survival firearm

NEF 20 ga. single shot. if you take it into the wood its going to get dinged,scrached,dropped,slid down trees after being bumped.you want some thing cheap and good.20ga. can put food in the pot.if your cold,wet,tired,low light,bright light then to will be harder to shoot good enough to fill the pot.shot guns make it a lot easier. just my .002
 
I pack just about 24/7 so packing in the woods or while out and about is no big deal to me. It depends upon where I'm going and how big the "critters" are. Although the worst "critter" is bipedal and the most vile an animal there is. I usually won't go with less than a 45 Colt revolver. I have three Ruger 22 single actions and for survival issues, putting the meat in the pot, that's what I'd probably prefer. But when something big and nasty with big claws and teeth are trying to take pieces of my anatomy I want a little insurance. My 475 Linebaugh goes with me in big (bear) critter country.
 
Two part answer here since the question seemed a little vague to me...

Whenever I am in the woods or somewhere where things can go sour fast, HKUSP9 DAO Nitesites.

In a true SHTF survival mode Mossberg 590a Speedfeed Stock, Ghostring Sites.
 
Wilderness survival I'd have to go with one of my .22 rifles. Either the Marlin Model 60 or Remington Nylon 66 as both are as reliable as can be.

For Urban chaos/SHTF it would be the Remington 870 12ga with the short barrel.
 
Good question, and definately very very broad! I'll limit my answer to wilderness or simple meat-in-pot survival arms.

I would me highly partial to a single action .22LR revolver due to compactness and ease of use. Couple that with a bolt action .22WMR and you got a winning combo that could even handle SD in a (very tight) pinch!

(For SD, its hard to beat a shotty).

In reality, since I'd have to work with what I got, I'd probably be carrying my Remmington 11-87, with other family members carrying such hunting arms as the vernable 870 and the Marlin model 60...
 
I'm w/ Rescue Mike on the 1911 - mine is a Colt Gov't model 5". Who wants to lug around a shotgun or rifle when you're out hiking? A friend of mine just got a Taurus Raging Bull 454 Casul - great if you're in Bear or big cat country!
 
In a survival situation, your survival firearm is the one you have with you when things go sideways. What I have in my BOB or cached are selected for the tasks I percieve I'll need a firearm for in most "bug-out" survival situations but they won't be with me if I turn an ankle on a day hike and have to spend an unexpected night in the field.

If a firearm is not already part of your EDC kit, then you may be thinking about selecting a firearm to take along when playing in the woods, just in case. If so, then you need to assess:
1) what would you likely be using it for,
2) how big is too big to carry,
3) how small is too small to be useful,
4) how steep is the learning curve, and
5) what are the ramifications of carrying it.

The decision to arm oneself carrys with it significant responsibility. They are heavy, require training, bring liability, require care, and can limit your access to some places.

-- FLIX
 
While I've never carried any guns/rifles with me while hiking/backpacking, I do think the guns I have would cover most situations.

Short range plinker: Beretta U22 Neos .22 pistol fitted with a Leupold Gilmore red-dot sight. I would probably prefer a Browning Buck Mark or Ruger MKII/III, but the Neos is accurate and easy to handle.

Long range plinker: CZ-452 .22 rifle. This is my favorite gun. I got into benchrest shooting with this rifle. Off the bench, at 50 yards, I can get .2" groups consistently with this gun. That's five shots all within .2 inches. That's insanely accurate for a relatively cheap .22.

Mid range varmint, Kel-Tec SU-16 .223 rifle. Here's a review at equipped.org:
http://www.equipped.org/Kel-Tec_SU-16_Review.htm

Self defense: Sig Sauer P226R in 9mm. I don't agree with most peoples preference for larger caliber handguns. The 9mm is accurate as heck and I can carry more rounds per clip. A real self defense gun would be a 12 gauge shotgun, but those aren't quite as easy to carry.

I don't have an honest to goodness hunting rifle, but a Tikka T3 in .308 will be my next firearm purchase.
 
Hiking locally I carry a North American .22mag-5 shots
Backpacking--S&W M29 .44mag-6 shots, two extra speed loaders
Camping in the Jeep--S & W M29 .44mag and Winchester lever action .44mag rifle. and a Ruger 10/22. and lots of ammunition.
 
