"rainy day" rifle

[sappyg]

i might have came here last month but i didn't fall off the turnip truck last night!

 

[brandon_mcg]

define rainy day. if you are considering worst care scenario a good .22 is a good option due to its cheap ammo that you can stock up on quickly. It is also good at taking small game. Another good option is a lever action in .357 as you can purchase a .357 revolver as well and use the same ammunition for each, eliminating the need to purchase 2-3 different calibers of ammunition.

BTW, I thought it never hurt to be prepared for bad situations. I don't see the harm in asking questions about a rainy day. But for the OP there are numerous forums that discuss these types of scenarios with a lot less criticism. Just google TEOTWAWKI forums and have a blast.

 

[Narwhal]

My personal preference is an M14, but they are expensive. $15,000 plus for the real deal and between 1.5-3k for a quality semi auto only version. Even the least accurate models should keep you within 3" at 100 yards. Short of that I would take a FAL. 7.62x51mm ammunition should be common and abundant. The round is powerful enough to take any north american game. Sure, it might take 2 or 3 shots for a kodiak or polar bear, but that's why they come with 20-25 round mags. Then an AR or AK.

1. M14
2. FAL
3. AR-15
4. AK-47

 

[Sheepdog1968]

There is an author by the last name of Rawles. He has a book (and a website survival with either dot com or dot org) about survival stuff that is well thought out and covers a lot of topics. Also, if you are looking for more info on rifles, I'd read up on the writings of Jeff Cooper. He had lots of good insights into the topic. He touted the concept of a "scout rifle". There are several platforms if read into his Gunsite gossip work that he talks about as suitable (mostly bolt actions but also including lever actions). There is no one right answer. For example, lots of folks promote same caliber as pistol. There is a lot to be said for that approach. Here is the flip side to that argument, by having multiple calibers, you have more flexiblity in what ammo you could use/obtain if ammo becomes hard to get. Both the single caliber and multi-caliber approaches have their pros and cons. It goes on with all other kinds of equipment. Also, do over focus on guns so that you don't have any food or water stocked up. The best way to avoid a rainy day is to not have to leave the home. All my two cents.

 

[tkopp]

It isn't so much that end of the world threads are fundamentally counterproductive, it's that we get questions like this and the answers are necessarily unhelpful.

Define your 'rainy day.' If you're not a hunter, learning on the fly is going to be tough. Do you want a man stopper, a deer hunting rifle, a squirrel gun, something that can harvest wild hogs?

How much ammo can you afford to stockpile?

What kind of land do you live on? Is it wide and open, mountainous, dense forest?

Do you plan on moving around much, or staying in one place?

All you have to do to get around the 'end of the world' ban is to start a thread and say, 'Recommend me a lightweight, reliable autoloading rifle suitable for harvesting 40lb game and discouraging two-legged predators. It should take common ammunition and be short and handy in thick woods.' Edit, of course, to your own needs. You get the answer you want and the discussion will be helpful to others as well!

 

[Sam1911]

w.e.g. you just answered my question. I had not known about a 440rd can going for 80 bucks! that will serve its purpose quite nicely

He said he already has his answer, and it is a fine one.

No, we don't normally do "end of the world" threads. Mostly because the best answer is, "whatever you have, can shoot well, and have some ammo on-hand for."

When the "balloon goes south" (or whatever the current expression is for the mythical denouement of civil society) which gun we should have bought will most likely not be the sort of thing any of us are worrying about.