i assumed these are probably the only rifles they own, so they're just do it all rifles. the title of the thread starts with HOME DEFENSE / bug out. clearly, they don't know a lot about rifles. they aren't going to have 20 single purpose rifles like most people on this forum and they're not going to dedicate the time to proficiency. so they're not asking for a rifle optimized just for getting home versus one optimized for bugging out, vs one optimized for zombies or EMP vs a hurricane.
it doesn't friggin matter. "grab and go" could mean the glass in their back door breaking late at night.
they just want a couple high quality, light weight and easy to maintain rifles (cause they're not going to maintain them). given their likely level of knowledge, they probably consider a red dot "scoped".
if people wouldn't get so focused on the bug out scenario crap, a thread for "suggested general purpose rifles for a couple" that goes through the pros and cons of all the different styles and configurations would probably have made a good sticky, as i'm sure a lot of people have that same question
Summed up nicely. We're not joining some militia that needs to assault an enemy compound or taking on 25 Ninjas wearing Kevlar. We're trying to; 1. Make any BG inside the house have a strong desire to be outside the house as quickly as possible. 2. Make any BG within 50-100 yards of us have a strong desire to add some zeros to that distance.
Which, in my mind, narrows things to if they prefer a semi-auto rifle, a bolt action, or a lever gun.
Semi-Auto Rifle? Ruger PC9. 9mm is extremely available and plenty effective with non-ball ammunition. Reliable and gives you plenty of options for a handgun that shares ammunition and even magazines. The Ruger will nicely mount a 1x Prism scope and has nice backup sights. Takedown, so you can stuff it in a backpack and look inconspicuous. Some people swear by the CZs. I have no experience with them. Could be a good option. There are others as well.
Bolt gun? 77/44 and 77/357 would give you handgun interchangeability. Something like a Ruger Scout is heavier, but more powerful. The CZ Mausers are lightweight and available in a variety of calibers. Yea bolt guns are not "optimal" for home defense, but if that's what they're most comfortable with I'd roll with it and use some of the money to have the guns smoothed-up if needed.
Lever gun? Well Marlin or Henry would be your main options. Probably in a .357 magnum so you can have ammo compatibility with handguns and shoot 38 Special if you want. The Henry's are an attractive option. The Big Boy X Model would be the one I would look at, but plenty of good Marlins are out and about. Have someone smooth up the guns as needed.
Optics? Probably a low power scope, preferably with an illuminated reticle. The Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6x24 is what I'm thinking of, but with that budget they can get a higher-end equivalent. 6x is about the max you want with that size objective, due to how small the exit pupil gets at higher magnifications. 4x would be plenty serviceable. Red-dots have the battery issue, but if that is what they are used to I'd just make sure they have plenty of batteries on-hand.
There's my input.