When going into "civilized" areas I carry a Colt officers model .45, when going into true wilderness I don't take a fire arm.
If I were concerned about a survival gun in the wilderness It would probably be a light weight single shot .22. When packing it all for a week or longer you need to minimize weight. The weight of ammunition is a huge strike against carrying a shotgun very far.
One of my friends has a scoped ruger .22 Mk II autoloader that is more accurate that most people with rifles. Such a weapon, in competent hands, might make a good alternative to traditional thinking, especially if one of the light weight aluminum barrels is installed.
If self defense against 2 legged varmints is a concern I would suggest getting training in combat shooting.
In all cases be aware of where your bullet will impact, someone may be camping on the other side of those trees.

Enjoy!
 
I remember my dad's first gun that he gave me to shoot.

I think it was a OVER AND UNDER 22/410

And if I were lost in the woods, with a few day's walk out to the road, I sure would love that same gun.
22 shells are so small you can carry 200 in a front pocket and not worry about weight or worry that you have to "save your rounds"...heck you can shoot whole weekend.

The 410 would be a great shell for bringing down small birds or a rabbit.
and thats about all the bigger game I would be looking for to eat. There is no way I would be hunting for an elk with only a 2 day walk ahead of me.

BUT, if I were in the type of woods where I might run into a hungry bear?
Then I would go with a 30.06 and sleep better.
 
For "wilderness" survival, my choice(s) are a good .22LR rifle, and a large caliber revolver. My personals are a Rem. Nylon 66 (in chrome), and a Smith 629 .44 with a 6 1/2" barrel. This way I have all the bases covered: PD from both 4-legged and 2-legged critters, and the means to procure small game for the pot. I carry and can choose from a wide variety of loads for the .44, including the CCI shotshells, which are far more effective for potting small game at distance than those little .22 shotshells. If it's "domestic" survival, I'm grabbin' the AR and the Glock.
 
I actually have just bought a Ruger model III in stainless. Sweet gun. I bought it because I have one of the original models that I have always loved. Such a great little shooter. Pretty small, fairly light, feeds anything. I also have my National Match Gold Cup. When I worked in a gun store (in the 70's and 80's) I also bought an Ace conversion slide so I can shoot .22 lr with it. That is an excellant choice but heavy. The 22/45 ability is nice to have though. I also have a TC with barrels in calibers like .357 with the hot shot adapter. I also have a .221 fireball and .30 cal herret. I made an insert for the 221 fireball so I can fire anything from 22 cb caps to 22lr in it if I want. Not quickly mind you but it can easily be done with the insert. Even with those to choose from, and many shotguns and rifles, for a backpack gun I would still strongly consider the Ruger Single Six. The ability to fire anything from 22 bb caps to 22 mag is a pretty nice capability to have. Second to that, one of the ruger 22 semi autos is a great choice. Now if I was in Brown/Grizzly country I would be taking my .44 super blackhawk as well, always, even to the outhouse. And I would consider getting something bigger. Black bears in New England don't bother me and they are not that hard to kill or disuade if necessary. Browns on the other hand are very dangerous animals and not easy to kill and they consider everything that walks, talks, flies, swims and crawls to be on their menu.

FWIW,
KR
 
LOL @ Rescue Mike! A man after my heart.
I once teased a friend about the Beretta .25 in his suit vest pocket.
"That's what you carry when you don't want to carry a gun" I said paraphrasing Massad Ayoob.

Where's you gun?" He asked.

<silence>

Advantage Beretta.
Remember the first rule of a gun fight! (With bipeds or bunnys)
 
Alan Molstad said:
BUT, if I were in the type of woods where I might run into a hungry bear?
Then I would go with a 30.06 and sleep better.
Click to expand...

This is a defining point. Location or region defines the firearm. What major predators are in your region and what small or large game can you eat. No major predators or large game, then pack the lighter stuff. A shot gun compensates some for poor conditions but a .22 allows more shots for the same weight and space volume. That is a personal decision. ANY firearm is better than humping through the bush with nothing but my thumb up my butt and my d..k in my hand.
 
Pistol:
small bore: Ruger Mk II .22 in Uncle Mike's shoulder rig
Large bore: Ruger stainless Blackhawk .45LC in Bianchi Cyclone cross draw rig

Rifle: Marlin 60

Shotgun: Remington 1100
 
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