Considerations for rifle selection you should consider for hunting/SHTF rifle

[EZRider]

Dooms day prepping......

Dooms day prepping is fun!

I have CZ rifles in .308, .375, a 5.56 semi, a variety of 9mm handguns and enough reloading gear to keep it all fed.

 

[tunatoy76]

Glad to live in a country where where my meagre supply of a couple of lbs of powder and few hundred projectiles would feed me on venison for a hundred years without worrying that those with a different political view or are still pissed about a war a hundred and fifty years ago are coming to get me as soon as law break's down.

 

[Tanks]

Interesting thought, but definitely not realistic (by your standards) such a universal all purpose firearm does not exist...
...

Well, I think an AR-10 would kill just about any game in the US and be an anti-personnel weapon. For example an HK MR762A1 comes with a 20 round magazine.

 

[Hogpatrol]

End of the world as we know it scenarios are only good for one thing, filling with cash, the pockets of those that sell to the believers. Aztec calendar, anyone?

 

[Hogpatrol]

BUYER'S ALERT!

Just returned from Wally World's Tuesday hour early senior shopping hour and THEY HAD TOILET PAPER!
Am well stocked and didn't really need any but picked up an eight pack anyway, just in case the SHTF.

Edit: I saw an elderly man with no mask, rubbing his chin and nose trying to figure out which purified water to buy.

 

[Jfet]

BUYER'S ALERT!

Just returned from Wally World's Tuesday hour early senior shopping hour and THEY HAD TOILET PAPER!
Am well stocked and didn't really need any but picked up an eight pack anyway, just in case the SHTF.

One must keep the fan clean. It will be needed on hot summer days.

One must also know where the local Cracker Barrel Restaurant is located. These restaurants are a store house of farm equipment that will be needed to grow food after all the tractors quit running.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Hmm, Let's see. Global warming, seas rising, weather patterns changing, North Korea nukes, China plagues, Africa inequality, Al Queda, Taliban, Russian election meddling, Mexican drug cartels, and last but not least, Donald Trump ready to push the button. Yep, the end is nigh. Better stock up on toilet paper.

 

[Jfet]

Glad to live in a country where where my meagre supply of a couple of lbs of powder and few hundred projectiles would feed me on venison for a hundred years without worrying that those with a different political view or are still pissed about a war a hundred and fifty years ago are coming to get me as soon as law break's down.

This really does speak to a serious note. How long would our wildlife resources last in North America if game laws are not followed. By the beginning of the 20th century we had illuminated much of our wildlife. I would imagine if wild game became a major food source for much of the human population in NA our woods and fields would be quickly depleted of wildlife. Earthworms are a good source of protein.

Now let's return to the fun of this post. How effective would slings be after your powder has been depleted?

 

[Hogpatrol]

This really does speak to a serious note. How long would our wildlife resources last in North America if game laws are not followed. By the beginning of the 20th century we had illuminated much of our wildlife. I would imagine if wild game became a major food source for much of the human population in NA our woods and fields would be quickly depleted of wildlife. Earthworms are a good source of protein.

Now let's return to the fun of this post. How effective would slings be after your powder has been depleted?

I have a good supply of .22 rimfire but I haven't yet tried fried grackle or starling. In a pinch, they'd have to do.
Maybe a lot of yards would be converted in to gardens like the old Victory Gardens of WW1 & 2.

 

[Red Leg]

This really does speak to a serious note. How long would our wildlife resources last in North America if game laws are not followed. By the beginning of the 20th century we had illuminated much of our wildlife. I would imagine if wild game became a major food source for much of the human population in NA our woods and fields would be quickly depleted of wildlife. Earthworms are a good source of protein.

Now let's return to the fun of this post. How effective would slings be after your powder has been depleted?

You forget - won't be any people - just a few rugged survivalists - maybe a zombie or two. They can only eat so much or wear so many hides.

 

[Shootist43]

IMHO this thread is getting a little off track. I thought Hummer's question was a "fair" one. Should such a situation ever develop which rifle would you grab? All of his suggested considerations bring up valid concerns.
So getting back on track I'd like to offer up what I might grab and why. For me the rifle's design would have to have been battle tested. Why, because they have to work under less than optimal conditions. Which caliber is an easy choice as well, for me it is 7.62 x 51 / .308. Why because it can and has been used on both two and four legged critters with considerable success. Ammo is widely available for each of the specific purposes under consideration even though they are different. I submit for thought that there are several types of gunsmiths each with their respective areas of expertise. Therefore I make use of three types of gunsmiths, one for handguns, one for hunting rifles and one for so called "black" rifles. I use the term "Black" rifles loosely knowing full well that they are not all black. Knowing that I have a number of different qualifying calibers and manufacturers at my disposal, my "smith" told me years ago that if TSHTF the rifle you grab is your FN/FAL. I'm beginning to think he was right.

