Survival Firearm? (Lost in the Woods)

If you could have only one firearm (handgun or long gun) when trying to survive in the woods, which one would it be? If you could have only one long gun, what calibre? Only one handgun, what calibre? My suggestion would be a .22 rifle or .22 pistol. The .22 can be used for hunting small game and lots of ammo can be carried easily. The .22 can also be used on human predators, if necessary.

Drakejake

 

If you're thinking ahead far enough to bring along a survival firearm, you should also be packing a GPS unit and spare batteries. But as far as the gun goes, mine might be a 4" .357 with both .38 & .357 ammo. Mild .38s don't damage small game much, and the .357 would be more effective for larger/dangerous game, and human predators.

 

The double gun..............

Available in 12ga / .223, .308 or 30.06

 

This is an interesting question, and since this is my first post in this forum, I will try to keep it short and to the point. The answer would depend on the scenario. If we are talking about an end of the world as we know it scenario, then it would be a different answer than a 2-week backpacking trip in grizzly bear country. In my opinion a rifle is far more versatile than a handgun, more accurate, better range, more capability for high energy cartridges. There are so many good choices; from a handy stainless folder Mini-14 on up to a .300 Winchester Magnum, it all depends on what you might encounter. A .22 is fine for rabbits and squirrels but not deer, so again, it all depends on where, how long, what you want to be ready for. For reliable and dependable self-protection or hunting of medium game in harsh environments, with a smaller package than a rifle, a stainless Smith and Wesson in .357 magnum would be a good choice. For quiet, a good compound bow is the way to go.

 

.22 hornet

I would have to say the .22 hornet is one of the best rounds for small/medium sized game and maby those human preditors,(a .223 would aslo work). Next up on the rifle scale would be the good ole .30-06, big enough to handle most things with one round and can handle everything with a few well placed shots. For handguns, as said before, a .357 mag with some .38 and .357 mag rounds.

 

How long are you going to be gone, what are the dangers in the area. If you are just hunting squirrels and rabbits and no bears etc take a 22. My real preference is a Marlin 1894c in 357 with a Lee loader or a Lyman 310 tong tool.
I could carry 50 rounds and a pound of powder, mucho primers in small tins and a bullet mould, think cowboys.

 

.223 Rem

Small enough for small game, effective enough for larger game up to and including whitetail deer. The Hornet would be a close second for me, though.

 

Well, first of all, consider the environment you're in:

1. What sort of animals and/or other dangers are you likely to encounter? In the Deep South, the worst I'm likely to find would be wild hogs, or whitetail. Further north, black bear and/or cougar are possible. Way up north, I might have to consider grizzly bear. In any of these areas, there is a greater or lesser chance of encountering human vermin. Obviously, the likely dangers govern what firearm I'd need.

2. What sort of woods? In thick woods like those in the Deep South, the maximum range is unlikely to exceed 100 yards, and will probably be less than 25 yards much of the time. Northern woods can offer longer ranges. I'd want a gun that is accurate and effective (on what I'm likely to encounter) within the range I'll have to shoot over.

3. How portable? If I'm going out for a day hike, I don't want to carry a long gun, as its size and weight are a pain. If I'm on a week's camping trip, a long gun might make more sense. I'd be happy with a decent revolver in a caliber suitable for the threats/game in my area, for a short hike.

4. How good am I? If I'm skilled with firearms, a handgun makes more sense than it would for a novice. It's easier to learn to shoot a carbine or rifle than it is to shoot a handgun.

 

22 Long Rifle - there are actually quite a few survival rifles on the market today, if you are looking into one here are a few

Springfield Armory M6 Survival Rifle - 22 and .410 gauge shotgun ($300)

Marlin Papoose - Semi Auto takedown 22 ($200)

Henry AR-7 - Used by the airforce as a survival rifle, it breaks down and the action and barrel fit in the stock (I am looking into buying one of these) ($150)

 

if i'm planning

to be lost for a couple of weeks-a month then i want a .22 rim fire mag. rifle/carbine. by the way i'm in southeast texas piney woods. plenty of deer have been taken with this round (at least that is what i've been told) and head shots on squirrel and rabbit wont mess up meat and multiple shots to the head would probably bring down a pig eventually. now if i'm planning to be "long term" lost in the woods any were, i want my .308.

 

In the deep south, I would expect lots of brush, crappy visibility, close engagement range and hog/deer sized animals. Lots of mud/water/grime.

Up north I would expect longer ranges and less water/mud. More deer/less hogs. Not much else in the way of difference.

 

Keltec SU -16C.
Glock 20 or Ruger GP100.

 

I would take my new Yugo SKS. Reliable, accurate out at most engagment ranges out in the woods, the 7.62x39 round is a highly adaptable cartridge, plus the bayonet incase things really get hairy. Overall it has all I want in a survivle rifle.

