Long Term Survival

[gm42]

Hey Guys,

What calibear and rifle would you bring for long term survival if you could only have one rifle.

Thanks,

GM42

[LadyTrapper]

Just one rifle?...my choice would be the .243.
A smaller caliber, but still deadly at long distances, some models are pretty lightwieght, but what I like the most is minimal recoil.

[Sarge47]

Hey Guys,

What calibear and rifle would you bring for long term survival if you could only have one rifle.

Thanks,

GM42

I'll have to think about that one, but probably an over & Under, .22/20ga. With deer slugs &/or buckshot I can nail large or small game.:cool:

[LadyTrapper]

Oh yes I forgot to mention, that I have taken some flax over hunting big game with the .243 and been tease about my "peeshooter".
However I have taken both whitetail and black bear successfully with my 243. It's all about shot placement with this gun, and tracking of the game was under 30 yards for all harvests.

[Sarge47]

Oh yes I forgot to mention, that I have taken some flax over hunting big game with the .243 and been tease about my "peeshooter".
However I have taken both whitetail and black bear successfully with my 243. It's all about shot placement with this gun, and tracking of the game was under 30 yards for all harvests.

You, Owl Girl, & Nell, what a combination!:cool:

[corndog-44]

I'm with the Sarge on this. A combination gun has the advantage of having a single firearm that can fire both rifle and shotgun cartridge to hunt a very wide variety of game and the shooter can choose the barrel appropiate for the target in seconds. The combination gun I would have would depend on where I'm at. Basically here's the combinations from Savage:

.22LR/.410----- .22LR/20 Gauge
.22WMR/20 Gauge----- .22 Hornet/20 Gauge
.222 Rem/20 Gauge----- .223 Rem/20 Gauge
.30-30/20 Gauge----- .357 Mag/20 Gauge
.22 Hornet/12 Gauge----- .222 Rem/12 Gauge
.223 Rem/12 Gauge----- .30-30/12 Gauge

[carcajou garou]

I am very partial to the .22lr-20ga wish I had one but of what I presently have I guess I would go with my .308win just because of the bear and feral dog problem in my area, though would have to use smaller 100gr bullets for small critters

[pilgrim]

if i could have two kinds of shells id take a twelve gauge... good for small and big game. otherwise a .270

[trax]

The first rifle caliber I thought of was the .243 as well, big enough to drop large animals and small enough to not blow small game completely to hell. If I could take both shot and slugs, I'd go with a shotgun, 12 guage or 20 guage, either one would get done what I needed.

[Nomad]

My choice would be a .22 magnum. The ammo is very inexpensive and works great for small game. I wouldn't need a larger rifle since i wouldn't be taking larger game. without a fridge or some way to store meat i think larger game would be wasted.

[trax]

There's plenty of things you can do with larger game to preserve it without a fridge. Smoking it, burying it, depends on what resources you have available.

A .22 magnum will drop a deer with a well placed shot mind you, I have no problem with your choice, but if you're in a situation where you have to hunt to eat and you've got a shot at a rabbit or a deer, well???

Depending on where you are too, out west there's pronghorn all over the place and if you drop one, by the time you dress it out, you probably have less than 100 pounds of meat. You can use four poles and the animal's hide to make a smoker. People have buried their meat in pits underground or under moss for thousands of years before they had refrigeration.

Anyway, just 2 cents worth.

[Fog_Harbor]

12 gauge....

[wareagle69]

i usually daisy chain my claymores and blow the bas**ds away.

when not doing that i use my jennings whitetail II.
personal preference since i have not picked up a rifle since africa..

[sam30248]

22lr , 410 , 20ga but i would prefer the 22/410 combo

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

probably my 12 but sometimes prefer the remington 700 30:06

[Merlin]

Hey Guys,

What calibear and rifle would you bring for long term survival if you could only have one rifle.

Thanks,

GM42

I would think for long term .. Weight and Quantity of ammo to last.. It would have to beeee a 22 mag but most likely a 223 made by sig or mini 14

[MCBushbaby]

Probably a .308 bolt action of some type. I'm in the field of view that if you see a moose 400 yards off, and your ability to bring that moose down will dictate how you eat for the next month, that shot better be a finisher. However I could see why a .22 would be the choice for a majority of people. In the case where I wasn't in northern Canada/Eurasia or in winter conditions, a .22/20g over/under combo. .22 for small game, slug for big game.

[Beo]

I'd prefer my long bow. But if I gotta take a gun I'd use my Remington 700 chambered in the .300 magnum. Long shots out to 800 yards and as close as I can get. Thru and thru power (knock down power) is awesome (same amount of muzzle velocity at 1000 yrds. as a .44 magnum at point blank range) and can handle all large land animals in one shot. But Lady Trapper is right... its always about shot placement. Still I prefer my longbow.

[jose lobo]

12 gauge, but i live in the jungle, different game here.

[trax]

Shot placement, doesn't do you any good to shoot 'em in the hoof or the antler. The big rifle suggestions are good for big game, but I suggest we consider the wolf. The gray wolf in northern Canada usually gets by on a diet of mice, rabbits, lemmings (Arctic), grouse, ptarmigan, muskrat and smaller predators throughout the winter far more than they do on big game. That's why I recommended what I did --go with something that will take down either big or small if you're limited to one firearm. When I'm hunting I use a WW2 surplus .303 for moose and deer, but if I was to shoot a rabbit or grouse with it, all I'd be left with is a fine red mist and a pile of mush. A shotgun is a good idea because you can switch between slugs and shot, but they're not as accurate at long distances either, goes back to shot placement.

[Beo]

Maybe I'll switch to the shotgun, but can I please use my longbow :) If I did take a weapon (firearm)at all.

[jose lobo]

that why i choose firearm --12 gauge,,
because you can make a pretty nice longbow, with time...around the fire..and thats one of the first things i would do with my time, out there.
cant live with out a bow.
long live the bow