 

[Red Leg]

IMHO this thread is getting a little off track. I thought Hummer's question was a "fair" one. Should such a situation ever develop which rifle would you grab? All of his suggested considerations bring up valid concerns.
So getting back on track I'd like to offer up what I might grab and why. For me the rifle's design would have to have been battle tested. Why, because they have to work under less than optimal conditions. Which caliber is an easy choice as well, for me it is 7.62 x 51 / .308. Why because it can and has been used on both two and four legged critters with considerable success. Ammo is widely available for each of the specific purposes under consideration even though they are different. I submit for thought that there are several types of gunsmiths each with their respective areas of expertise. Therefore I make use of three types of gunsmiths, one for handguns, one for hunting rifles and one for so called "black" rifles. I use the term "Black" rifles loosely knowing full well that they are not all black. Knowing that I have a number of different qualifying calibers and manufacturers at my disposal, my "smith" told me years ago that if TSHTF the rifle you grab is your FN/FAL. I'm beginning to think he was right.

That's fair enough. I have one of those and I agree. And it would be my go-to repel boarders option if a major hurricane hit leaving the area without power for a week, thus increasing the potential for looting. That in itself is a pretty remote threat, but as Harvey indicated, hardly impossible. I just get so tired of the whole survivalist culture. I wonder what so many of those lives would be like if they devoted half as much energy to "surviving" and prospering in reality.

We also have a 30KW generator and a well. But as I say, my concerns are hurricanes, ice storms and flash floods on the San Gabriel. My "prepping" is insuring we have diesel for those eventualities, good preventive maintenance on all the equipment on the place, and insuring we are financially secure (and that does not mean gold and silver buried in the backyard.) It does mean we live in a place that doesn't have a note, we have secure investments that hold up during downturns, and we have secure predictive income. When combined with keeping the pastures mowed, I have plenty in the real world to focus time and energy; energy that I don't have for fantasy. Therefore, I don't have much interest in the indestructible weapon for post nuclear or viral armageddon.

 

[shark_za]

I think a Ruger Scout rifle in .308 will do anything I need a rifle to do in an urban or rural meltdown.
Not having one on hand I will handload enough to keep my 6.5 Swede in ammo for a long time.

Add a Glock 9mm to that and you are set for any issues that may arise.


Right now sitting in lockdown I only have a 12 gauge and a few magazines of .40 for my Glock 23 handy. I dont think I will need more.

 

[Tanks]

...

Right now sitting in lockdown I only have a 12 gauge and a few magazines of .40 for my Glock 23 handy. I dont think I will need more.

Ammunition

• Tanks
• Mar 30, 2020

I think I am set for handgun ammo (12K in pic). I have 20K of clean brass that I need to rollsize, decap, swage and size and then I am ready to reload those as well. Probably this weekend, 4 hours to rollsize, and then about 7 hours to do the rest of the processing then good to reload.

 

[PARA45]

If it came down to survival, I would take my 10/22 and my Glock 19. Light ammo, and I can carry plenty of it, without weighing me down. I can kill any critters here in GA with a 22.

I was in FL during hurricane Andrew. We were without electricity for 28 days, and this is before cell phones so I couldn't call for help. There was a lot of crime and looting going on, the streets were not safe after dark and sometime during the day. I had two kids and wife at that time. My two trusty companions were a Springfield Armory 1911, 45 ACP, with two extra Wilson Combat mags on me, and a Remington 870 police model with an extended mag, and side saddle. In a small bugout bag, I had 3 additional WC mags, with a box of ammo, and 20 extra shotgun shells. Maybe a little paranoid, but I had a family to protect.

As a civilian, this has been my only experience with SHTF type of environment.

 

[dchamp]

Well... 1st and fore most , you need to select calibres for which you know that you will be able to acquire ammunition and re loading components easily , especially in the long run .
The hand gun would have to be chambered in 9 mm Parabellum and the anti personnel rifle would have to be chambered in 5.56 NATO calibres .
This is because these calibres are utilized by NATO and thus .... in the ( hopefully unlikely ) scenario that civilization collapses , ammunition for these calibres would be the most in abundance .
In fact , I dare say that in a situation where civilization collapses .... if ANY production of ammunition does continue , then in all probability , it shall be ammunition for calibres utilized by NATO.
The general purpose hunting rifle should be chambered in 7.62×51 mm NATO for the very same reason .
The small game hunting rifle would invariably have to be chambered in .22 Long Rifle calibre . Every country in the world which allows fire arms ownership of private citizens , will allow legal ownership of .22 Long Rifle calibre weapons . Boxes of ammunition can easily be found in camps , rifle clubs and any sporting goods store in the entire world . Thus , it would be quite easy to stock pile .
The shot gun would have to be a 12 Bore , utilizing 3 inch chambers . This way , they can make use of any 12 Bore cartridges which the operator may be able to get his hands on ( 2.5 inch cartridges , 2.75 inch cartridges or 3 inch cartridges ) . If the operator got his hands of some 3.5 inch cartridges , then no bother . These can easily be cut to 3 inch length , with a little skill . 12 Bore ammunition would be extremely abundant , because ( aside from being available in sporting goods stores , camps , shooting clubs and the like ) ... it is also used by police forces and security companies through out the entire world . Thus , 12 Bore ammunition could easily be found .

