survival guns/preparing in general

[SemperFiUSMC]

You asked about which is better - scoped or open sights. The answer is yes.

Learn to shoot first with iron sights. Learn the BRASS technique. That's what they taught us in the Corps. If you have a 10/22 get a set of peep sights. If they're good enough for Appleseed shooters, they're good enough for you.

Use the peep sights to develop your gross skills. Master the rifle, then throw a scope on. I use a 4-16 mildot, which out to 100 yards will allow me to zero in on an eyeball. Yeah it's overkill, but with a .22 you require acute accuracy. The mildot allows for quick ranging, which is important whether you plan to fire or not.

As for a .22 being (or not being, as the case may be) a good defensive weapon, I'll bet there are a few high speed operators (or those that used to be) on this forum that will tell you that a firearm is not the best defensive weapon at all. Firearms give away position, and what can be seen will be killed.

 

[dudley0]

My 17 does a lot more damage than my .22 LR. That is a given.

They are a lot louder and a whole lot more expensive though. If on a budget and looking for one round I would shy away from the 17. Makes a heck of a mess on a piney at 35 yards though.

 

[LtScott14]

The 22 cal seems like a good start to evolve into the other range of firearms. When I sent a shotgun to the gunsmith for work, I found my 30 yr old Marlin Semi Auto 22 to be a comfort, loaded, and parked in the usual shotgun spot. It was my first autoloader 22 cal, and with a little care, cleaning, and a trip to the range has kept up with many bought and sold other rifles.(AK47, SKS, Ar15, M1 Carbine, Winchester 30/30, all great, but a lot of $ from the budget) Ruger has some good models, shop around.
Get your basic BOB started first. Make the firearm fit in with your preps, then find a range to shoot at, and practice. (get some binoculars to see your target hits). Have some fun.

 

[movevio]

you can not go wrong with a 10/22 in any situation that being said my .17 has dropped more targets with a heart beat than all my other guns combined. it is all about what you can do. in most shots i am the weak point of the equation. buy a .22 and shoot a few 1000 rounds and you will not need the fancy optics <that i own> to take care of business. any other gun has its own area of expertise learning the point and shoot mentality is the best thing i have learned

 

[ar15_dude]

rideac,
I'll respond to your primary question:
- an SKS is an excellent choice for a first, low cost rifle. Develop shooting and handling skills, with sufficient respectable firepower. Solid platform, no need to buy mags

At some point if you want to move up to a mag fed US caliber, I suggest either an AR15 (excellent ergonomics and supports optics) or one of the M1As (scout, SOCOM, etc.) (best value in 308, proven platform). I have AK experience, but don't consider it in the same class as the above (accuracy issues, poor ergo, not optic optimal, short stock, heavy, sheet metal receiver, etc.)

Rock on with your other preps.

 

[DanO]

Semper Fi - right on! Very good points. If I was starting out, it would be a quality .22 rifle and instruction. Second, a combat carry pistol like a GLOCK 19, then a military caliber rifle or a shotgun, depending on local my terrain.

OP - Get a 10/22 and a few mags. Learn to REALLY shoot, start off with some local instruction or an Appleseed event. Check out some good boards like Ferfal, Viking Preparedness and Survivalblog, and prep according to what YOU think will be a likely problem. Like wealth, Prepping is done successfully in increments and over time. The more you are willing to educate yourself on good choices and strategies, make sacrifices to have prep $$, and learn to do things yourself, the quicker you will get to your goals.

Finally, you seem to feel you need a new base/residence asap. Check out the tinyhouseblog.com Really look through it and you will find some great solutions for a single guy. if you are willing to buy a piece of land and put in the sweat equity, you will own your own place with little debt prety quickly. Plan well and work your butt off.

 

[mutt]

Hard to go wrong with a 22 and it makes acquiring the right skill set for being a competent shooter a much cheaper proposition with the ammo price being so low

 

[springfieldfan42188]

in my opinion the best firearm u could have in a survival situation would be a .22 rifle like a ruger 10 /22 or somethin, simply because u can take down a variety of game and carry plenty of ammunition and its cheap, and or a 12 gauge shotgun for taking down bigger game.

 

[gunman41mag]

hey i've been creeping around here for a few weeks, so i think i'll start posting finally.

In the past 2-3 months I've discovered how serious the problems are in this country and how they are impossible to fix without ending the federal reserve. Since Ron Paul is the only political figure talking about this and no one knows much about the federal reserve in general, i don't really think its possible for the bankers to be stopped in time to repair the damage thats been done since 1913. (the dollar being devalued by 97% since it began issuing our currency)

Thus, I've stopped living the standard consumer driven lifestyle (spending all earnings on TV's, going out to eat, movies...you name it) that the average american (unknowingly?) indulges in.

I'm only 20 years old and I find that going from average lower middle class American to self sufficient, well stocked, and armed survivalist is truly a difficult task.

My primary question is: If you were on a budget, what type of rifle would you choose for a combination of hunting and self defense?

