So this is for the zombie apocalypse, right?
So this is for the zombie apocalypse, right?
My current SHTF Rifles are a .30-06 bolt action rifle. A nice 800 yard plus range , plenty of ammo found at most any Wally World or back water general store/bait shop. I hand load .30-06 and find it to be the most versitile round out there and can be loaded for any varmit or game animal in North America. Though it does not have the inherent accuracy of the .308 or .223 it wil easily shoot one minute of bad guy.
And a .22lr bolt gun for adding meat to the stew pot.
they are supplimented with a .357 magnum revolver on my hip to dispatch two legged critters who get too close.
No, not really. Something like an earthquake or hurricain or other disaster where the govermemt is unable or unwilling to provide for your proctection and you have to proctect your family from the thug element such as the citizens of New Orleans had to fend off the looters during hurricain Katrina or as bussiness owners had to protect thier life long investments during the L.A. riots.
Besides for Zombies the best weapon is a machete, they are easily sharpend with a bastard file and never run out of bullets. You can easily lop off head on those slow moving pests until your arms get tired.
Green is the new Red.
Zombie Apocalypse, Alien Invasion, Red Hordes, Obama Takin' Mah Guns Away, Meteor Impact, The Rapture, UN New World Order Coup Attempt, We Have To Fight The Terrorists Here Because We Didn't Fight Them Over There, America Collapses Because We Let in Too Many Immigrants.
It's basically a silly paranoid fantasy that gun owners have about what they'll do when social order breaks down, either locally or nationally, and all the Rugged Individualists have to fend for themselves in the resulting anarchy, hunting for food and fighting off roving bands of Mad Max-style raiders (or just black ppl and/or Mexicans). The worst offenders are those with tricked-out AR-15s (again, no offense Anony) and 10,000 rounds of ammunition in their closet.
That said, if you live in a potential disaster area (hurricane-prone area, maybe near a nuclear power plant, something like that) and believe in being super-prepared, it might not be unreasonable to have a decent weapon (a rifle is best) that can be used for self-defense in the event that there is some kind of disaster and the authorities don't respond adequately, because it is conceivable that there could be looters or even violent criminals taking advantage of a situation like that. The fact is that it did happen in New Orleans. Of course, gun owners who don't live in such areas are just as enthusiastic about "SHTF" rifles as those who do. And of course gun owners who do live in such areas often put a lot more thought/effort into their SHTF rifles than they put into other, more realistic, survival/emergency-preparedness measures.
Well, If I dont need to go anywhere I've plenty of guns in the house that cover every end of the firearms spectrum, so I'm pretty much covered there.
If I need to be mobile though I would carry my .357, which will shoot .38 S&W, .38 special, .357 Mag, and 9mm (with half moons) so ammo availability wouldn't really be an issue and I would also take my NEF handi-Rifle in .243, its small, light, and the synthetic stock makes it durable. .243 is pretty common and accurate enough to hit and kill anything I'd be shooting at.
But really I guess it would all depend on the situation, if they're fighting in the streets I'd probably want my Garand for obvious reasons, if its a disaster situation and theres just some shady activity going on all I'd probably take is the .357 or possibly a shotgun with 00 buck.
Which brings me to another thought, why not a shotgun with a slug barrel, you can shoot bird, buck , and ball, and have the ability to kill pretty much anything, accuracy might be the only issue but lets face it most people aren't 800 yard shooters hell most people aren't even 250 yard shooters. Plus 12 Ga. ammo is everywhere.
I think this would be a pretty good choice too. .22 ammo is everywhere, its accurate enough, recoil is light, and can kill squirrels to people. Now I know its not the best choice as a man stopper but I know I wouldnt want to get shot with one. plus the AR-7 has the ability to break down into the stock making it very compact and easy to carry or store and it floats, which would be handy in a hurricane/flood situation.Im buying my dad a breakdown .22 for his SHTF rifle. Im thinking the U.S Survival by Henry.
Last edited by Newhouse; 05-22-2009 at 11:08 PM.
What kind of .357 do you have that can take both rimmed revolver ammo and 9mm on half-moons without any modification?
I own one and may break it out on Memorial Day for some shootin'. You might want to check out the Marlin Papoose as well, they break down and have a padded case that supposedly floats. Mine is a great shooter. Either rifle would be a great bugout gun.
As Syme said, "SHTF" is basically a coverall fantasy for any disruption of order. True preparedness aficionados ensure they are well stocked with food, water, and other necessities; firearms and a supply of ammunition are maintained as well, but not the sole focus, think Burt Gummer for a Hollywood version. On the other side of the scale are the ones who buy military weaponry with thousands of rounds of ammo but do not otherwise prepare. Again, think Burt Gummer if he hadn't invested in all those MREs in Tremors 2.
It seems as though many people who invest in "SHTF" weapons actually want such a scenario to happen. When I was younger my friends and I would discuss it and all it takes is a venture to some of the more "serious" gun forums out there to see outright arguments over when and how it will happen and what you can do to prepare. Having seen my share of a war torn country, coupled with recent cynicism, I've all but disavowed myself from any past contacts I've had. Being prepared is one thing, misleading yourself is another. Hence, my move away from the "cool" guns to something much more practical for all but the worst of situations.
Two rifles pop into my head when it comes to such scenarios now. Honestly, I've become more the hunker down sort, so it could be argued that I have close to thirty "SHTF" rifles. Anyway, the Yugo SKS and the Gibbs Enfield could both serve fairly well. Both are ten round capacity, quick shooting and accurate enough for the layman, and reliable battle proven designs. The SKS is of course 7.62 Soviet while the Enfield is .308. Well, almost time for Texas.
A revolver I've wanted since I first saw it in the pages of American Survival Guide is the Medusa, which would fire almost any .355-.357 caliber cartridge. http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms...a_Model_47.htm
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outd...s/1277301.html
They are out of production and almost never encountered for sale, unfortunately.
Last edited by fm2176; 05-23-2009 at 08:41 AM.
Bookmarks