Survival: Can Your Air Rifle Cut It?

[Baltimore_900]

Consider this: you get invited to a large nationally recognized air rifle match. Any category or classification of air rifle can enter. Prize money per class is off the chain. The match itself will be held in a mountainous region of the Midwest.

You can't believe it. So, you send in your match entry fees and begin setting up your transportation and whatever else to get there.

For you, the match was a success. You placed well in your class and had a great time. Two days before you are set to leave, the near impossible occurs.

From the tip of Maine to the coast of California, a national emergency is declared and all public transportation is shut down. Utilities are shut off and any support you could've counted on is now gone. Those who could drive out did. The rest are on their own until further notice. All match participants are strongly encouraged to head for the mountains for their own safety. So, you do.

Here's the question. Can you count on the air rifle you brought to feed you? To defend you? Before you answer, will the air rifle(s) you own right now be up to the task?

 

[chicharrones]

My air rifles could be used to harvest some small critters, but my air rifles would never be able to defend me.

Two things in my situation.

One, I will likely always have a centerfire handgun with me that would be used for defense.

Two, I have usable rimfire rifles that are actually smaller than the typical break barrel or PCP air rifle. One of those would likely be in my transportation that got me to the event. It wouldn't be a second thought to exchange my air rifle for the rimfire at the event before I left. A rimfire rifle has no seals and o-rings to go bad like an air rifle does, plus a manually operated rimfire gives you different ammo options in regards to power levels and possibly range.

Bottom line for me, the air rifle would be left behind.