So I have been pondering a grab and go rifle kit for many years. I can never narrow down my top caliber choices. My top use is it will be a hunting kit. I hunt predators and deer in the south mostly but sometimes I hunt mule deer out west. I have gone back and forth with having 2 bolt action rifles, which makes caliber choices endless. My other option is an ar-15 or an ar-10 with a complete rifle and then a second upper.
mother things going into the case will be one of my back up pistols, a Glock 20 or a 1911 in 10mm. I’ll have spare ammo, skinning knife, range finder, spare mags, shooting sticks.
now onto my caliber choices. If I go with an ar-10 I was thinking 308 and 243. If I go ar-15 I’m leaning toward a 223 and a big bore. Seeing as there’s so many caliber options I’m wondering what other people would like in a rifle kit.
most of my hunting is done under 150 yards. But there’s always a possibility of longer shots at big game. That’s where the big bore falls off the usefulness list. I hope to never need the kit for bug out but being prepared always sticks in my mind. That always makes me lean back to a 223 with a QD scope and red dot to be swapped out.
so what does everyone else think? If you were building a do most kit what would you have in it? Would you go for a second caliber choice or stick with 1? What other gear would you try to pack in it?
oh and the case I have and want to use is an eylar 53” case
EDIT: The main reason i say bug out kit is because it forces me to think light. I don't think ill ever be in a bug out situation but i like to use the idea so that it makes me think about more uses for everything that goes into the kit. im really focused on the hunting side of this whole question. I'll likely never have to carry this case a long way. it will go into the truck, off to hunting camp and only things that i need for that specific hunt will be carried.
I've already been down this winding, twisting road. Don't go there.
The long and the short of it is you're trying to do two very different tasks at the same time. You can't serve two masters. Get two different bags and set one up for each task. Or, if your budget constrains you to only one bag, then set it up as solely a bug out bag. When it's time to go hunting, repack it for hunting. When you return, repack it as a bug out bag.
As far as your firearms are concerned...the sky's the limit.
Handgun...something concealable is wise, but a full size service pistol packs more firepower. Handgun is your secondary, so it doesn't have to be perfect; it's okay to compromise. If you want one handgun for both hunting and bug out...357 covers you all the way up to black bear, but you only have 6 shots (5 in a J-frame.) Perhaps look at a 357 Sig, 45 acp or 10mm if you want mag capacity. Ideally, I'd say pick two handguns-one for hunting and one for bugging out. In which case, I say 357 or 44 revolver for hunting and full size 9mm for bugging out.
For a rifle, pick your bolt gun for hunting as you otherwise would, and then just go with a 5.556 AR for bugging out and be done. If you
must have only one rifle, my thought is some sort of 308 bolt gun capable of iron sights-something like a Scout Rifle concept. Remember that, if you're bugging out through an urban area, your firearms attract unwanted attention from both good guys and bad.
Thinking light. You should be doing that regardless of the task at hand. Lighter ammo means more of it or less weight in your pack. Can you effectively hunt with a 223? If so, there's your answer. Regardless, I weigh every single item in my packs. I often trade out one item for a lighter version, or a single use item for a dual purpose item. Ounces = pounds, and pounds = pains. This is especially true over age 40.
My parting thought for you is this: you have bigger things to concern yourself with right now than caliber choice. Much more important things.