The large game rifle would have to be a bolt rifle , chambered in .375 Holland & Holland magnum ... simply because it is extremely versatile and the most commonly available sporting rifle calibre , for which ammunition could be easily found off the shelf . Of course , I suspect that it would not be seeing as much use , as the other calibres which I have mentioned above .

The ideal anti personnel rifle in such as a fire scenario ... would have to be the Soviet Kolashnikov AK platform . During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971... I have personally witnessed 1st hand , how reliable the Soviet Kolashnikov AK platform can really be , even in dirty and muddy conditions .
The ideal hand gun ( in this context ) would have to be a Glock model , due to their reliability in harsh conditions .
The ideal general purpose rifle would have to be a Remington Model 700 bolt rifle ( in this context ) with a detachable box magazine . Alternatively , a Winchester Model 70 with a floor plate magazine would be pretty advantageous in it's its own right , as well. The operator does not need to worry about losing magazines . Synthetic stocks and stainless steel barrels are a massive + point , in this context .
The small game rifle should be equipped with a low power scope and a suppressor for quietly taking game for the pot .

The shot gun should either be a pump action or a basic break action ( which should be extremely simple and easy to keep maintained ) .

The large game rifle should have detachable telescopic sight mounts .

A really excellent rifle action in such dire contexts , would have to be the old British service Lee Enfield action . They can continue to keep functioning in " apple pie order " even after accumulating a great deal of dirt and grit . They are a control round feed action and have detachable magazines capable of holding 10 cartridges.
Well... I hope you found this useful . However , I also sincerely hope that you never need to put any of this to use ... like we actually had to , in 1971.

Major Khan, I remember very little about your war for independence. I was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne at the time and was put on alert for that war in the winter of 1971. We were in the field when put on alert and we had no clue about any of it. The question we all asked was whose side would we be on as we had no idea. Needless to say we didn't need to go which suited me. Can you expand a little on that war concerning India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

I doubt we will have a wtshtf event in the somewhat near future where we need our arms to survive but stranger things have happened. Who would have thought we would be living as we are at the moment and that is world wide, I think. Also in the U.S. I think we are fairly polarized in our politics and the future is in a somewhat state of flux so I consider it good practice to be skilled and prepared for such events.

 

[Red Leg]

Major Khan, I remember very little about your war for independence. I was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne at the time and was put on alert for that war in the winter of 1971. We were in the field when put on alert and we had no clue about any of it. The question we all asked was whose side would we be on as we had no idea. Needless to say we didn't need to go which suited me. Can you expand a little on that war concerning India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

I doubt we will have a wtshtf event in the somewhat near future where we need our arms to survive but stranger things have happened. Who would have thought we would be living as we are at the moment and that is world wide, I think. Also in the U.S. I think we are fairly polarized in our politics and the future is in a somewhat state of flux so I consider it good practice to be skilled and prepared for such events.

We were supporting Pakistan in those days (1971). India had achieved a close working relationship with the Soviet Union following independence (part of their reaction to all things British) and we had a constant worry that relationship would lead to Soviet naval and air bases directly on the Indian Ocean. In hindsight, we now know the Indian government had no intention of allowing that, nor was the government likely to collapse under some sort of communist led coup. But in those days support for Pakistan seemed to make sense as a counter balance to the Soviet relationship with India. It certainly bore some mixed fruit during the Soviet misadventures in Afghanistan. The US government didn't really care if East Pakistan became independent so long as it did not become a Soviet satellite, so we had no intention of directly interfering in the fighting there. But we did provide the Pakistanis logistical support, and Nixon made it very clear to Indira Gandi that we would not tolerate a total defeat of Pakistan. That could have led to your deployment.

In less than a year of fighting, Bangladesh won its independence. It was a particularly brutal war, with roots that go deep into the sub-continent's history. I too will be interested to hear the major's unique perspective.

 

[dchamp]

I spend most of my time worrying if my claymores are positioned in the optimum position.

Just make sure they're faced in the right direction

 

[Red Leg]

Just make sure they're faced in the right direction

And DO NOT eat them!

 

[Bullthrower338]

And DO NOT eat them!

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You would think Ruger took over production of claymores by that warning label. I guess grunts were much smarter when I was in because eating a claymore never entered my mind, and I was pretty damn hungry at times!