what's your survival rifle?

SHTF rifles are sex fantasies...if you've found yourself in a post apocalyptic world, you've got bigger problems than ideal choice of rifle. Have you had real survival training, do you have permanent shelter, do you have a clean water supply, do you have tools, medical supplies (particularly if need prescription meds), partners, kids, pets, etc. If you manage to kill your dinner, do you know how to butcher and prepare it...turkey sushi will make you very sick at best. I had the pleasure of USAF survival training in the '60s and have spent an adequate amount of time in the woods...it's not something I would look forward to.

Set yourself up to handle natural disasters first, acquire survival skill sets and supplies and then worry about rifles. Oh, and get a handgun appropriate to self defense if you're not standing next to your rifle...you may need to fight your way back to it.

But, to answer your original question, any of my rifles will do...especially if I have a good knife with me (and a stone to hone the blade), my water filter and halazone, and my glasses..

LOL,

FH
 
SHTF rifles are sex fantasies...if you've found yourself in a post apocalyptic world, you've got bigger problems than ideal choice of rifle. Have you had real survival training, do you have permanent shelter, do you have a clean water supply, do you have tools, medical supplies (particularly if need prescription meds), partners, kids, pets, etc. If you manage to kill your dinner, do you know how to butcher and prepare it...turkey sushi will make you very sick at best. I had the pleasure of USAF survival training in the '60s and have spent an adequate amount of time in the woods...it's not something I would look forward to.
Click to expand...

indepth how to raise a cow in the woods and butcher it with a hand made stone bladed knife? no, however I have spent a good deal of time in these woods and I know the game, I know the seasons, I know the terrain. I know the difference between butchering a turkey and a deer and how to prepare them. it has been discussed at length here that more is involved than just a good rifle. fishing tackle, snares, vitamin supplements and a small garden would also be required to make long term survival possible. my bug out area has a old ranshackle cabin near an old mine and a small creek with several springs feeding it so a viable shelter is just a few days of repair and about a week of felling firewood and water is covered. the reason I addressed rifles here is that this is a firearms based forum rather than a SHTF or survival forum. even though the perfect rifle is not my biggest concern I believe that hunters education says if you get lost in order of most importance you need water, shelter and food so I have 1 and 2 covered. I was just interested in what everyone else would do about number 3:D
 
To be frank, the thread started about "voluntarily leaving populations behind and surviving". In other words, SHTF. It is a SHTF thread plain and simple and should be treated as such.

Other than SHTF, your long term woods survival scenarios are really very limited. Basically talking stranded vehicle or just plain ass being lost scenarios. In both of those you're main goal is to be found. Shelter is high on the list as is heat and water. Defence is a non-factor and food not that high either. Start at the top of the list and you will see guns rank very far down the list from signaling capabilities, shelter, and heat. Worry about those first, pack food in your car/truck. If you're hiking, get lost and you want to procure food than a gun along with some fishing supplies and snare wire would be a great help but you don't need much of a gun or ammo for if you're lost for more than a few days anywhere in the lower 48 you're a dullard. Hence, no need for long term woods survival discussion.

LK
 
Nah, not SHTF. Just a more serious short-term off-the-grid style of living. Not a lot different from some folks right now in the far north or in the much less developed nations.

I note that too many folks automatically go to nattering about anything out of the usual camp/hunt concept as being SHTF and offer advice for that.

Scenario: Your Cessna 172 went down and in/under the trees, a couple of hundred miles from anywhere and the beeper didn't go to hollering on 121.5. You have a sprained ankle and some sort of survival rifle. So, what rifle? See? No SHTF in the usual societal-problem sense.
 
^^ this reminds me of the book "hatchet" basically this is the type of situation I am looking at. how we get here is irrelevant, it's a discussion of what we do once we are here
 
Hatchet and The River... are great books by Gary Paulsen, also there was a 3rd in the series called Brians' Winter. They are children novels but very very good.

Good books for your kids to read!
 
I think I read hatchet when I was 14, a little beneath my reading level since I was already technically a junior in highschool but I enjoyed it all the same...that's probably the first book I read that kindof got me thinking about what I would do if I ever got lost in the woods. after that was when I started packing flashlights, extra ammo, first aid kits and knife sharpeners when I started hunting.
 
.22lr ... not a lot of rabbit left after you hit it with a centre fire round, esp some that have been mentioned!! :eek:
 
Ditto the 870

An 870 with a set of barrels and chokes will get anything from dove to deer. You just cannot get more flexible and affordable than that. Its no self-defense slouch either.

Other than that, the all-American trio will do just about anything: 12G, .22LR, 30-06. Its not very exiting, but its worked for 100 years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top