 

I'll ditto that

The SKS would be a good survival rifle--you can knock it about and not care, it's accurate enough without sacrificing reliability, it's got a knife handy on the end , and could come in handy as a walking stick/crutch if need be . That's from what I currently own. If given a pick of any handgun/long rifle combo, I'd probably pick .357 SA revolver of some kind (good to know it isn't going off unless you make it) with 38 Special (and hey, you can have a holster w/ammo loops to carry your shells), and a .357 Lever action of some kind. Close-in stuff would be taken care of (as well as the random defense against rabid beavers, just draw the wheelgun), as would longer distance with the levergun. Just my few cent's worth.

 

I'd take a .22 Magnum bolt action (Savage 93GL in my case) for a subsistence rifle, providing dangerous animals weren't a concern. It's light, ammo is light, and .22 Mag is more versatile than .22 LR IMHO.

I'd also take my stainless Ruger Service Six in case it was needed against varmints with two legs.

 

Depth and breadth

The SKS is a fine "survival" rifle, if that's why I'm in these supposed woods.
If I'm "lost" in the woods, then I want a combo rifle in .22/12 gauge. The 12 has a wide variety of loads, and if I'm hoping to be found, I can carry some of those flare shells found in most sporting goods stores. Also, 12 ga is a good noisemaker, which helps searchers too. The .22 is good for small game, and a cartridge can be broken open for use as a firestarter; also, carrying 200 rds is easy.

.223 is also acceptable in place of the .22, and better in fact in some ways, but the most important part is to have a small caliber round that is lightweight and easily carried. Both .223 and .22 are available in tracer rounds, which can be fired to draw a searcher's attention to you.

For a handgun, I want my Model 66 with 180 or 200 gr hunting loads; manstopper, yes, but will be my last defense against a bear, too, after I've fired the shotgun.

 

Survivial Firearm: If I was not concerned about human predators, then it would be a 22 rifle (bolt action with 1" tube scope). You can kill a whitetail deer with a well placed head shot with an accurate 22 rifle. Poachers do it all the time. (22 magnum okay) Really depends on how long you are going o have to survive in the woods. If it is an end of civilzation thing, it would be a semi-auto rifle that uses a miltary caliber (223). The Mini-14 or AR clone comes to mind.

 

if i had to chose just one id take my Rossi matched pair in 22mag 12gauge. i think it would cover most everything i would incounter from defence to small, medium, large game.

 

.223 Mini 14 with Butler Creek folding stock (I have one) might be nice to have. Heavier than the Kel Tec SU-16 but almost as compact (28 inches with butt folded) and more rugged.

Drakejake

 

Survival

For survival hand gun I have carried a Charter Arms Pathfinder [original company ] in .22 mag for 30 years now. For a rifle I carry a Ruger 10/22. I would like to get one of the new ones in .22 mag. but then I don't go pack packing any more.

 

since nobody has mentioned it, keep in mind ammo weight and size. You could carry a lot more .22 rounds than 12-guage shotgun shells!

 

Has anyone mentioned the AK yet? Its like the SKS's overacheiving cousin. Plenty of punch for shooting through dense brush. Plenty of reliability for when the environment isnt friendly.

Only downside vs 22LR is you would absolutley not be able to carry more than a 1000 rounds in a rucksack (though it would just be heavy, not take up much room). 22 has a certain appeal to it, but youre SOL vs humanoids.

Maybe an AK main gun with a scoped/suppressed 22 pistol as a sidearm? You could easily carry 500 rds and it would fill in a lot of the places that the AK is weak in. It would be great for picking off small game. Rabbits and similar can easily be stalked to 5-10 meters distance.

 

Beerslurpy,

The .22 rimfire is not the ideal combat round, true, but just as it is possible to kill deer with it, so too can it kill people with one shot, provided it is a WELL-PLACED SHOT. There are too many variables-who, what, how many, how far, etc-to pin down all the possibilities, but with a GSW in the woods, your best bet for survival is to get medical help; in other words, fall back!
"One shot, one kill" has a nice ring to it, but if the game is survival, then "one shot, they stop pursuing me" is quite acceptable.

 

Savage or Baikal/Spartan O/U longgun with either .22 mag or .22 hornet on top, and either 20 ga or .410 bore on bottom. The former can take up to deer sized game with head shots, and the latter works for edible small game of both the rodentia and flying varieties. I kind of like the .22 mag/.410 3" chamber, as the ultimate since you can carry lots of ammo, and it has *just enough* oomph to take anything up to deer or so. As for things which would do you harm, right, you need just enough firepower to keep the enemy's head down and allow you to evade/escape. Getting game is far more important in a surviving-alone-in-the-woods scenario. If I'm being actively pursued as a target of an enemy unit, then that changes everything - I'd take an EBR of course.