Shotgun vs. Rifle in case of SHTF

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Pattern your shotgun with your intended load and decide for yourself.

I am in a weird apartment setup and due to longish shots for my mossberg 590 loaded with 00 or 000 buck I have a handgun and a centerfire rifle for self defense purposes.

Part of my reasoning also comes from the simple fact that I am now working on taking some training classes and I figure it is far simpler to learn one handgun platform and one rifle platform and work on those two platforms vs. trying to work on other stuff.

I still have a hunting shotgun and I still use the 590 for fun stuff, but overall it boils down to a simple fact that I am not going to worry about a pellet or two from the buckshot load missing the target and maybe getting through a thin door or a window.

I have owned leveractions and while nice they are not something I would choose for a bump in the night.

When it comes to a long gun firing handgun ammo I just decide I want a centerfire rifle round instead so I don't own any long guns that shoot handgun ammo.

Different people prefer different things. I understand not everyone owns one of each to work with, but some research on how most shotguns pattern will show if you have a situation where a shotgun can keep all its pellets on target or if you might be at the point where if you are off a little a pellet or two could miss.
 
If you are talking about something other than your home being broken into, without a doubt an AR15 is what you need! It has accuracy, range, and is CQB capable, especially if you have a collapsable stock.

I used to own a Benelli M1 until last year and realized for most applications that another AR15 would be best suited for all around applications. A SG is a great home protection weapon, but the number of shots are also limited before you have to reload. I have at least 60 rounds attached to my AR at all times.
 
As others have said, it depends on what's meant by "SHTF" and what ranges you're talking about.

For home defense against common criminals, surviving violent urban riots, etc., I think a 12 gauge might be best.

In the most serious of SHTF scenarios -- i.e., resisting forcible gun confiscation or another attack on our Constitution -- you absolutely need a rifle, preferably in .308 or better so you have a range and penetration advantage against 9mm subguns and M4s/M16s.
 
One option not mentioned yet is the trusty "Mexican assault rifle"- the Marlin99/Glenfield 60. Don't take this as put-down. The Mexican Americans I have known are practical people who know what works and what doesn't, and what's worth what it costs and what isn't. They live in the real world, not some PC parallel universe. I'm not suggesting that a .22 is a substitute for a 12 ga or a ctr fire auto, but 15 rds of hi-speed .22lr is no joke, and cheap practice is a useful trait. The guns can be found cheap and their ubiquity means parts are available. I recall an incident back in the late Bronze Age in which a scuffle among children escalated into a viscious encounter between adults. One bozo with a viscious temper and his 2 short-bus buddies assailed the home of a Latino gentleman related to one of the kids. When the object os their wrath's pregnant wife went to the door, the charging poltroons shot her. Naturally, this annoyed the man of the house, who stepped forward with his M99/G60 and opened fire. The leader packing a .38 was in front and caught the most bullets. He dropped and died on the spot (so much for a .22 not being dangerous) while his back-up took off like their hair was on fire. The luckiest one made it to the street before he dropped, and the other one made it half way across the yard. As I recall one attacker survived. I guess a Ruger 10-22 with an extended mag would serve as well, but they're not as cheap. Seems like a good choice for a lady.
 
There is no question that a handgun provides adequate deadly defense.

There is no question that a shotgun trumps the handgun significantly in terms of lethality, capacity, barrier penetration, range, and hit probability.

But, a good rifle trumps a shotgun by offering the same lethality at a wider array of ranges, against a wider variety of barriers, and with higher cartridge capacity. All of your options are covered with a rifle. Only some are covered by a handgun or a shotgun.

YMMV...
 
I don't envision any hordes of zombies in my lifetime, but I can envision angry "minorities" rioting, such as the Watts and more recent LA riots.

For this reason, I have always avoided living in large metroplitan areas..

My "crystal ball" says we will see more of these in the future, and maybe one day a "mass uprising" against "unfounded" and "unreal" discrimination and disadvantage..

My SHTF "mainstays" are my Glock 23 (always with me), Reminton 870 with 18" barrel and rifle sights..and my Colt AR15 Carbine..

These cover all the bases for me..
 
Funny thing, the .458 Socom's ballistics are an almost exact match for the venerable .45-70(also, surprise, surprise, .458 caliber). One of the specifications for the .45-70 was that it be able to shoot through a horse and still kill a man using it for cover. I might have to think about a Marlin in .45-70 just for grins. (Oh no, not another excuse to buy a gun!)

Now THAT would be a fight stopper.
Click to expand...

Best quote I'd heard about the 45-70, after seeing a test of one literally going through milk jugs, wood, AND the brick beyond that...

"With the 45-70, there is no such thing as 'cover'". :D

My "crystal ball" says we will see more of these in the future, and maybe one day a "mass uprising" against "unfounded" and "unreal" discrimination and disadvantage..
Click to expand...

I think we're more likely to see a coordinated jihadist uprising, if anything. There's a lot of them here, they're all over, and the recent polls as to what percent of US muslims think that suicide bombings are okay were...frightening.
 
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This is a likely scenario. Remember that they have been training a cadre of thousands of terrorists for years and have said that that small unit shootings in crowded venues (malls, golf courses, etc) are on the menu. Given the execrable state of security regarding things coming into the country anything could be imported in a standard shipping container, up to and including nuclear weapons. Imagine several cities nuked at once. There wouldn't be any trucks bringing chicken parts to the KFC for quite a while, and the civil disorder would make the Rodney King Riots look pretty tame. In any given area there is a 3-day supply of food in the stores at normal rates of consumption. In a panic that would be down to a couple of hours. The Mormons are starting to look pretty smart.
 
