The best survival firearm - a .22LR rifle?

[SharpsDressedMan]

The .22 is the most practical survival weapon, and way more ammo can be packed along than any other option. In a military type survival situation, a .22 can be used to take down an enemy, and then use their gun and ammo.

 

[cluttonfred]

Great post, Bluenote, and points well taken (and a few laughs in there to boot). Thanks!

 

[Mp7]

a http://www.militarygunsupply.com/shop2/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_15&products_id=133
PPSh 41 and a spamcan of 7.62 x 25

reliable design with good ballistics vs game and human.
a TT33 to go with it.

 

[youngda9]

something with more punch than a .22.

What are you trying to survive on? squirrels, deer, larger game

What are you tyrying to survive from? people, lions

This will determine caliber.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

In a purely survival situation, securing food is the most important consideration. Fending off predators MAY be of concern. Fighting off a human enemy MAY be a concern. Getting FOOD WILL be a concern. In a survival situation (if you can prepare) choose what will get more USEABLE food. A .22 lr can harvest very small animals(you won't have the option of being choosy) small birds as well as deer sized game,etc. these are more likely and expend less energy to harvest and prepare. The .22lr is best suited for this. A 12 ga. pump with #8 shot as well as slugs would be my other but secondary option.

 

[dom1104]

I think the best survival firearm is one that can be used as a shovel, with heirloom seeds in the buttstock.

 

[LoneCoon]

a http://www.militarygunsupply.com/shop2/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_15&products_id=133
PPSh 41 and a spamcan of 7.62 x 25

reliable design with good ballistics vs game and human.
a TT33 to go with it.

WHY DID YOU POST THAT?

Must have carbine....

 

[christcorp]

something with more punch than a .22.

What are you trying to survive on? squirrels, deer, larger game

What are you tyrying to survive from? people, lions

This will determine caliber.

If survival is in it's truest definition, then there isn't anything that the 22lr can't do for you. It will get you just about any food. It will take care of just about any self defense. (You're not going to be having 20-30 people combing the woods looking for you.)

I think the problem is people trying to define SURVIVAL to mean the same thing as the person who voluntarily lives/moves out to the woods/mountains. There's a difference between someone who voluntarily moves to the mountains/wood and/or goes hunting/camping/hiking; and the person who is forced into these situations because of a societal breakdown. Anyway; for the TRUE survivalist, a 22LR is the perfect weapon.

 

[mustang_steve]

I second the K22....I love mine, and despite it's age, it's still very close to being a tack driver all the way to 65 feet (that's as deep as the range I go to is).

Portable, reliable, accurate.

 

[Brian Williams]

Marlin 39M and I will not be wing shooting, shoot them on the ground, I am trying to survive not be a sportsman.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I have a weakness for the 22 long rifle caliber. Favored them all these years. If I ever had to give up any gun the 22 woould be the very last one. simply because of the utility of it. No other reason.

As a 22 caliber it can serve you well as a rifle. It can keep beligerents off and away from you and kept at a good distance.
Underrated even still is the power versatility of a 22 long rifle. With the right selection of cartridges you can split open cantilopes and watermelons or with the subsonic you can keep it much quieter.

 

[mnrivrat]

I am still a believer in a multi-task firearm for a general purpose survival weapon. Primarily for wilderness situations.
I maintain my customized Savage Model 24 to fill that roll. It is a modified 24V with shortened barrels, the upper barrel has been rechambered from .222 to .223 Remington.
The lower 20 ga, barrel has been modified to accept choke tubes.

The gun breaks down easily into three major assemblies. The forearm now holds a chamber adapter for .223 to .22 RF . The Butt stock holds a packet of .22 RF short ammo. The gun is set up for a sling and now also has nylon ammo holder for shot shells. The metal is done in bake coat OD green and the wood is painted with a semi-flat wheel rim black paint. The grip cap and butt plate are made from 1/4 " aluminum plate.

