threefivesevenmag:
Question #1. It depends on your future prospects for the given situation. If you are moving to a known sanctuary or safe area (where civilization is still up & running), your requirements are short term (i.e., as long as it takes you to get there). If you are planning for a long-term foraging/hunting lifestyle (a "Postman" post-nuclear warfare environment), your plan will require a modified loadout. For the first scenario, a long gun, handgun, and a moderate load of ammo would be enough. For the second, you would need to weigh (pun intended) the practicality of humping an additional .22 long rifle and/or shotgun. These weapon types would be for hunting. If I were going to actually cut into my ruck weight by adding a second long gun, it would be a lightweight .22 rifle (AR-7, Marlin Papoose, etc. along with a 500 rd brick or two of .22 LR ammo). Unless you are SURE of your rucking capabilities (meaning that you have current practice with your planned weight & distance), plan to go with no more than 50-60 lbs (total weight of everything on your body). You will be doing well to make 15 miles a day in a SHTF situation.
Question #2. RIFLE. You can only handle one long gun if a fight erupts. Make sure it's one which is effective at all practical ranges. You need a centerfire, medium caliber, repeating rifle (.223, 5.56, 7.62 x 39, .308, 7.62 x 54, 7.62 x 51, 30-30, .270, etc.). The rifle wins against the shotgun. It isn't about the relative merits of stopping power or appropriateness for limited tactical situations. It's about which type of weapon will give you the best performance over an entire spectrum of possible events. You can carry far more rifle rounds than shotgun shells. A rifle gives you more range, penetration, and accuracy than a shotgun. If your priority is small game hunting or very close range defensive use, a shotgun is great. For everything else (and even for those two scenarios) a rifle is the tool of choice.
Question #3. The rifle is for everything. The pistol is for "Oh sh*t". In the 5.56 caliber realm, 300 rds is about right (10 x 30 rd mags). You won't have frag grenades, claymore mines, C-4, AT-4s, LAWs, additional 7.62 machinegun ammo, smoke grenades, night vision goggles, tactical radios, etc.). Thus, you can add some additional rifle ammo IF your rucksack load of food, water, shelter, and clothing allows. If your ruck is light enough, toss in another 90-180 rds worth of pre-loaded magazines.
In 7.62/.30 caliber realm, about half of what you would carry in 5.56 will be about right...maybe a little more (160 rds).
In .22 Long Rifle: If the rifle is your primary long gun, get the best quality repeater you can afford and carry 1000 rds. If it is secondary (takedown rifle stowed on pack) carry a lesser amount of ammo (500 rds).
Ammo for your pistol should be around 3-4 ready magazines (including the one in the weapon)
In any event, I wouldn't plan on carrying more than 2 x 50 rd boxes worth of pistol ammo. One of these would be pre-loaded in your mags. The extra 50 round box would go in the rucksack or backpack. If need be (due to weight considerations), carry 4 loaded mags and call it a day.
For a revolver, carry a loaded cylinder, 3 x speedloaders, and an extra box of 50 rds. If weight is a concern, lose the extra 50 rds.
If you are going to pack a .22 pistol in your ruck (for hunting) one or two 500 round bricks should see you thru at least the next winter...
The combat caliber pistol is for self defense only, not food procurement. You are unlikely to need a bazzillion rounds of handgun ammunition and if you think that you might...you need more rifle ammo instead.
In Afghanistan (the remote and far from immediate resupply/rescue parts of Afghanistan), I carried 430 rds of 5.56 (13 x 30 rd mags & 2 x 20 rd full tracer mags) and 45 rds of 9mm. Of course, I also had frags...and friends with frags (and automatic rifles and machineguns
).
Your main effort in SHTF movement should be to get to where you need to go, in one piece, and with no drama. You should move like a rabbit avoiding hawks... not a male pit bull looking for a dog fight.
Water weighs 8.8 lbs per gallon. You will need 3 qts per day while on the move (more in summer). Your water load and a good purifier or filter kit is probably more vital than a handgun. Likewise with regards to that expensive 2 lb custom fighting knife...
I'll summarize using my version of a reasonable weapons load (which allows you to still carry all the other shiznit you need):
1 x 5.56 semi-auto w/ 300 rds [about 7-8lbs of rifle & 5 lbs of ammo]
1 x loaded and reliable combat caliber handgun w/ 3 x reloads [3-4 lbs pistol & ammo combined]
1 x lightweight adjustable sight .22 LR handgun w/ 500 rds [3 lbs pistol and ammo combined]
Total weapon/ammo weight for 3 month trek to grandma's house through hordes of zombies: 20 lbs maximum