So I'm a 17 year old prepper...

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Dev

Inactive
Hi guys, new guy here, sorry if this isn't the place for this. I am 17 and turn 18 in a couple months and I am a "prepper". Having parents that tend to be moderate and leftish, I am fortunate enough to have support from them. I have gotten into the mindset and enjoy it. That being said I want to buy another gun for my 18th birthday. I say another because my dad had a Savage Model 3 that has been passed down a few generations that he has given me and I have refinished the stock and reblued it and oiled her up and got it back into tip top shape. I think that it is a really good rifle to be a prepping gun of mine. But I keep doubting myself and think that I should get a second gun. I've considered a lot of options and am truly stuck. I should have some where between 200-400 dollars by the time I turn 18. So, now that my rambling is done, what are some suggestions, Thanks!

PS) I've thought about Mosin's, 22/45's, revolvers of both Blackpowder and Cartridge, and too many other options to name, I'm not terribly interested in a pump shotgun :eek:, sorry just not fun for me to shoot (sorry I'm weird)
 
Last edited:
Yeah I agree Jerry, the savage model 3 is a bolt action single shot .22, so I was wondering what I should get as an accompaniment.
 
While I can not argue against a good .22 LR rifle I would like you to consider a different direction altogether. Check out a good used 12 gauge pump shotgun. A Remington 870 may be out of your price range especially for a Wingmaster but there are many that should fill the bill nicely. A Mossberg 500 would be very good in that you could get different barrel lengths for it depending on its primary purpose. Also if you could find a New Haven Arms model 600 that would be equally nice especially since it is the forerunner of the Mossberg 500 and many parts will interchange. With different ammo a 12 gauge shotgun can be very versatile. It can be used on small to medium game with one type of ammo while being able to handle large game with another type. It can even protect the family at reasonable ranges with other ammo.
 
I believe the Savage Model 3 is a .22lr.

Since you can't yet purchase a handgun legally, you're a prepper, and haven't expressed any extreme desire for a "black" rifle, and between $200 and $400, I'd choose a Remington 788 in .223; like this one: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/558778227

The same rifle in .243 and .308 seems like it can be had under $400 used. I think you might be able to find one in .223 if you look hard enough. I like .223 because it is cheap to shoot, and a potent round especially out of a bolt action rifle, can be used for precision shooting and some hunting.
 
You can get a very nice deer rifle at a pawnshop or gun show for $400 or a bit less. That will give you a quality, well-made, accurate centerfire rifle. If you limit your caliber choice to 270, 308, 30-06, the standards, your lifetime ammo costs should be lower than if you chose some oddball caliber.

$400 will not get you anything new that is better than a good used classic rifle, and milsurps are not acceptable for prepping due to parts and ammo considerations.
 
Skans and Kilimanjaro, thanks I like the Remington. It definantly has crossed my mind before and some reinforcement of that idea helps, as for 357, thank you as well for the response I am starting to like shotguns better but I still have 2 months to research (change my mind) on what I want, thanks everyone, if there are anymore suggestions please throw them at me. Also as Skans pointed out I do really have no desire for a black death machine but it is also not out of the question.
 
Last edited:
I agree with a good 12 gauge. They are very versatile and can be used with a variety of ammunition. A slug barrel increases the usable range to 100 yards or further.

I'm a believer that for anybody of your mindset, a handgun is a must. It can disappear in a backpack, be worn on you at all times, and is suited for defensive purposes. If your state allows you to buy a handgun from a private party at 18, I recommend considering that. People make a fuss about what type of handgun. A reliable one that you can shoot well is all you need in my opinion.

If you are interested in semi auto rifles, you might try an SKS. You could probably also find a Mauser or maybe even a K31 in your price range. A marlin lever action could be a great option also
 
Skans nailed it! I have an old Rem. 788 .223 and several, much more expensive, center-fire bolt action rifles. I am a re-loader and have always hunted with reloads I developed (based on well-known reloading manuals). The 788 is the most accurate rifle I have ever owned and I never shot factory loads in it. If you research info on the 788, you will learn why it is so accurate.
 
my state does allow handguns from private party transactions and with this enthusiasm for the Remington I'll do some more research into it, but going back to handgun what do you guys recommend, I'm more familiar with long guns but I'm open to anything, and do you guys also think the .223 .22lr is a good pair, seems like it would be to me, what is the accuracy like at 100 yards? Sorry if these are rudimentary questions I just want to make sure I know what I am getting, and that I am getting something that is reliable and fun to shoot.
 
I see these models as affordable and excellent choices in terms of practicality for a prepper:

Ruger 10/22, Hi Point Carbine in 9mm, Entry Level AR-15, Henry AR-7, Single Shot Shotgun, Ruger 22/45 or Mark series, Ak-47 or variant, SKS

A Ruger 10/22 with a couple bricks of ammo and several magazines is affordable, reliable, accurate, tough, and fun to shoot
 
An H&R Single shot shotgun. EVERY prepper needs one. Or Any single shot shotgun for that matter. They are very versatile, Taking any game animal with the right load and can be used as a muzzloader in a pinch. Not to mention as simple as it gets. The other replies here are valid also. Every pepper needs a good rifle too. Check out Dave Canterbury's YouTube channel Widerness Outfitters and all the versitility of the single barrel shotgun. And better yet, a good used single barrel shouldn't cost you much more than 100 bucks.
 
