[goon]

What would you pick?
The whole blackout thing last week got me thinking about how glad I am to live in the country. Luckily, when I need water, I can just get in my truck with some jugs and go to one of several spings in my area. If I really needed food, I could shoot something or set a snare. City folks are not so lucky.
It also got me thinking about what I would want to have in the case that I had to fend for myself for an extended period of time. I know, the lights will likely be back on in a couple days at most no matter what, but still...
Prepared never got anyone hurt.

So, what are your choices for guns that you would use to feed and or defend yourself with in such a case?
I will leave the numbers and types up to you guys. We are all gun lovers here, so I don't want to break up any collections.
Mine would include my CZ-452 .22 LR for sure. Good meat gun and ammo is cheap to buy and doesn't take up much storage space.
Also, my .308 and one of my 9mm's. I could probably get ammo for them even in a pinch.
I have a S&W M-28 that I think would serve well. Easy to find brass to reload when you are using a revolver.
I may also want my Lyman .50 cal Flintlock and the necessary stuff to cast balls for it. It is primitive, but in some ways it would still be better than more modern firearms.
May also want to get a .32 cal muzzloader in the mix as well.

As of right now, I have others as well. I plan to keep them all, since I do have nearly all bases covered with my current collection. But if I were starting out with that type of collection in mind, those are the choices that I would go with .

What are your picks?

[SelfProclaimedExpert]

Read the book "Into the Wild". In this true story of ill fated survival in Alaska, the subject makes a variety of mistakes. Apparently, his choice of gun was not. He shot everything from field mice to a moose with a Remington .22 rifle.

.22 LR - the choice of poachers for over 100 years.

[Art Eatman]

A major point to any sort of survival living, for even a short period of time, is to be unobtrusive within your environs, and be aware of people or animals before they're aware of you. If you have a need to shoot, you still have the need to minimize the disturbance to the area: Samee-samee the poacher.

You need the patience to be still for long periods, and the skill to travel silently while taking advantage of whatever concealment is available.

I've always had a high regard for the little Browning take-down .22 semi-auto as a survival rifle...

Art

[Keith]

I'll toss my weight towards the .22 also. I'm pretty sure that day in and day out you'd be better served with small game hunting. It's no problem to pot ducks in a pond or even take a deer now and again with a .22.

Also, most people would be amazed at how much there is to eat just in the plants around you. Even in winter (if you know what to look for), there are all kinds of starchy roots that can be dug up. Acorns and pine seeds can be ground and cooked. Ever eaten a cattail? You can chop and peel the thick bottoms and get a meal out of them - sort of like parsnips.

Keith

[gearbox]

Originally posted by SelfProclaimedExpert
Read the book "Into the Wild". In this true story of ill fated survival in Alaska, the subject makes a variety of mistakes. Apparently, his choice of gun was not. He shot everything from field mice to a moose with a Remington .22 rifle.

.22 LR - the choice of poachers for over 100 years.
How does one take down a moose with a .22?
Aim for the eye? :confused:

Of course, the post doesn't say he actually killed it, only that he shot it....:scrutiny:

[Backwoods]

Yeah, he killed the moose with the .22, then most of the meat spoiled because he had no idea how to preserve it. He died due to eating the wrong plant, which prevented his digestive system for working. The green seed pods were toxic but the roots could have been eaten safely, IIRC they called the plant "Eskimo potato".

Anyway, a .22 will kill lots of big game, if used precisely enough.

Don in Ohio

[Ohen Cepel]

Depends on how primitive one wants to go.

I think a single shot may be better since it has far less parts to break. The rifle/shotgun combos have some merit. Or even the double rifles since you have 2 shots and basically have 2 guns.

I think my think would be to look at what has the fewest parts and would be durable.

[Soap]

For pure survival I would probably bring my Kimber .22 and as many bricks of .22 as I could realistically carry.

[Cosmoline]

CZ 452 for sure. It uses the ubiquitous .22LR and is accurate enough to make the tiny round usable for all sorts of things in a pinch.

Also a Marlin 1894 and some handguns in .38 Special/.357 Mag. Very common ammo, easy to find brass, easy to cast lead bullets.

In VERY primitive conditions, I'd go for a solid flintlock .50 Cal.

[Futo Inu]

http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-m6-m6rifles.shtml

[Gordon]

Depends on how big a base camp you got! If back packing the M-6 in .22hornet makes alot of sense to my son who works for Alskan Park service and University of Ak. Of course bears demand 12 ga slugs . or 30-06 up! If I lived in AK or another remote location I would have VERY specialized tools for many jobs, to increase my survivability. When I go up there on guided hunts to remote base camps my Rem 700SS in .375H&H is about right. I also like a .44 mag pistol with 300grain loads! I never had the luxury of more guns than this in an airplane!

[atek3]

if you expected serious rumblings with 2 legged foes, perhaps a H&K G3. Reliable as all get out, hardly ever breaks (so lack of spare parts isn't as much of an issue). 308 hitting power. But for general survival perhaps one of NEF handi rifle with a few switch barrels in 20 ga., 30-30, and 22 lr. (not sure if they make a 22 lr barrel.

atek3

[Tommy Gunn]

I think flintlock firearms would be great for primitive living if you learn how to knap flints, cast ball, and make your own blackpowder.

I would also learn something about gunsmithy on these old style weapons.

[BusMaster007]

A 10/22 & a .38. That's all.
:rolleyes:
Wait. Wrong Forum...:D

[scotjute]

For primitive/survival living, I would not choose black powder, as that has to be cleaned every night after shooting. Where will your hot water come from if you don't have a pot, rags to dry it, etc. Know it can be done, but if you're talking about a survival level why mess with the extra hassle.
I would tend more toward a .22 magnum bolt action with scope and iron sights than .22lr. .22 mag is fairly flat out to 100 yds., has more power than .22lr, and the bullets are still light enough that you could pack hundreds without a lot of hassle. .22 hornet/similar would also seem good
choices. Don't know tho if I could stand to walk past my scoped deer rifle and take the .22 mag. instead.

[lawboy]

ruger 10/22 mag. in 22 WMR
94 trapper in .357
12 gauge pump
ruger mkII .22lr

I can think of at least a dozen other combinations that would work just as well. bottomline is a properly educated, healthy person could make it with no gun at all.