Only One Gun

OK, I had to do this. I checked the entire board and this thread is not visible and as far as I know it is mandatory for any wilderness survival, general hunting or TEOTWAWKI forum.

If you had to pick one gun to keep you alive in your normal wilderness habitat (climate zone) what would it be?

Since this is primarily a wilderness focused forum we will stay out of the urban unrest riot defense senerio. That is not a happy place anyway.

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SMILE AND WAVE BOYS, SMILE AND WAVE

Well for me a Hunting rifle is what i would pick.
And for that " defence " factor it would be semi auto & 30-06.
Just incase my gaurd was down and a Bear or Human attacked me having semi auto is the way to go, IMO.
Something along this line would do me fine.

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

It would centainly be something along the lines of a bolt action for me, remmington 700 would be top choice, paired with a servicable handgun, Its all covered.

Mind you there would be nothing wrong with a Norico M14 in .308 BO YA! Very Happy

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Qoute: LONGBOW50, from bladeforums:
The boy scouts motto takes on a new meaning when fate steps in and makes you feel like a dummy.

^ But remember Fonly, You can only have " 1 " so, no hand gun & a rifle Wink

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

I don't have one yet. but a little pellet gun I am a beginner for small game, and I will only injure someone long enough for me to get away. Very Happy

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Good question and it's tough to anwser...

Lets say I have access to any gun when I am "Getting Out Of Dodge" GOOD and I would consider the following information:

a) Where am I going
Are you going to a area with only large game, or does the are mostly have small game?

b) What will I hunt when I get there
Are you going to be hunting just say deer, moose, etc? Or are you mainly going to be after rabbit to fox sized game?

c) If I hunt something bigger than I can eat in 1 day will I be able to/have the resources to preserve it?
Are you prepared to be able to cure/smoke/salt all that meat? Where will you get the salt, or are you sure you know how to smoke it properly so it doesn't go to waste?

d) Will I have to use the gun for self defense
If the gun is going to be mainly self defense and not hunting then you will need either a 9mm or larger in a handgun, or a shotgun or atleast a .223 (5.56 military round) or preferably a .30 cal or larger.

e) Will I be using the gun for self defense in a enclosed area
For example my shotgun has a 28 inch barrel, I wouldn't use it in a enclosed area for self defense, my mini-30 would be better as it's shorter but the bullet will have to much penetration which isn't good. So I would use my handgun which is good because I would also have a flashlight in another hand which will be helpful. (of course I could put a tactical light on my gun but it costs a arm and a leg I heard)

f) Will I be using the gun against armored opponents
If your going to be say shooting at people with body armor then you need the biggest possible caliber, and it needs to be a rifle. Say atleast a 7.62X39 like a AK47 or a SKS or a Mini-30 and maybe it might be worth it to get something even bigger.

g) How many people will be with you
If your going to be with a group of 10 people it might be best to have a shotgun, or battle rifle because you might need to kill foxs, deer, bear whatever in order to keep your group feed.

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By looking at all of these questions and more I am sure you guys can come up with it will help figure out what type of gun would be most useful to you.

The easiest answer would be to get a "dual" gun, one that is 2 guns in one like say a .410 or even 12ga with a .22LR this way you can take down big game, or use it for self defense but also be able to take down smaller game. The bad thing is these are not as good as 2 guns that do 2 different tasks and are heavier.

But IMHO if I had to pick up only one gun it would be a Ruger 10/22 the reason being that in a GOOD type situation you will only be able to carry so much, and you can carry a ton more ammo in .22LR, and buy a lot more for cheaper than say a battle rifle, shotgun or handgun (like 9mm to .45)

Of course you could also say that a shotgun would be best because you can change the shot to help with what your hunting, for example bird shot for smaller game, buckshot and slugs for bigger game and self defense.

One thing I will mention is that one of the best gun experts in the world says "the only reason to have a handgun is to fight your way to your battle rifle/shotgun". Of course that doesn't take into account many people can't walk around with a rifle with them all the time, but can walk around with a handgun all the time, and most people are not going to say fight there way from a mile from home to there house to get there rifle, they just need to get out of the situation and a handgun will work most of the time for that.

