Shotgun or Rifle?..

Mass (size) X Velocity = Energy, not penetration. However, a larger mass or bullet is harder to stop than a smaller bullet. A .224 caliber FMJ would be my last choice for bullets to stop any big game animal angry or not. I'd rather have one well placed shot on any aggressive animal than the ability for quick follow up shots.

Bolt action rifles are capable of quick follow up shots, if you learn how to manipulate the bolt properly. You just need to learn to work the bolt without taking it from your shoulder. It takes practice, but you can empty a magazine pretty quickly with a bolt action.

For some rapid fire with a bolt action check this video out.

https://youtu.be/S-L-fGiSicE
 
If bear defense is a concern it DRASTICALLY tips the scale to the 12 gauge. If you get one well placed shot on a charging bear I expect you are doing pretty well. Depending on the volume of the AR to make up for lack of mass and penetration is not, IMO, a good plan.
 
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While bear is a major concern, there are several other predatory animals that I hunt. A shotgun with 00-buck wouldn't be my first choice for that kinda game, as you need to get extremely close. Slugs may drastically increase that distance but with unreliable accuracy at longer ranges. Longer ranges being a maximum of 100m-150m. I would use buck but there are the moral problems of the animals suffering and the practical problems of harvesting untainted meat. It's probably possible to hit a coyote sized target within 75m, but who knows what part you will hit. Would slugs be overkill for a coyote? :confused:

Basically, I need a firearm that can handle big game up close and small game far away.

Any further advice is very much appreciated

-MM

P.S. I've basically scrapped my original picks for what firearm I need. Honestly, I just need whatever will fit the bill. Might even look into getting a good lever action.
 
Basically, I need a firearm that can handle big game up close and small game far away.
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Really doesn't exist, but you're welcome to try. 00 buck is just going to make a big bear very angry, unless he's right on top of you. Slugs and .308 or larger rifle will be my choice of bear medicine.
 
I think this really depends on where you live. I live in a heavily wooded area where hunting distances are short, and birds are plentiful (along with black tailed deer, bears, cats). If I needed an off grid type game getter/self defense gun a shotgun would be a good choice. If you live in the high desert or some other place where you can't get within a few hundred yards of a deer, shotgun wouldn't help you much.

As far as saving money on a shotgun, I have a Maverick 88 (the assembled in Mexico version of the Mossberg 500) I bought for $189. It came with an 18.5" barrel and is a 6+1 model you can plug for hunting. Picked up a used 24" rifled slug barrel with sights on it for $75, and bought a rusty 28" barrel for $45, which i then had to elbow work as far as sanding it and painting it with alumahyde. all in all I got a decent little package for less than $350.
 
Basically, I need a firearm that can handle big game up close and small game far away.
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Really doesn't exist, but you're welcome to try.
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Yep. Sounds to me like you need, at bare minimum, a couple of guns. I'm sure you can convince your wife that you need at least two. I suggest a shotgun and a rifle as a starting point, since it's relatively simple to argue needing both of those.

Here's what you do next- you give your wife a couple months to adjust to being a two-gun family. Then one evening, after tenderly embracing her, you lament not having a compact, close-quarters weapon with which to safeguard your precious family. Enter the Handgun. Every house needs a handgun! What kind of maniac doesn't have a handgun in the home? It would be irresponsible in the extreme not to own at least one pistol or revolver (use the phrase "at least one" as a primer for future purchases). "It's settled! We're getting a handgun."

Once you've arrived at this point, things get a bit trickier, but stick with me. You're probably gonna want to allow a few more months to go by before you take advantage of one of those "what are you thinking about?" questions that wives who've been married less than say, 5 years seem to enjoy asking. (If you've been married longer than that this entire process is unlikely to work. At around 5 years my wife figured out she either already knew what I was thinking, or didn't care to, and stopped asking) You quickly describe some shooting scenario that none of your current firearms are cut out for, thus requiring you to purchase another.

This process is repeated, being careful to allow some time for healing between purchases, until... well it goes on indefinitely. Your imagination is your only limit. You can even try this, though this is potentially dangerous- use the standard gift-giving occasions to bring new guns into the house. Christmas and my wife's birthday are my go-to events (Valentines day is a no-go, trust me). With a little skill, you will have a gun-safe full of beauties in no time! Good luck!

Disclaimer: For academic purposes only. I am not responsible for any death/dismemberment resulting from actually implementing any of the above advice
 
but sadly the one bane of the married man is money. I can only afford one or the other.
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In the old days, a man wouldn't consider marriage, BEFORE he had both the means to provide for, and protect a wife and family.

I think that's still the best idea, even today.

Get a decent 12ga pump, with a sporting barrel. It will cover a lot. If you can get a spare, short barrel, its good for even more. A good .22 will handle small game, up to the limit of your skill. A decent used deer rifle doesn't have to be all that expensive.

Forget about the tacticool toys until you have money to play with.
 
I like the idea of one of each and choosing more affordable options.

However, that's not the question asked. If I had to choose 1 it would be a shotgun and definitely get a package with two barrel lengths.

You can't beat the versatility of the shotgun.
 
Since you list an AR as an option when considering hunting, I assume you are not hunting fowl. Like others I will throw out another option for you. (I know you didn't ask).

Have you considered a pistol caliber lever action? An 18" lever chambered in either .44Mag or .357Mag would seem to fit your use and they are a lot of fun.

Henry, Marlin and Rossi all offer good quality affordable options currently.
 
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I think a decent option would be to get a shotgun and one of those nifty Glock upper attachments (Not made BY Glock, just for em.) for converting a 9mm or .45 caliber pistol into a small game hunter. I can carry the upper assembly in a Ruger 10/22 Takedown bag and probably find it in a larger caliber like .40S&W.

That or I could purchase just the shotgun and get sneaky Rambo style on hunts... Just a thought :D

But realistically, I think I will be purchasing a shotgun at present and when I save up enough I will buy myself a decent lever-action rifle. Lever actions built the west after all.

Thank you all for your advice and help.

-MM
 
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