So now I can shoot .223 Remington, .22 short, long or Long rifle rimfire ammo from the top barrel and 20ga. shot, buckshot, slugs in the 3 inch chamber of the bottom barrel. The two barrels were tuned so that they both hit to point of aim at about 25 to 30 yards distance.

This is what I fill the duty of survival gun with.

 

[dom1104]

Mnrivrat...

all I gotta say is wow.

Hats off to you man, you did good on that.

amazing. fantastic. wonderfull. superb.

 

[makarovnik]

Kel-Tec sub 2000. Folds up and fits into a back pack, uses Glock, S&W, Beretta... mags.

 

[PandaBearBG]

Ah Mnrivrat I was just gonna suggest the Savage Model 24F-12, basicly answer all the questions and wants of the other posters.

 

[alemonkey]

If i only had one gun that I was going to have to rely on for an extended period of time in the wilderness it would be my Savage 30G in .22 LR. It's feather lite and scary accurate. Sure, it's only a single shot, but the light weight would pay off if I have to haul the thing day in and day out. As long as there's tree rats, birds, and bunnies I could stay fed. Plus it's ultra-simple with hardly any moving parts to fail or get jammed.

If I was going to be in bear country I'd probably want my 870 though.

 

[Sawyer Bar]

I'm from California and the Indians out here kill deer and elk, at night mostly, with .22lrs due to their report.

If trained and well-supplied soldiers are after you it may not matter in the end what you have.

Evading detection with a 22 is easier than without about anything. People have killed many a deer with 22 shorts.

 

[Blackbeard]

I guess we all have different visions of what a "survival" situation would be. Personally, I'm thinking it means being deprived of most modern conveniences and being totally self-reliant for food, shelter, and all necessities of life. Hunting small game will be a daily occurance. I'm not imagining the need to fight enemy forces. Given that scenario, my bolt-action Marlin 925 .22LR is the one I'm taking.

The primary reason is weight. It's definitely the lightest long arm I have, and it is far easier to carry 500 rounds of .22LR than 500 rounds of any centerfire caliber. And that's what you'll be doing -- carrying it. No gasoline to power our cars in my scenario -- can't just toss that 40-pound ammo can in the trunk and head off into the wilderness. Nope, whatever we take will get there on our own two feet.

 

[David E]

People always advocate a 22 pistol for hunting, I do not know why other than armchairism.

I don't know about "always," but a good .22 pistol is a viable choice for small game hunting. It's easier to carry and has enough power to bag small game for the pot at reasonable (25 yds or so) ranges. I've downed many a squirrel and rabbit with mine, so it's not "armchairism." Then again, if one simply cannot hit with a handgun, then it is a poor choice for them.....

If I were going out in the woods with the goal being to survive on the animals of the forest, then I'd take a .22 rifle. But when small game hunting isn't the focus of the outing, a .22 pistol (in competent hands) can take advantage of animals that randomly present themselves for dinner consideration.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Papoose

I think that for a stripped/minimalist scenario I would go with a Marlin P70SS (Papoose). I carry one in my truck.

It's stainless, semi-auto, take-down with flotation carry bag.

The default magazine is 7 rounds, but the Papoose will also take the 10-round Marlin 795SS magazine.

It's way portable, and much more robust than the AR-7.

And it will take a scope.

 

[Bluenote]

I am still a believer in a multi-task firearm for a general purpose survival weapon. Primarily for wilderness situations.
I maintain my customized Savage Model 24 to fill that roll. It is a modified 24V with shortened barrels, the upper barrel has been rechambered from .222 to .223 Remington.
The lower 20 ga, barrel has been modified to accept choke tubes.

The gun breaks down easily into three major assemblies. The forearm now holds a chamber adapter for .223 to .22 RF . The Butt stock holds a packet of .22 RF short ammo. The gun is set up for a sling and now also has nylon ammo holder for shot shells. The metal is done in bake coat OD green and the wood is painted with a semi-flat wheel rim black paint. The grip cap and butt plate are made from 1/4 " aluminum plate.

