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Three Gun Armory

E

evbouret

Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
283
I'm interested to see what kinds of answers I'll get for this question. If you were to own three guns for hunting/survival in YOUR local forests, what would they be. You don't have to be specific as far as models go, but what type of rifle? Be sure to describe the areas you hunt or hike, what game would be targetted and various and uses for the guns.

LOCATION: Hawai'i. We have everything from boar filled thick canopied rainforest, to more open almost lunar terrain. I also hunt with dogs, archery and rifle so I need some versatile rifles.

#1:Compact Bush Rifle:
A Ruger M77/44 Would be my all purpose rifle for game under 100 yards. It would be fitted with quick detach lightweight 2-7 optics and a williams fp peep sight. Would be perfect for hunting with the hounds to with its short overall length. The stainless/composite combo would be great in the rainy forest too.

ruger-77-44-rifle-44-magnum.jpg


#2:12Ga Pump:
If I were to pick a pump shotgun it would be the 12ga Remington 870 Express. Outfitted with a 20" rifle sighted barrel for bush hunting, or a longer bird barrel for shooting buckshot or birdshot, this gun should be able to do anything you can dream of within 75 yards for slugs or within 30-40 yards for shot.

yhst-34998508362954_2065_3496648


#3:Longer Ranger Rifle:
This rifle would be used out to 200-250 yards max. Would be topped with a quality 3-9 scope. I think as far as calibers go I'd opt for a .308 or a 7mm-08. It would be used most often to hunt sheep, goat and pigs. So it doesn't have to be a giant caliber. It would sport a 22" barrell with an overall length of just over 40". There are many rifles that I could choose for this category, so I don't want to get into brands, although I do like Remington 700s, Rugers 77s and Winchester 70's. Big suprise?

What about you guys?
 
Location: Nebraska

1. Ruger 10/22 for small game, etc. Very effective and reliable gun, and I'm very comfortable with one.

2. 12 gage shotgun, not so certain on make/model. I have a Mossberg 500 20 ga which is very reliable and a great gun, in 12 gage it would be great. But I love my Benelli Montefeltro, too, and it's also a sound gun.

3. This is a tough one. My Marlin 336 is a proven, good gun. But in the much more open western part of the state, something with more range is very helpful. I really like the Tikka T3 as a rifle, and 7mm mag is the round I'd probably choose. Maybe .30-06, if I thought ammo would be an issue.
 
NY state areas of heavy rugged mountains with thick forests as well as open farmland.


.22 rifle
20 gauge shotgun
30-06 Rifle
 
I live in BC, and can hunt pretty much anything and everything, from big, dangerous game, to waterfowl, to small game, varmints, and pretty much anything else you can think of.


1.)7mm Rem Mag. Mines a Rem 700 SPS Stainless, with a Leupold VariX-2 3-9x40, which I'd be comfortable using on anything. I'd want a longer range scope for sheep and such, but I'd be happy with the 7mm for everything. Load it down for sheep and deer, load it up for moose and bear.

2.) 12 gauge shotgun. I've got a Mossy 535, currently with a 28" vent rib barrel. I wanna get one of those "20 "tactical turkey" barrels as well. This would be for waterfowl, turkey, and predator defense(preferably with the shorter barrel). Could also be used for small game and grouse with lighter loads.

3.) .22 rifle. I don't have one in my hands yet, but I've got one on order from my local shop. It's a Marlin 981t, bolt action, tube fed. It can take .22 long, short, and long rifle. This would be for small game, rabbits, squirrels, etc. Maybe for grouse(headshots).


That'd cover pretty much anything in my area. I'll try and get a couple pics of what I've got later tonight.
 
My picks from my gun safe are

1) Weatherby mark v accumark 300 Win mag with leupold vari x 3 3-9 perfect for any big game

2) Remington 870 12 gauge with a 20 inch rifled barrel and a 28 inch modifed choke barrel

3)My Ruger single six 22Lr/ 22mag
 
1. Remington 870 12Ga. Shotgun
2. Remington 700 AWR in 300 Win. Mag.
3. Ruger 10/22

All seasons, all game, proven results.
 
Location: Minnesota long term, but Rocky Mts as often as possible (I'm in CO for a month).

Choices:
Remington 700 in .308
Marlin 336 in 30-30
Marlin 39 in .22

With those calibers I could handle any game animal large or small, and the .22, besides handling small game will handle fowl. In a survival situation I wouldn't worry about taking birds in the roost or pond.

If the "survival" situation you envision is purely wilderness in orientation my choices would stand; but if it were to include some type of social upheaval, I'd swap in an LRB M-14 for the bolt gun in .308.
 
If ammo supply isn't in question, then here's my three:

My Henry .22 Lever Action. I've used it mainly for hogs and rabbits, well, only for hogs and rabbits and occasional target practice. This would be used for small game and my walks around the woods.

My Mossberg in .270 is my big game rifle, although I've only used it for practice :o It's there for that "just in case" trip where I might get to bag something big. This would be my "if we were invaded by XXX country" rifle (Red Dawn....ya never know :p).