What I use is my Ruger Mini-30, which I have worked all the bugs out of and managed to acquire six 30 rnd mags and a 20 that are in good working order. It has a muzzle break w/a H&K-style front sight, and a Choate Dragunov-style stock. While it's not the best choice for any one scenario, it is adequate for just about any scenario you can think of under 300 yards. There is definitely something to be said for versatility.

Beyond 300 yards, I have a Mosin Nagant I am working on that once completed, there will not be another in the world quite like it.

I am a firm believer in long guns, and that your pistol's primary use (other than concealed carry) is to fight your way back to your long gun that you never should have put down in the first place. For that role, I have a PA-63.
 
I'm not sure what you consider SHTF... it may be a break in... Or it could be one of those "fall of society" senarios... Personally, i tend to go with the last one.

Were you ever to have to depend on a weapon long term to defend yourself, and possibly provide food, you want to make sure its something that is in a common caliber. Sure, you can have that oddball .50beowulf, 204Ruger, or 300WSM and make handloads for it.. but what if you are driven from your home by superior firepower? Once the ammo on your person is used up, the gun is useless. You dont find that sort of ammo lying around abandoned.

For a shotgun, I'd go with a 3" 12ga. 3" not for the larger shells, but because it opens up a wider range of ammo to use should you have to scavange for it. Go with a simple pump. Normally I dont like remingtons, but its the most common, so parts would be easier to find, should it break.

When it comes to rifles, once again.. somthing thats easy to find. .223, 7.62x39, 30-30, .308 or 30.06, or a pistol caliber like 45auto or 9mm for a carbine. If price is important to you, you will no go wrong with a good SKS, or a Marlin 336 30-30. Despite their non-tatical apearance, they do handle very quickly, are easy to shoot, have fairly light recoil, and with pratice, you can hit anything within 150 yards. The 30-30 has been one of the most popular deer calibers for 120 years for a reason. It does its job VERY well, if you respect its limitations. The SKS is tougher than quantum physics in latin, and will take any abuse you can throw at it. Cleaning is optional in a SHTF senario. Both rifles and cartriges were designed in a time when gunsmiths werent in every town, and weapons didnt have warranties. They had to be capable of taking heavy use and abuse and continuing to perform well. Shots over 200yards can be made with either gun, but you'll have to aim a little high.
 
7.62x39 depends almost wholly on imports. If things were disrupted, that'd be gone.

I wouldn't use any Russian calibers for a SHTF longterm thing. 5.56 can be obtained near anywhere, since the military and police have vast stockpiles, especially if you were helping them with something.

This would be why my choice is a 5.56 AK. Uses the most common domestic rifle ammo, and is as rugged as any AK.
 
I have an 870, a Beretta CX4 in .45, and an FAL .308. I'm finishing up an AR carbine build. No matter what SHTF means, I got something for it.
 
Mannedwolf, you are right about 7.62x39 being imported... But were society to fall to its knees, all ammunition would cease to be manufactured. What the military and police had, they would either guard closely, or take home to keep for themselves.

7.62x39 is a very common round, even in the US. Because its cheap, many people have stockpiled thousands of rounds, and its not that difficult to find. Most shooters have at least 100 rounds of it on hand, and many have much more. Ocasionally cases bought beforein the pre-ban scare of the 90's turn up in barns or basments, completely forgotten. Eventually the supply of ammo would dry up.... and unless you had access to military stockpiles, or reloading equipment, so would the supply of 223.

In a very worse case senario... eventually (think 50-100 years) the people would turn back to blackpower firearms, unless they could secure a cache of primers, brass, and lead casting equipment in the rifle of their choice.
 
Oh, I wasn't thinking of a "civilization comes to end" level of interruption. I just mean that if it gets bad enough that transatlantic shipping is cut due to economics or terrorism, there just won't be any more Russian ammo coming ashore. It'd be bad times, worse than the great depression, but still civilization.
 
I like the shotgun for it's versitility. You can load slugs, buckshot, or birdshot for a wide variety of situations. It is also hard to beat a pump shotgun for total reliability. I love my AK, but the versitility of the shotgun wins out in my opinion.
 
m4. 7 years of using them in training and combat make it a no brainer. i have less muscle memory with other systems. a pump shotgun is the winner of the ease of use category though
 
I agree that in a society collapse scenario, common calibers used by US military and law enforcement would probably be bought up, confiscated, and hoarded by the government and/or it's employees.

The way I think about it is, "What calibers is the enemy likely to be using?" Because, after all, who are you going to be taking out and helping yourself to their equipment? Having weapons that are interchangeable calibers with what the enemy uses is preferable for a SHTF scenario. Otherwise, when you run out of your caliber, your weapon will be just a really expensive bludgeon. Or in the case of the M4, not even that. Additionally, moving large quantities of ammo can become a logistics problem for a slough of reasons in such a scenario.

Second, you have to have a round that is going to be effective at ranges and against targets that you would likely encounter. Is you opponent likely to be armored? Would you end up stuck in open country or downtown?

No matter what you end up with, be it a Louisville Slugger or a Barrett .50, you have to know how to use your weapon effectively, both mechanically and tactically. If you lack the skills, you're pretty screwed no matter what you got.
 
In Case of SHTF.....

Question to all....
I have 2 Mossbergs, and a Winchester, as well as several pistols(Glocks/Colts)..in in extreme cases of SHTF, would the loaded weapon in every room scenario be effective or having your primary and secondary in hand with tactical reloads available be a better option?
 
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