the perfect rifle for home protection... new to the long guns!

T

TheDeej

New member
Hey all, I'm a regular traveler in hogan's alley, not extremely versed in rifles and rifle ammo outside of .22lr and 10/22 or the unfired (by me) nagant I have in closet...

I live on some old hunting land of a family friends my family purchased as a long term investment. About 200 yards in sight of our house is a shop used for tractors and heavy equipment. Since moving here eight months ago the shop has been broken into three times, once in daylight with my wife jogging by. Also, we have a garage within 50 yards of the house is our personal garage/ shop. It has been hit once now, partly my fault for leaving the garage door open and lights on. Living this far out in the country, I figured it wouldn't have been an issue, but I guess my faith in the community has grown stale. No one has dared to kick in the house door, that could be because someone is usually around, I work from home and am usually home every day of the week, but when I leave it can be between an hour and a half to whenever. I guess the I fear that someone will get bold enough to try soon enough.

I have made my presents known for by shooting during the day. The lady who is just a quarter mile down the road next to a small mom-pop gas station (she is the owner), she has had many people ask if there is a shooting range near by and where the gun fire is coming from.

So my question is this, what is the most effective rifle I can purchase without much modifications out of the box as a last line of defense from long range danger either four or two legged. I know the legality of this type of defense in georgia is not quite favorable to me as the person defending my property. But hypotheticaly, I give a warning shot, what rifle can I almost bet my life on that if used in this manner, my warning shot will not strike the trespasser?

My local buy options are as follows, but not limited to:
SKS
AK
AR
3030 lever action
Various used hunting rifles
I'm working with a budget, being under 700 dollars, less is preferred, since we are expecting a baby.

Being my career is in computer programing and networking, I have built a security system for my self consisting of wireless cameras, silent alarm trippers on all doors and windows, & instant hard drive recording. There are sensors on all Windows & doors of every structure and cameras focused on every door of every structure plus two on the front gate, one facing the inter drive and one facing the road.

We have random people coming through the land quite often, a large quail plantation is just to our north and people pay dad to use our land to hunt. But, its easy to spot those people, bright Orange and rifles gives it away. It's the random person that looks out of place this far from a city street ducking in and out of the woods that bothers me.

Thanks you all for all the help. I also want to point out, I'm not asking this sort of question for info on the legality of this, nor am I openly admitting I plan on shooting anyone just want all the options I can afford.

I also did a search and it really brought no viable solutions to my unique criteria.
 
First off- Congratulations on the new baby! Those lil critters are so cuddly and wonderful- my wife and I just had one a lil over two weeks ago... after being out of the kid raising business for 19yrs.

I understand the budget issue, that and the new youngun gave me pause to ponder a while on your question. You said you have a Mosin in the closet- that's pretty far from a first choice. Now then I'm guessing that since it's in the closet, it don't get much attention. And guessing there might be times a new rifle might not get a whole lot of attention either- hey, it's possible. Based on those points, I'm giong to go out on a limb here and suggest an AK.

Why an AK. First, they're light, short, handy, and easy to train the wife to use. They're accurate enough not to shoot a feller if you don't aim it at him. They can still operate admirably well in all kinds of dirty/dusty conditions. Once that youngun gets up and starts becoming self-propelled, you'll probably want to unload it and take the mag out. Those things have large gaping holes for mag wells that are easy to stuff a magazine in in a hurry. And it's been my observation that when a rifle is needed- it's usually needed in a hurry. And, it's still big enough of caliber that you can put meat on the table.

Yes, you can do those things with AR's but if you get one that happens to be picky about being kept clean- you'll be out a rifle when you need it or until it gets back from a shop or a trade-in. Lever actions aren't bad really, but they're a little slower to load in a hurry. Hunting rifles aren't much different than that Mosin in your closet. A shotgun is a good way to go, but you didn't ask about them.

Your idea of a warning shot... Just how close to the trespassers do you plan on shooting? The authorative sound of a gunshot carries pretty well. I think if I was hard put to squirt off a warning shot- it would be at least 90 degrees from the boogers. In other words, if they're north of me, I think I'd first try shooting west or east and see if they don't gain a fresher insight to their endeavors (gotta think about ricochets- still your bullet and still your liability).