So here is my order of guns I would take:

1) 10/22 Ruger
2) Shotgun (12 GA)
3) Handgun
4) Battle Rifle

Of course I am considering selling my battle rifle which is a Mini-30 7.62 X 39 and buying a .22LR because I feel so strongly that a .22LR is a must have for any true SHTF/GOOD situation. And right now I have the following:

Shotgun: Remington 870 Pump Super Mag 12 GA
Handgun: XDM 9mm 19+1 rounds
Rifle: Mini-30, 7.62X39 (same as a AK47 round)

I feel I have most things covered hear accept the smaller hunting rifle, and since I don't plan on needing a true "battle rifle" I have considered selling it to pay for a nice .22LR that I can use for small game hunting, and thus I will be able to use my shotgun for self defense or my handgun as well.

Also a .22LR has a smaller sound when fired, thus it's easier to be "stealthy" while say out in the wilderness hunting for game.

Sorry this is so disorganized Sad

Hope it helps

Just one gun...

Do I want lots of ammo... cause a .22 would prove to have cheap ammo that takes up little space and weighs very little...

Do I want a weapon that can kill anything in north america within 100 yards cause then I would want a good pump shotgun (browning bps/remington 870)

Do I want a firearm that will take out game at huge range cause then I would want a flat shooting high power rifle (.270, .257 roberts)

Do I want something that I can conceil like a pistol?

Now to answer your question! lol. If The $hit hit the fan I'd grab my shotgun. This is mainly because I have a ton of ammo for it all in one place with many rounds in a gun belt and a hunting bag right next to where the ammo is.

Also I do not have as much ammo for the .22 right now as I do the shotgun.

IF I had time to go buy ammo, i'd probably still take the shotgun. The ability to not destroy small game and the ability to kill large game as well as the ability to defend myself from hostile pepole makes the shotgun really appealing.

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	Drummer Dave wrote:
	^ But remember Fonly, You can only have " 1 " so, no hand gun & a rifle

In that case, the 700 with 1000 rounds. Ill be siting in woods, waiting for lunch. Very Happy

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Qoute: LONGBOW50, from bladeforums:
The boy scouts motto takes on a new meaning when fate steps in and makes you feel like a dummy.

Fonly wrote:

	Drummer Dave wrote:
	^ But remember Fonly, You can only have " 1 " so, no hand gun & a rifle

In that case, the 700 with 1000 rounds. Ill be siting in woods, waiting for lunch. Very Happy

> Remington ? 700 Cool

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

I still think a .22LR is better to have than a remington 700 unless you have a way to get massive amounts of salt or something to cure meat or are going to be in a big group.

Then again you didn't say what the Rem 700 was gaged in, so it could be a smaller round, but I don't think it would be to small.

200 years ago on the prairie with millions of buffalo I would say yeah you want a high powered rifle. But today with the small amount of big game (and in a TSHTF situation the big game will get killed fast) and the fact that they have a slower breeding rate (I.E. 1 calf or child to say 4-5 or more with other animals of smaller size).

Now if you live in a vast area where you will need to make more than 100 yard shots then yeah, go with a higher cal rifle.

Just one gun fellas!! No combos. We can do that one in another thread.

and we are not talking Riot control or armed attack by urban gangs.

Keep in mind that we cover all of NA and some other areas too. Every climate zone and environment is different.

No one is "wrong" until they have to live or die by their decision.

Note that I have not put my two cents worth in yet.

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SMILE AND WAVE BOYS, SMILE AND WAVE

Just my Mossberg 500 12 ga.

It's almost cheating to use one of those Wink

Bird shot,buck shot,slugs...it eats them all.

Cliff

	Cliff N wrote:
	Just my Mossberg 500 12 ga. It's almost cheating to use one of those Bird shot,buck shot,slugs...it eats them all. Cliff

> True enough, good choice really...... i may change my mind now, lol Cool

It is by far the most versitile Gun to have.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

	Cliff N wrote:
	Just my Mossberg 500 12 ga. It's almost cheating to use one of those Bird shot,buck shot,slugs...it eats them all. Cliff

another shotgunner!

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People to contact if you have a problem

When guns become outlawed only outlaws will have guns.