Then my last choice would be a shotgun. I'm not edumacated in the fine arts of shotgun other than it's what I use to shoot doves. I'd want a break barrel over and under version for ease of maintenance. This would be used for birds, squirrels, defensive purposes.

I would like to have my pistol at my side, so if I swapped out the .22 rifle for my 9mm kel-tek P11 I'd be a happy camper :D
 
first and foremost i am a traditional ARCHER and bowhunter and would much prefer to take game with a bow.. i do however love the idea of having a trio of multi use guns..:)
i grew up shooting a lot of guns and hunting, i am just now starting to get back into guns..:o i think my choices would be/are..

-Mossberg 500 12 gauge, with optional 28 in. barrell for bird hunting.

-Ruger 10/22.. i have wanted one of these for years and recently scored a nice used one, for a great deal.. i'll have it in 12 days..:D

-.30-.30 or 30-.06 for a longer distance gun.. i think one of these will be my next purchase..
 
Ruger 10/22
Remmy 12ga with 28in bbl, and 18in bbl
Springfield M1A scout w/ long relief scope...
 
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I live in New Zealand. I generally hunt as close to home as I can. No point in carrying the meat further than you have to.

In this country we can hunt in thick bush, or sometimes shots can be taken in open terrain.

1. .22 rimfire. I have a bolt action with a scope and silencer that has helped me get a ton of meat. I don't recommend the use of a .22 for big game, but I have taken one large red deer (which dropped instantly with one shot), several hogs, many wild goats, possums, hares and rabbits with a .22. I use all sorts of ammo, but my favorite is Winchester subsonic.

2. Big game close to medium range gun.... I've done a lot of hunting using old ex-military Lee Enfields in .303 British caliber. My dad converted one of these to shoot the AK 47 cartridge - 7.62 x 39. I've been drilling the military ammo to make very effective hollow points. So my #2 weapon is the converted Lee Enfield now chambered for 7.62 X 39. Open sights are my preference for this class of hunting.

3. I am inclined to write 12 gauge shotgun here, but although I know it would be a useful, versatile weapon (and I do own one), I hardly ever use a shotgun. So I think I will pick a rifle that can deal with larger animals at long ranges. I've never fired one, but I like the idea of having a 7mm-08. My sister in law has a nice one of these and she has pulled some good shots with it. There are other calibers of course that would be suited to long range work. A good telescopic sight should be fitted to this gun.
 
Costa Rica.
Mossberg 500 12 ga. Hogs or anything with wings
Savage 110 .22/250 Lotsa pasture land to hunt here. pizote, deer WAY out there. 3 to 9 Leupold Just be sitting across a field at sunup, lying down with a bipod.
Ruger KMK 512 auto pistol. Survival.
Squirrel , armadillo, monkey,pizote,coati,anteaters,agouti,kinkajou, tayra, sloth ,porcupine, tepisquintle, turkeys.

In he rain forest you can get within 30 yards of any of these and could even beat a few in the head with a stick.
I plan on hunting squirrels and armadillo with a wrist rocket. I don't like firing a gun in the rainforest unless, obviously, it was necessary.It scares the critters too much.
I capped a fer de lance with my 44 and didn't see a toucan, parrot or monkey for several weeks.:mad: Normally you see them every day.
And I ALWAYS have my Charter Bulldog 44 sp in my pocket.;) That's normally reserved for 2 legged varmints.:)
 
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coote said:
My dad converted one of these to shoot the AK 47 cartridge - 7.62 x 39. I've been drilling the military ammo to make very effective hollow points.
Click to expand...

Be careful doing this. I don't know this from personal experience, but have heard that it can cause issues by letting the jacket remain in the bore, and raising pressures too high for the reciever to contain on the next shot. Maybe it is a myth, but that is why the older guys call the hollowpoints dum-dums, because it was such a dumb thing to do.

I'm glad it is working out for you so far, and if you know better, then feel free to disregard.:D
 
.357 magnum revolver with 6" barrel, .357 magum lever carbine, .30-06 pump rifle (carbine, 18.5 bbl as is lever action)
 
Yep Any Cal. I have heard the warning about the jacket staying behind in the barrel too, and I have been nervous about it. However folks have been drilling the old Mk vii .303 army ammo for years down here and I've never been informed of a mishap. The hole is made using a jig and a 5/64" drill. The bullet tip is generally first flattened a bit with a grinder or a file.

I think the pattern for my dad's drilling jig came from a sporting magazine.

Perhaps the lead slug is more likely to push through the hollow point when the hole is too big, and/or when the jacket is not well swaged under the base of the projectile.

I get some comfort from contemplating the fact that lead-tipped jacketed bullets don't appear to have solid jackets all the way to the tip of the projectile.

But certainly, I would not recommend that anybody drill the points of their solid bullets without doing some careful research. Some projectiles may not be suited to this procedure at all. I'm glad you brought this up Any Cal. From the tone of your message you sound like a nice, wise diplomatic sort of a guy.
 
I live in the Northeast alot of brush county and thick forest areas

Savage M 24c 22/20 guage

.357 revolver (ruger security six at present)

.357 lever action rifle (Rossi)
 
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