Well, thems my thoughts. Again, congratulations on the new baby. Good luck, have fun, and ya'll take care over there.
 
i keep a m1 carbine as a house gun and a russian veper in 308 with a scope for checking the grounds(sighted in at 200yds). but a ar-15 scoped would not be bad or a m1A or a good remington 7400 in 308-3006( can be had for 350.00-500.00). good luck. eastbank.
 
Get some motion activated lights near doorways and windows and pole lights for area lighting. A fence or gate might help as well. Then there are your four legged alarms...dogs.

Would advise against warning shots and shooting anyone not posing a deadly threat to you or another. Life ain't like the movies.
 
Depends on how much effort you want to devote to upkeep/practice with your rifle. All the weapons you listed will do the job. I've used an AR for clearing buildings for a long time and it's absolutely do-able with training/practice. But, as mentioned earlier, ARs required maintenance. Most (I know some run like AKs but they're rare) need to be properly cleaned and lubricated to run reliably.

Now, of your choices I'd choose the AK, then the SKS. The guns have very different operating systems, beside the piston, but both run like tanks and don't need to be maintained to run reliably. The AK will be a little easier to move with inside a house but in general the SKS will be a little more accurate out beyond 100m.

IMAG0559.jpg


Here's my bastardized :D SKS:

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I prefer the 12 gauge shot gun as my most versital gun around our property. It can be loaded light for small varmints like squirrels up to 00 buckshot for deer and home defense, to the newer 1 ounce slugs that can be accurate for me up to 100 yards. It is many guns in one. I have a AR and larger bore rifles but here on our property worry about a errant shot by me that may accidentally travel over a mile and do damage elsewhere.
 
Get some motion activated lights near doorways and windows and pole lights for area lighting. A fence or gate might help as well. Then there are your four legged alarms...dogs.

Would advise against warning shots and shooting anyone not posing a deadly threat to you or another. Life ain't like the movies.
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I second this. No trespassing signs also.

A couple of people also said shotguns, that's another advice I would consider.

For the rifle, I would say 30-30.
 
For actual home defense, most any semi-auto will do. AR, Mini, SKS, AK, etc., etc.

Warning shots aren't a very good idea. Too easy to wind up being the target of accusations of criminal activity, or being blamed for some untoward event in a civil suit.

Georgia law strongly favors the homeowner.

I suggest a good fence along the road, and a lockable gate. Sheep&goat type net wire, with a couple of strands of barbed wire above.

Solar-charged batteries to operate gate opening/closing mechanisms with a controller like the usual garage-door opener are all available from the discount tool folks...
 
Interesting story about a guy in Georgia who faced a similar situation (shop next to home being robbed) and fired a warning shot at a guy.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468380

As far as viable solutions for a rifle, I think the software is much more important than the hardware. Any of the options you are looking at will do if you invest the time in training. I think a semi-automatic intermediate caliber rifle probably makes the task easiest; but at the end of the day, your skillset will matter more than what kind of rifle you have.
 
Thanks all. I am wavering towards the AK/sks side.

I have motion lights on all doors. We have electric gate that OS operated by push button or pass code.

Because of the lay of the land and contracts with the other landowners around here, we can't put up a gate around the property. It's heavily wooded, so much so, i can't get much more than 20 feet back in the woods, but I'm not determined...

I will be training with whatever I bring home, i a safe and places to keep the guns from our child, which is still 7 months from being born.

Also, as I said, I don't plan on shooting anyone unless its the last possible solution, and a warning shot will more than likely be fired in the air or at the dirt birm I shoot at out here for practice.

i have a shotgun, I never really thought it could reach out and touch 200 yards, which is about.my farthest distance. Is that possible? I havnt shot it much because I just never have....
 
Post your property. years ago i trusted hunters to respect my private property and had lots of trespassers to deal with. Now i got smart and post my property heavily with the required signs and add "no hunt" in big blaze orange sprayed right on the tree trunk or even just "no" on the tree. Since doing this I can't remember the last time I had to kick off a trespasser.

on your driveway entrance post a "Beware of Dog" sign even if you don't have a dog. Our dog passed away last year and we decided not to replace her but the sign remains. great psychological deterrant.