Drummer Dave wrote:

Fonly wrote:

	Drummer Dave wrote:
	^ But remember Fonly, You can only have " 1 " so, no hand gun & a rifle

In that case, the 700 with 1000 rounds. Ill be siting in woods, waiting for lunch. Very Happy

> Remington ? 700 Cool

Yup.

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Qoute: LONGBOW50, from bladeforums:
The boy scouts motto takes on a new meaning when fate steps in and makes you feel like a dummy.

I have been putting a lot of thought to this thread lately..

at first i was reconsidering and thinking a .22lr, or even a .22 magnum would be a better choice... The reasons.. .22 magnum is the top choice for deer jacking here, is not too over the top for rabbits (pretty much blows their heads off), can eaily take the head off of partrige, ducks, other game...

BUT, with some more thought about larger game came more thought of a more powerful firearm. People I know personally have tried to take deer with .22lr's as well as .22 magnums. Very illegal here... anyway, their deer was wounded.. bled a lot, but was lost and probably eaten by a preditor or some crows.. this guy is one of the best shots i know, the gun just wasn't enough that day. The shot was within 25 yards.

If you tried to kill a moose, elk, cariboo, deer... with a .22lr or even a .22 mag.. chances are you may end up losing the animal and causing it to suffer and go to waste.

This is why, for now, i'l stand by my shotgun choice. Within the right range you can take any game in north america. The drawback is the weight of the ammo.

I have been back and forth with centerfire rifles as well... still not sure what i'd rather (this or the shotgun)... I'l put some more thought to it and then get back to the thread again.

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Daffy wrote:

I have been putting a lot of thought to this thread lately..

at first i was reconsidering and thinking a .22lr, or even a .22 magnum would be a better choice... The reasons.. .22 magnum is the top choice for deer jacking here, is not too over the top for rabbits (pretty much blows their heads off), can eaily take the head off of partrige, ducks, other game...

BUT, with some more thought about larger game came more thought of a more powerful firearm. People I know personally have tried to take deer with .22lr's as well as .22 magnums. Very illegal here... anyway, their deer was wounded.. bled a lot, but was lost and probably eaten by a preditor or some crows.. this guy is one of the best shots i know, the gun just wasn't enough that day. The shot was within 25 yards.

If you tried to kill a moose, elk, cariboo, deer... with a .22lr or even a .22 mag.. chances are you may end up losing the animal and causing it to suffer and go to waste.

This is why, for now, i'l stand by my shotgun choice. Within the right range you can take any game in north america. The drawback is the weight of the ammo.

I have been back and forth with centerfire rifles as well... still not sure what i'd rather (this or the shotgun)... I'l put some more thought to it and then get back to the thread again.

It all depends on your location in the fact that if your in a area with more deer, caribou, moose, etc. Than rabbits, groundhogs, birds, etc then I would say go with a shotgun.

But I think in the vast majority of places your going to find a lot more small game than large game, also small game breeds faster. I.E. A deer might have 2 babies, a rabbit might have 4 to 6. Also the pregnancy cycle of smaller game is a lot shorter than large game on average so it's easier for them to reproduce in a shorter period of time for you to get more game.

For example Deer have about a 200 day gestation period before giving birth.

Rabbits have a gestation period of 31 days

So to me while it might be easier to get say a deer every 2-3 months at the start of the situation, in a few months once other people have also picked off some of the deer you will find it hard to find them without a lot of work and energy spent.

Also most of the small game doesn't move around as much, so a rabbit killed 5 miles from you isn't going to be a problem for the rabbits your trying to kill in your area.

Also it is easier to use traps for rabbits, groundhogs, etc. than traps for deer which is one of the best ways to get food, but this has nothing to do with "One Firearm".

But really you need atleast 2 firearms in a bad situation 1) Large Caliber Rifle/Shotgun/Pistol for self defense and 2) Small Caliber Rifle for small game.

But like I said I think a shotgun does have it's uses especially if you have a 2nd home, or you live on a big acreage and you are growing some of your own food (especially food that might attract deer and other game) and you won't be doing a lot of packing/hunting. I.E. if your going to stay in one spot then a shotgun along with a bunch of ammo stored in your area isn't bad.

