet you all someday! I wish you good health, and may Godspeed! p.s. life is good

he's a great teacher.

hic.....new to shooting and self defense....love you and your vids. very helpful. thank you so much

Thank you for posting these basics videos! I've heard these terms my whole life, but when you explained it your way it finally clicked!

H45 is just one of the absolute greatest. I can’t describe how much I love this channel.

380 38 9mm 357 are all the same caliber what differs is bullet weight, casing and powder charge.

I love hearing the sound of nature while being educated on different bullet calibers

You are the only RU-vid guy who does gun videos i really enjoy and can binge watch. Much love, have a good weekend. Be safe!

Thank you very much for your videos Hickok. As a 16 year old wanting to be more knowledgeable and informed with guns I find that your videos are very informative and I appreciate how you deliver the information clearly and simply.

Caliber in America is based on inches. We also use European measurements such as millimeters... There are 25.4mm in 1 inch. .50 Caliber = 0.50 inch diameter .50 inch = 12.7mm .40 caliber = 0.40 inch diameter 0.40 inch = 10.16mm .50 caliber = 12.7mm .45 caliber = 11.42mm .40 caliber = 10.16mm .357 caliber = 9.07mm .308 caliber = 7.82mm .30 caliber = 7.62mm .276 caliber = 7mm .224 caliber = 5.7mm .22 caliber = 5.59mm .177 caliber = 4.5mm .380 ACP, .38 special, 9mm, .357 Magnum all have one thing in common. Their bullets ALL have the same diameter bullet! Different weights, and different amounts of propellent, but the same diameter bullet It all comes down to the diameter of the bullet, the weight of the bullet, and the speed at which that bullet is traveling. Hopefully this explains caliber for you guys. That's the the .357 Sig cartridge.. all it is is a .380 ACP bullet placed in a 10mm auto shell.... Same for the .40 S&W... All it is is a 10mm that has a shorter casing and less powder... Shotguns are a bit different in a way... So for example you have 10 gauge, 12 gauge, and 20 gauge... The number is how many shots to make 1 Pound. For example the lead in a 10 gauge weighs 1/10th of a pound. The lead in a 12 gauge weighs only 1/12th of a pound, the lead in a 20 gauge weighs only 1/20th of a pound....

.75 caliber? Thats a space marine bolter gun. I knew hickok45 must be a superhuman with that accuracy.

Great video! Shows the real difference in ammo. It's not really the bullet,but, the "punch" behind it, Great job!. Luke

Thank you for clarifying this issue. I learn something new every time I watch one of your videos.

Very informative for new shooters! I was wondering, could you do a similar video for shotgun cartridges? I think a lot of people don't understand shotgun bores / gauge and it would also be useful for the UK viewers out there.

Freaking love this guy

Thank you for clearing this up: I had been looking for a good explanation of cartridge vs caliber and yours is the best.

You're like a good grade school science teacher. Keep up the good work. Newbs, Hickok speaks sooth. Experienced shooters, be glad he's doing your job for us. More interest = more shooting.

Thank you! This video taught me, what I didn't understand for years! :D

Thank you for informing me it feels like I just went to school for this ahah your amazing bro thanks

Thank you! I was born in 96 and you probably don’t care but I promise you you did me another great service!!!

I have been trying to explain this to people for 45 years, but you said it better and quicker.

How can someone dislike this video?? Brilliant video, hickok45, good job! Thanks!

I learned something today thank you!

Really well explained. I never understood what caliber is and actually thought that the higher the caliber the more power a gun has. Now I understand completely!

Great video, great content, you’re right. I was confused trying to get into rifles and didn’t understand the differences... I always learn something from your videos. Thank so much Ken from Kenessaw

Thanks. Good video. Keep them coming. Btw, the 9 mm could have been included in the .38 Special / .357 Magnum category as well? It's bullet diameter .355 is pretty close to .357.

thanks for making this.

Thank you Hickok45 for all this info. Been a skeet and trap shooter for most of my life and owned just one hand gun, a five shot 38 chiefs special in my night table. Really getting into hand guns now and my friend is a re loader and getting that interest in reloading due to the cost of Ammo. I pay more attention to all the Calibers of guns etc now that I'm into buying hand guns. Love your videos. Found them very informative and appreciate you making them for people to learn from.

Every time I watch one of these clips I learn a little more about firearms. Thanks!

Thanks hickok!

Man... I remember first time shooting I always thought the .357 Mag was bigger than the .45 just because I knew those rounds from a video game. And the Desert Eagle (357 mag) always did the most damage for a pistol while a .45 did less. Then I got into guns came across the bullets and went.... huh?!