I think an SKS seems like a good option, but I'm not 100% sure so thats why im seeking advice. I like that its chambered in 7.62x39, so I could get an SKS as a first rifle for practice and then if time allows i could acquire an AK47 also.

Ideally, i'd like to get some kind of .308 battle rifle, but i don't have 1-2k to spend currently. I could come up with it in a few months for sure, but I feel like buying a gun and getting experience with it now is better than saving for a nice one and possibly not being able to get it.

Open to all suggestions, thanks for looking, and sorry if tl;dr

If you don't want to spend alot of money, you can buy a REMINGTON 74, 740, 742, 7400 in 308 win or 30-06 will serve you well in hunting & self-defense

 

[insidethebunker]

I'd suggest you look at what you can get the most ammo for, easily and consistantly. What can you purchase with a little grocery money each week, and then purchase ammo for it. The easist to supply ammo for is a 22 rifle. Great tool to learn with, cheap to practice with, fun to shoot. A box of 550 rounds each week when you go to buy groceries at Wally World is $18.95. You could build a great stash of ammo in know time. Then I would look at what other ammo is in the glass case at Wally World and I think you will find when everthing is gone you can still buy 30-06. It's a great hunting rifle and reasonalby priced.

Now I agree with the poster who said Mosin and ammo for $300. He's right and if you choose to do that buy some serious ammo but come back to the 22 and 30-06. Out of the 3 calibers you have a lot of the right stopping power and an afforable price. Learn how to reload the 30-06 and you are in evey better shape.

Last to all that I would buy a 22 Ruger Mark III pistol to compelment your 22 rifle and have more training options with a rifle and pistol in matching calibers.

And very last you should have picked up a 12guage shotgun some where along the way.

Save the AK for a little later.

 

[ViperJock]

IMO a lot of what you are going to buy or focus on depends on your plan. Will you hole up in a retreat? what is around you? Will you grab the bug out bag and head into the wilderness? Light and stealthy become more important the more alone and in the open you are. From a fortified and/or known position, I would prefer to have firepower with range.
That being said, even from a fortified position you might want to hunt without being noticed at times.
Make a plan. What is the most likely scenario? Plan for it. What is the most dangerous scenario? Plan for it. Have back up plans for each. Prior planning prevents **** poor performance.
Make sure you work food, water, and other supplies into your ammo budget.

 

[rideac]

this thread has turned out to be pretty good. I'm going to pick up a 10/22 at the 1500 this weekend.

 

[rideac]

Make sure you work food, water, and other supplies into your ammo budget.

yes i've been working on this one. just ordered a go berkey and next on the agenda is bug out bag, MRE's, and heirloom seeds.

 

[mutt]

To my mind a 12 ga would be then next firearm purchase

A 12 ga is an incredibly versatile firearm

 

[rideac]

To my mind a 12 ga would be then next firearm purchase

A 12 ga is an incredibly versatile firearm

i have a winchester 1400, but sorta would rather have a pump action i think.

 

[Lynn Smith]

I just want to throw my support behind the .22. Build up your skills and it is as deadly as any of the bigger calibers.

I find it funny that after owning a few different calibers I am now practicing more with my .22 and plan on purchasing a new one. Most likely a G22. Come on, I'm left handed so it is the only bullpup I can get without major customization or cash. It will also save me a lot of money at Appleseed.

After you have a 10/22, G22, Marlin 60, or some other nice .22 you will start wanting something a bit larger down the road. Like others have stated I would get a nice shotgun. Contrary to some I believe that a good shotgun is the best home defense weapon out there. Add that to its hunting capabilities and you can't go wrong.

Just my on a half awake morning.

 

[Brian87]

Walmarts selling .50 can veggies today, made in USA.
A good bargin. You may look at a cheap 12 gage for close range pertection.

 

[yepthatsme]

Just my two cents. I agree with those that suggest the 22. If you are unable to stay put and protect your home base, then you have to be prepared to bug out. I have a Henry H002. It's a survival .22 that disassembles and packs away in it's own stock. It can fit very nicely in a bug out bag or back pack and you can carry a large amount of ammo. Remember, in a survival situation, your brains are your best weapon and tool. Go into stealth mode. You want to avoid confrontations with hostiles if possible. And should you encounter a hostile, you want to appear as non threatening. With a .22 caliber rifle, you can also carry a .22 caliber handgun for close encounters and still use the same ammo. Most .22's are small and easy to conceal.

If you are defending a home base, then you can afford to use amost any large caliber weapon or shotgun for defense since you won't be traveling far. I believe though, that when things go bad, you will eventually decide to move to safer areas.

 

[yepthatsme]

Just another thought. I believe there is a greater chance of a natural disaster occuring than there is a military type of take over. So, if a natural disaster occurs, you will most definately need to be on the move to a safer area. So, I guess what I am trying to say is to prepare first to bug out, then prepare for home base defense.

 

[454comp]

another thing to try is get yourself a copy of the SAS survival handbook and try out a few of their traps, and water catching methods