So now I can shoot .223 Remington, .22 short, long or Long rifle rimfire ammo from the top barrel and 20ga. shot, buckshot, slugs in the 3 inch chamber of the bottom barrel. The two barrels were tuned so that they both hit to point of aim at about 25 to 30 yards distance.

This is what I fill the duty of survival gun with.

Plus about a million on your post , I wonder if you have any idea of just how many 24 in various permutions are stowed in the back of bushplanes , semi-truck running the DaltonHwy and behind the seats of pickups in the far north.

Sooner or later I'll buy one when I run across a suitable one.

As it is stand right now with my gun locker ,if I could only take ONE out of it to survive with it would undoubtely be the 10-22 that I've owned since '73.

If I could take two it would be that and one of the .44 mags , the benchrest rifles would be too heavy , the varminters wouldn't be versatile enough , shotgun ammo takes up a lot of space , the 1911s are anti personell ,the model 24 Smith is too short, the other bolt guns aren't as versatile.
The lever guns same thing as regards versatility.

And please don't ask me about THREE , I'd still be standing there two weeks later trying to choose the third one.

As has been pointed out , a .22 could in a pinch do it all , quiet so it won't attract unwanted attention , could be a defensive gun in a pinch , gets small game efficiently and economically without scaring all the rest of the game out of the country , and you can pack a lot of ammunition in a small space.

Hmmm that THIRD one , the .30-30 , nope .257 mag varminter? 7mm mag? Shotgun ?one of the cannons ( ,45-70 or .338mag) , shotgun of hell I give up...where are my gunbearers.........and a damn mule to carry the ammo.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I'm with David E on the .22lr handgun. I would be well armed if I only had my Colt Woodsman Target Model 1. As accurate as most any rifle.

 

[mustang_steve]

I think most of the apprehension behind the .22 as a survival round is people being used to larger calibers for hunting.

A big part of that is what we hunt. We as outdoor enthusiasts tend to hunt the big, the strong, the majestic. Creatures that hunt on survival get "the easiest thing that fills their bellies".

Thus if we hunt for survival, it's not going to be a bear, deer, mountain lion, moose, elk, or any other huge creature. It's going to be Opossum, Raccoon, Squirrels, snakes, etc. Maybe a moderate sized bird. Either way, it's going to be smaller, more plentiful creatures. Thus no need for a 30-30 or any other typical trophy hunting calibers as I'm going to refer to them in this post as.

Honestly, most creatures are perfectly edible...palatable may be another story, but that's why someone ages ago invented Stew....even the worst meat is somewhat edible in a nice stew.

As for armchairism on the handgun. Not in the least. Are you going to pick off small game with a scope...why? I can find tons of small game within 50 feet of me. My K22 is accurate enough to land a kill shot on a squirrel at 50 feet, 40 feet in my less than ideal hands....on iron sights. That squirrel may not be much, but it's a meal or twos worth of meat....and the hide can make a nice .22 ammo pouch.

 

[MarkDido]

As for the pilot survival rifle, I thought this was a great idea when I was kid. When I became a Naval Aviator, I thought otherwise. After putting on a G-suit, a torso harness, and an SV-2 that weighed ~30 lbs., the last thing I wanted to carry into the cockpit was a 22LR rifle (not that it would've fit in there to begin with). If I had to eject or ditch, I would have to trust the SV-2 goodies like my knife and Beretta (if on a combat flight; no combat = no pistol).

9MM+

What do/did you fly?

 

[22-rimfire]

I generally favor a rifle in 22LR for survival. My hope is that I'm not alone and a two or three person unit can carry more, keep each other company, share ideas and chores, and field a wider variety of firearms even in a minimalist scenario. I like the idea of a 22 rimfire rifle and center fire revolver approach. It would depend if you are in big bear country, but even then those encounters are few and far between. But in general, I'm staying home to live or die.

The Red Dawn scenario is pretty much a joke. You wouldn't live long hanging out with an army chasing you. It was a nice fantasy.