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most versatile gun

3K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Stryker1 
#1 ·
What is the common opinion on the most versatile gun for any survival situation? I vote 12 ga
 
#5 ·
The .22 is good, but think, The 12 gauge can do any job and can kill any north american animal, PLUS works well for personal defense, and everyone has 12 gauges lying around, so the chances are high for bartering for ammo, finding an ammo cache, or claiming off of looters bodies. :D
 
#6 ·
a .22 can also kill about anything in north America with a well placed shot, and anyone can handle a .22 while not all can handle the recoil from 12 slugs
 
#7 ·
Gotta be the .22 LR

You can shoot fowl and small game with it and even drop a person, if need be. Ammo is cheap and plentiful. Plus, a .22 is usually inexpensive and easy to maintain.
 
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#8 ·
The .22 is good, but think, The 12 gauge can do any job and can kill any north american animal, PLUS works well for personal defense, and everyone has 12 gauges lying around, so the chances are high for bartering for ammo, finding an ammo cache, or claiming off of looters bodies. :D
Off the top of my head, I'll mention capacity: most SA .22's can carry at least 15 rounds or more. Especially the tubular magazine ones I have, along with my GSG that holds 22+1.

Weight: shotgun ammo weighs more and (that fact) would definitely matter in a situation where you might be humping across the land.

***Just food for thought

Functionality: for killing small game like rabbits or squirrels, buck and slug would obviously cause too much damage. Bird shot means you're pulling a Marty McFly at dinner (God I hate that.)
 
#9 ·
Marty Mcfly LOL :D :D :D :D I hate that too
 
#11 ·
OK im going to go off the resevation on this one and say 223. I feel like its a better game getter than 22lr or 12ga. In a SHTF kinda situation where I dont have to worry about hunting laws I could use it to hunt birds on the water, and it would be much more effective for longer shots on larger game(white tail ect.). Its one of the cheaper rounds if you like bulk russian stuff. Not horrible to lug around a couple hundred rounds. Commonly used by US military and police so you should be able to scrounge some up. So it gets my vote. But 9mm with a good pistol carbine comboe gets my second vote forthe same reasons.
 
#13 ·
A solid bolt action .30-06. With bullet weights from 90 to 220 grns, you can download it for squirrels or take the full power loads for deer, elk, moose or bear. Using 150gr to 165gr bullets, it makes an outstanding 500 to 1000 yrd sniper round. Plus, you can walk into any back woods supply store and buy or barter for .30-06 ammo.

As to using a .22LR for game getting, yes it can be done. But the range must be short and the shot very, very carefully placed. This is for the larger sized game like deer, etc. I personally would not want to try and take an elk or moose with it. All it would do to a bear is p**s it off.

Now a 9mm or .40S&W pistol/carbine combo is also a valid option here. Again, if the range is kept short, like under 50 yards, and the shots placed very carefully.

My $.02. YOMV.
 
#15 ·
I hope I would keep an ATV nearby with several choices available.
 
#17 ·
That's what I think too, but if I have my druthers, I would have a short 12ga on one side of the saddle, a rifle on the other( hopefully something assaulty ), and a pistol and a good knife on my hip.
 
#18 ·
I would really like to have my .22lr combo with me, but then again I would like to have my 9mm combo with me as well. So as long as I had at least two people with me I could have both within reach for different situations.
Gun Bearer, anyone?
:laugh: :tongue2: :laugh:
 
#19 ·
.22lr is my over all choice. But the .17hmr is winning me over quickly..
 
#20 ·
For a single "do any job" gun, I'd have to agree with the 12ga. Anything from light birdshot to slugs gives you the flexibility to handle just about anything.

That said, I think the .22lr is the most convenient - it can probably handle 80-90% of likely needs, is lighter, accurate to a greater range and ammo is small and light...you can easily throw a hundred rounds in a pocket and be good to go.
 
#21 ·
For a single "do any job" gun, I'd have to agree with the 12ga. Anything from light birdshot to slugs gives you the flexibility to handle just about anything.

That said, I think the .22lr is the most convenient - it can probably handle 80-90% of likely needs, is lighter, accurate to a greater range and ammo is small and light...you can easily throw a hundred rounds in a pocket and be good to go.
or an old pill bottle. vitamin bottle or soemthing similar. they are then water proof :D
 
#23 ·
All you need to do is look back in history. Most settlers had one basic caliber and it was normally a shotgun. Why? because it gave them a much better chance to put food on the table. Early settlers were still carrying Muskets so they would use a buck or ball load depending on what they were going after.

That being said, The USAF still uses the Henry Survival 22lr because of size and weight. In a survival situation you are not going to be after big game. If you are on the move you are going to end up wasting the meat because you will not likely be able to cure and store it.

For me first choice would be Grandpa's double barrel 12 gauge and if opportunity allowed, my Beretta Neos 22lr as as backup.
 
#24 ·
yes but the guns and ammo the settlers had access to probably would be considered a little lacking in the accuracy dept, todays .22's at least from personal experience are plenty accurate,
 
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