Last edited:
A decent revolver and pistol license so you 'can slip it into your backpack' and carry it around are probably going to run $500 to $700 even if your state has no training requirements.

Not to mention, between now and your 21st birthday you are likely to see it stolen, early adulthood is pretty hard on possessions for most guys. Unless you are putting yourself in bad situations, associating with drug users or felons, that kind of thing, you're not going to get in trouble requiring armed self-defense. Put a few buck aside each paycheck when you get an income, for this kind of purchase.

I know preppers are concerned with the impending societal collapse and general zombie apocalyptic doom that requires Ramboesque arsenals and cases of ammo stacked to the ceiling, but the first thing you need to realize is that you're going to know about the zombies and Free Stuff Army before they show up, and you can engage your enemy at a distance, and a rifle is what you need to do that.
 
How about a HiPoint carbine:
Ridiculously cheap
Ridiculously reliable
Accuracy is reported to be acceptable
Uses rediculously cheap and plentiful 9mm Luger
Lifetime guarantee
Potent enough for defense
Is not a pump shotgun
Ridiculously ugly, and everyone agrees lol
 
I hate the term prepper because it brings out the negative connotation displayed in Kilimanjaro's reply, I am not a zombie guy I live in a hurricane prone area and just like the comfort of knowing my family and I will be okay. That being said I do think you are right, I'm not to keen on getting a pistol, and I am not a big fan of the hi-points. Not saying they are bad, I just prefer something that I know will work like a break action shotgun and a bolt gun.
 
It was just a suggestion since they are less than 300$ new.

I'm a prepper too, not a zombie prepper, just believe in being prepared. I have lots of storable food, water and the like. Don't have everything I might need but I got a decent stash.

I have a few ARs now, shotgun, FAL, Mini14 and a single shot .22lr, pistols and so on.
If I were to grab one gun and never go back, it'd be one of the ARs. I could grab the bolts out of the others as spare parts, extra Trigger parts are already in a bag.
Second, I'd take the Mini14, it would be a real hard decision between the mini 14 and the ARs.
On your budget, any of the garden variety bolt actions would do, just get one in a caliber that you can find ammo for.

.22
.223
9mm are all pretty cheap but .22 availability has been sketchy in recent years
 
Last edited:
If purely for utility, a shotgun and slowly add the following as you find decent deals:

a good recoil pad. Whatever it takes to make it sting less. Sling.

Turkey choke - to extend range of shot. For...turkey. To be used in a smooth barrel.

Fully rifled slug barrel with cantilever mount for scope - mount either a scope or red dot sight. I think Vortex makes a decent one. Interestingly, Ohio didn't allow rifles to be used for deer for the last few decades so the shotgun was it until recently. The "workaround"? - perfectly legal, use rifled slug barrels.

Slugs - with a fully rifled barrel you can now use Sabot rounds (shell that breaks away in mid-flight like tank shell) for great accuracy.


For fun:
Short barrel for in the home (I don't have one, I went the handgun route). Or find an old used one at a gun store and hack saw it down. Watch to keep minimal legal length.

If you go with a break open design you could use pistol caliber adapter sleeves that are inserted and allow you to fire 9mm etc. Velocity would be like that of short barrels and I bet the point of impact is not at the bead, but it's a fun idea.
 
I posted this in another thread, but relevant here:
At the end of the day, every day from the dawn of time to the present, knowledge is the only thing of actual value. For every material advantage in a crisis there is a required knowledge pertaining to its use that has ten times the cost to obtain.
Click to expand...
http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-p...ugh-shtf-in-the-middle-of-a-war-zone_10252011
You need a skill, not an item.

That 22lr rifle is a god way to develop that skill. A 10/22 would do the job as would a few AR-22s at the upper end of your price range. You are going to need to put THOUSANDS of rounds down range. Maybe tens of thousands.

A Ruger 22/45, or, as I prefer, a Ruger MK II(you have to buy used either way), would serve you well in developing another. Normally one can shoot 22lr 4 times as much as 9mm and about 6 times as much as 223 for a given dollar amount of ammo. That is a HUGE edge in training.
Some people will say the training won't transfer b/c of recoil and such, but it works fine for me and almost all the good shooters I have met. Some are lucky enough to train with near unlimited resources on someone else's dime, but if you aren't...

I was once a fan of the pump shotgun and all its mythical glory. Unless you want to hunt every game animal in NA, which the shotgun alone is capable of doing to some degree, I think it is overrated as a "do anything" gun. Also, not cheap to shoot. Slugs are $1+ each as are many shot loads. Really cheap sporting loads are as much as really cheap 9mm. I have yet to personally witness a shotgun, rifled scoped with sabots or anything else, that is at all accurate compared to and decent 22lr.

Sir, if the time comes I need one, there'll be plenty lying on the ground
Click to expand...
Which is only helpful if you have some idea how to use it.

If you absolutely positively have to get a centerfire... I recommend a hi-point C9 pistol or Hi-point 995 rifle. Cheap and reliable. Can often be bought and later resold for the same price. If you wreck one somehow making a newbie mistake, say you decide to soak one in muriatic acid to give it a deep clean, Hipoint will kindly replace the gun no questions asked.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top