Nina, great to see how beautiful your garden is doing. My garden needs some rain as we are in a mini drought. My corn and potatoes and onions are doing pretty well under the dry conditions. Wish you well and keep on sharing on the gardening. 😊

Firstly, I love all of your videos, they are very informative. I enjoy these types of videos that explain some of the differences or terminology in firearms. Please keep these coming!

yeah hickock 45 towards people who want to learn about firearms in a relaxed and easy going way. FPS russia is COD kids who like big explosions and have trouble absorbing lots of info (no offence dude but u know its true)

This was an interesting video, thanks for uploading this. It does make me wonder why the world of guns is so convoluted though; why not just use one system or another? For example, I'm aware that .50 caliber is 12.7mm, so why refer to an AK47 round as 7.62 rather than .30 caliber whereas we refer to something like an M2 Browning as a .50 caliber instead of 12.7mm? Frankly I don't see why we don't ditch this 'thousandths of an inch' nonsense for millimetres - it would make things so much simpler.

Very clear, concise description of basic calibers. Love it!

There is nothing more relaxing than a cup of coffee in the morning watching some hickok videos

There are a bewildering array of rounds

Thanx, now I don't feel so dumb! 😁

Hickok, this was a great idea for a video for new shooters. Plus...us old times injoy this stuff too! No more cookies for you...Mrs Hickok's best cookie sheet!

Hickok, this was a great idea for a video for new shooters. Plus...us old times injoy this stuff too!

Hey! Those of y’all with sharp eyes probably noticed the slightly misshapen holes that the .223/5.56 round created in the pan; did you know that the misshapen bullet-holes aren’t caused by the bullet slowing down, then pitching (muzzle velocity around 3000 fps), but actually because modern AR-15 model rifles have the wrong rifling? The original design of the AR-15 included rifling with 1 rev / 12 in pitch, which is what the 5.56 x 45 mm round was designed for. Later in the service life of the M4, the military changed the barrel rifling to 1 rev / 7 in, which makes the 5.56 round tumble very slightly. They intended to increase the lethality of the round, because with a one and 12 pitch, the bullets went through targets too cleanly. They wanted to make it harder to treat people who are shot with service rifles *cough unethical cough*

2:23 a can needed a hole in it lol. I admire sense of humor of this old fella :)

hickok45 is the BEST! Always fun. Always informative.

I love how educational this channel is

hickok45 can you do a basics explaining the metric cartrides??

That Vernier Calliper you got looks better than all Verniers I used during college

Thanks for the lesson! Caliber's always confused me but now I understand it more clearly.

There are many things I love about Hickok's videos, but one thing I love is that regardless of how %110 certain he is that the weapon isn't loaded, he retains that training that makes sure the barrel isn't facing anyone. I'm not an owner but a slight and growing enthusiast, with the current political arena, and this main whether he knows it or not, influences many people with that "minor" discipline. If you haven't subscribed, it's time to step up.

This was uploaded may 11, 2011, and right now it's 11:11 PM...

why isn't there any videos of u shooting the 270

Hickok that was a great video on Calibers !thank you so much.

Thanks for the simple overview and demonstration.

so a colt peacemaker (45 cal) shoots bigger caliber than a m1919 (30 cal) ??

this video wont play for me

Great vid. I can't wait for the follow ups. Thanks again Hickok45 and John.

Thanks very much, very helpful and great demonstration. Love all your videos

I have a higher caliber gun than an AR-15 that is fully automatic with little to no recoil *Pulls out nerf gun*

(Shoots .50 BMG out of a 55 S&W)

Hickok does the best chsnnel, straight info, not preachy. Only a few channels can say that. So many preachy ego stroking gun channels on RU-vid. That is why Hickok45 is one of if not, the best.

Thanks for this video. I always wondered what caliber referred to and now I know.

" 45 hundredths of an inch" me -> screams in metric

Did you just assume his caliber?

Paintball guns/markers have a .68 caliber bore, just helps drive home the point that caliber isn’t everything, and that mass, density, acceleration, hell even powder burn rate all make a difference. There’s so much science and engineering in ammo! You can really learn a lot

Mr. Hickock45, thanks so much. I've wondered about this for a long time.

hmm, this does not want to play for some reason

Chat does a thirty aught six mean?

Watching Hickok45 I must say life is ALWAYS good!!!!! He's an honest kinda guy that just loves firearms and gives honest reviews. I enjoy watching, listening and even learning a few new things. I mean, he sold me on the Ruger SR1911, period. I think these companies should let him be a field tester and let him keep all the guns he tests,.

Thank you very much for all this great and nice information. GREAT VIDEO!

9 years later this video is still helping new shooters like me.

Thank you, neighbor. Love your approach to instructing. 10-4

Hickok I have to say, your firearm videos are some of the best, if not the best there is, and I reckon these would benefit greatly if viewers submitted their captions for your videos :D

Amazingly informative. The plinking crowd needs more folks like Hickok.

Thank you Mr. Hickok45, I am new to shooting and found this video to be pretty helpful. Thanks for looking out sir.

Thanks for the simple explanation Sir . Good Work .

As always, very educational material. I thought I knew what caliber was about, but was confused with cartridges like the AR's (thicker than the bullet's diameter). Tkanks for cleaning those doubts sir, like you always do. Very patient and concise explanations. Greetings from Uruguay!

Caliber questions answered!!! Thank you good Sir..