Where as if your in a situation where your always going to be on the move for months then you really need something that you can carry more ammo with you as a shotgun doesn't do you one bit of good no matter what if you don't have any shells for it.

I don't understand why you don't think a shotgun isn't a small game gun... you can kill rabbits that are running (try that with a .22 and if you get one it's lucky) and where I live to shoot a ruffed grouse (partrige) with a single projectile (rifle bullet) is illegal... you have to use bird shot. Ducks.. the entire market for duck guns are shotguns with a huge selection of shells designed for them. This is the same for turkey...

If you ask me, as I stand right now.. (this could change over night if I come up with other reasons) the shotgun with many different types of shells is the multitool of firearms. You can not argue that.

The thread is one gun, nothing said about one type of ammo for that gun! Only down side is the weight of the shells. But to me that isn't an issue cause it's not like you have to carry 100 rounds with you every time you go.

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Daffy wrote:

I don't understand why you don't think a shotgun isn't a small game gun... you can kill rabbits that are running (try that with a .22 and if you get one it's lucky) and where I live to shoot a ruffed grouse (partrige) with a single projectile (rifle bullet) is illegal... you have to use bird shot. Ducks.. the entire market for duck guns are shotguns with a huge selection of shells designed for them. This is the same for turkey...

If you ask me, as I stand right now.. (this could change over night if I come up with other reasons) the shotgun with many different types of shells is the multitool of firearms. You can not argue that.

The thread is one gun, nothing said about one type of ammo for that gun! Only down side is the weight of the shells. But to me that isn't an issue cause it's not like you have to carry 100 rounds with you every time you go.

Oh I am well aware you can get small game easily with the right shotgun load. But you can carry 50 .22LR shells in the space 1-12ga round takes. In the space 20 shotgun shells take, you can hold about 500 .22lr rounds. Thats a huge difference in numbers. The weight isn't so much a issue as space, if the 12ga round took up as much space as a .22lr but weighed the same it does now I would be all for it, but it just takes up to much room unless you allready have a bug out location and can store your ammo there. If that is the case and you have a bug out location then put a good 2000-5000 shotgun rounds up there, and keep a few hundred in your current home to help you get out to it.

Now if say there are riots in the streets and you can't stay in your home, and need to get out of town (and don't have a place to go with 12ga ammo stocked up) and have to take everything your going to use with you I would take a .22lr, though this isn't perfect because you will prob. get mugged on your way out of town, lol. But atleast if I do get out with a .22lr and make it to the mountains I can carry enough ammo that I can shoot 2-3 times a day for over a year very easily.

To me it matters a lot if you got to pack all your stuff with you, if you do a .22lr is most likely the best. If you got say 80-160 acres of property with a cabin on it then by all means stock it up with a bunch of 12ga ammo and take your 12ga. I just don't have the luxury so if I "bug out" I am bugging out to the moutains where I have nothing but what is on my back and I am carrying and that means I much prefer a .22lr rifle and 2-3 boxes of 500 shells. 1500 12ga rounds will take up your whole pack and you prob couldn't carry it.

I guess the ideal solution would be bow+arrow and a 12ga since you can make arrows to hunt with since it's still only 1 gun, but you also have a near infinite amount of arrows you can make yourself (as long as you know how). I have been considering this myself (buying a cheapish long bow) also bow hunting is completely silent compared to gun hunting.

Thats another good thing about .22lr though, the report is a lot smaller (especially with sub-sonic rounds) so if it's a bad situation and people might be coming after you for a variety of reasons you don't have to worry as much with a .22lr as a 12ga but like I said a bow is even better.

Everyones opinion is valid because you are aware of the situations that deal with your life, and I am aware of the situations that deal with my life.

I"m not saying that the shotgun is the ultimate answer, and in a pinch I'd more than likely grab a few of my guns...

I like your idea of taking a gun and a bow. IF I was taking both i'd take a .22 and my bow. The bow would be for deer/moose/bear, the .22 for small game (yeah yeah laws say i can't kill ruffed grouse with it but whatever it's survival)

add to that a fishing rod and some trapping materials and you are pretty set for food, granted you come across some.

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