Lock all your outbuildings, and vehicles.

be careful about telling neighbors your business and or things you purchased, it's not the neighbor but it could be the neighbors kids friends that learn about when your not home or that new chainsaw and they break in.

pump action shotgun for home defense and I carry a small .22lr revolver around the homestead and .38sp rev CCW when I go off property.

good luck.
 
@ Bartholomew Roberts. I have read about that shooting, I also turned some lawyers i know in town (Albany, Ga) on to it. From what one told me, and he is just a man, not the law or judge, a friendly lawyer passing time over drinks, he said you wouldn't hear many cases like that around here. Where i live is in the county of Dougherty and Worth, but far outside the city limits of Albany the case you cited is in fulton which is a majorly population dense county in the city of Atlanta. From what I gather, the house he had that was burned down was in Atlanta, or at least in some incorporated township. Laws differ a lot from there to here, you could say apples to watermelons. People shoot "at" others all the time in my area, people stealing peanuts, people stealing pecans, stealing copper and so on. Until you hit someone nothing is really said by anyone but the news. Now, thats not to say people are not learning more about their rights and that people who steal but pose no deadly threat to the owner of said stolen object feel they are justified to sue because the home owner beat the tar out of them or ran after them with a gun in hand.

I don't plan on bringing harm unto anyone until harm is brought unto me or my family. But, I will warn those people who think they can break in my shop and walk off with my tools, tools I paid for and I sacrificed to own by not getting high and not getting drunk. Ill let them know I'm watching. No trespassing signs don't seem to mean much anymore, but the sonic clap of a gun going off seems to, changing of the times I guess, I'm just changing myself.
 
i have a shotgun, I never really thought it could reach out and touch 200 yards, which is about.my farthest distance. Is that possible?
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Loaded with slugs, shotguns can definitely do that. I've even seen them fired as far as 300yds and they'll still hit pretty hard at that distance. Of course by 300yds, you are basically using indirect fire; but you sure wouldn't want to stand and laugh at someone who knew what he was doing at that range.

From a practical standpoint, a rifle is probably a more effective solution than learning to do well with a shotgun at those extended ranges.
 
Some high-end sabot slugs are (theoretically) capable of 200 yard accuracy and probably 300 would be reasonable. My gun has never shown that level of precision but a TFL member hunted Africa and made 175 yard kills with Remington Accu-tips.

Not that I'd want to be shot with anything, but a 12ga slug would be high on my avoidance list!
 
V-fib, I had not thought about posting. I don't know if I can for the standing contracts with the other land owners in the area. It's a large land area that is big business during quail season, and we host a hunt during that season with the plantation and other land owners so I might be stepping my bounds legally with the other owners.

We have dogs, I have posted signs. That also doesn't seem to slow down anyone, then again, the little 5 pound lap dog acts like she runs the place, and my rotty does nothing but sleep, all the time...
 
Nor would I fireforged. It's more a play on words, again, I dont plan on shooting anyone I dont have to. I'm not out looking for danger, just trying to protect myself and family from any looming danger that could possibly show its self, to be a threat. I won't shoot anyone from a distance that poses no danger to flesh. I am not looking to harm anyone, even a no good robber just taking metal to sell as scrap. I'm looking for my best line of defense against someone inflicting harm on my wife much like when she stumbled apon them in our tractor shop and they come at her with a wrench. I was in the house, I heard the door alert from the shop and went outside. I fired two shots into the air and they still didn't leave. Until I ran up on the shop, they finally left when one yelled, he has a gun and the other dropped the wrench and headed for the woods. Police were called. No one said I did.anything in the wrong. One officer suggested I get a rifle. As I have played with the idea, I am now here to get the ideas of my peers in gun owning and self defense instead of just picking up a rifle that a salesman shows me and says its my best and only option.
 
since your shop is 200 yards out I would go with a gun that has a decent level of accuracy over range so your average AK47, 30-30 and SKS are out. however an AK74(chambered in 5.45x39 instead of 7.62x39) or an AR15 would both be perfectly suited to home defense. sorry that you are having so many problems with your neighbors. I would have no qualms dumping a 30 round mag into some punks truck while he's robbing me and I would love to watch him try to sue me over it.
 
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