your survival do all rifle

[Raskolnikov]

Thompson Center Encore, given the criteria of the OP...just change the barrel out and you have a variety of single-shot rifles of good quality with very very few moving parts.

 

[hushnel]

RELIABILITY and ease of ammo are the game in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI scenario.

In that case only a .45 flintlock and blackpowder recipe would do, which would be fine by me too.

 

[skammer]

Shorter barrel 12 ga is all you need. Does it all.

Skam

 

[Hawk45]

Ol' reliable Marlin 336 30-30 lever action.

 

[wildmanh]

My Marlin 1894C .357 Mag lever gun would be my Rifle of choice. .38 Special and .357 Mag are almost as comon as .22LR around here so ammo would be easy to get. You can load it light (125 grain .38) for rabits and other small game or go up to 180 grain .357 Mag for really big stuff if you keep to 100 yards or less. Pictures can be seen here.

The gun weighs around 6 pounds empty and will hold 8 magnums or 9 .38 specials. My Henry Lever action .22LR is a great gun but there are bears in the mountains of Utah so I'd rather have the extra power of the .357 Magnum to deal with them if I have to.

After taking those pictures I installed a brass Skinner Peep sight and matching blade up front. It's dialed in at around 70 yards with 158 grain SJSP ammo from Independance. The soda cans don't stand a chance at that range.

Heber

 

[pimpnugget]

i only hae one riffle so i would go withmy new ruger 1022 chambered in .22 long riffle with just the basic wood stock and a 10 round magazine

 

[Horn Dog]

I guess my best survival rifle would be my Ruger 77-22 All Weather model. It would be even better if it had iron sights. My little Henry 22 lever action would be a good one, too.

 

[BOOMSTICK]

this is my .22 ar7

 

[sleevefullofaces]

this is my .22 ar7

That's pretty sweet! Who makes that?

For me it's an AR15. They may call that an assault rifle in NY and CA though!

 

[Loosearrow]

Mine is a savage 24. The configuration I purchased is .223 on top and 20ga on the bottom. Shoots like a champ, steel plates out to 200 yards no problem.

I went with the .223 because of the high availability and low cost (at the time) and the ability to take down just about anything in North America. 20ga for the decent size pattern and less weight than a 12ga if I had to carry the ammunition with me.

I would recommend it...VERY solid gun, albeit a little heavy. It does break down and would fit in a larger backpack no problem.

Billyp

I also have a 223/20 with a holosite on it for shotgun use. Am taking it off for other things. Do you have optics on yours?

 

[DocGP]

I really like my FR-8. Pretty potent, but probably not the best choice for small game

 

[hoopster]

12ga pump. I know the ammo's large and heavy but it's commonly available and can cover everything from less than lethal rounds up to slugs.

 

[hiwa]

My old Winchester Model 94 , 22 magnum is my pick.

 

[J4Cub]

If we are talking strictly for survival in the wilderness, I would think that a 22 rimfire, such as the Ruger 10-22 or a Marlin Papoose or a Marlin 94A. Reliable accurate and you can carry a lot fo ammo and find ammo most anyplace. IF it's because the SHTF, then it a new ballgame.

 

[nate1714]

I think a marlin 60 would be best for small game, if you want all around then maybe a .357mag rifle with that good mix of power/defense/and not destroying the meat.

 

[BOOMSTICK]

That's pretty sweet! Who makes that?

For me it's an AR15. They may call that an assault rifle in NY and CA though!

it is made by armelite, ar7 explorer.

 

[bentblade]

I really like my FR-8. Pretty potent, but probably not the best choice for small game

I have a FR-8 and think it would be a good choice also. I picked up a chamber adapter that will let me shoot 32 acp instead of the 308 but havent had a chance to try it yet.

for those who dont know what a FR-8 is it's a Spanish 98 mauser converted to a 308 carbine.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/spanishfr8/index.asp

 

[blake g49]

I based my "do it all" rifle on an article by Finn Aagard in Rifle magazine a few years back and aside from a few additions, it is pretty close to what he came up with.

Mauser 98 (actually a 1908 Brazilian) cut to 21" and bedded with Acra-Glas in a Butler Creek synthetic stock that I picked up on sale for $40. It has an XS Scout rail on it and a Leupold 2.75x Scout Scope as well as XS ghost rings, and I have inserted a ziploc bag into the hollow butt-stock with 2 Bic lighters, a boresnake, 5 rounds of rifle ammo, 10 rounds of .32ACP FMJ, 75' of mason's twine and a lightweight Timberline folder. The metal is finished in matte black Brownell's Moly-Teflon Baking Lacquer that has stood up well to the abuse that I have subjected it to...

Chambered in .30-06 of course, with a sack full of 165gr Accubonds and a sub-caliber adapter to shoot anything in .32 (ACP, S&W Short & Long, and H&R Magnum - I might ream it out for .327 but I doubt it...). Big or small, loud or quiet, it gets the job done.

It will never be my "only" gun but it will always be "the" rifle


blake

 

[Kiah]

what is your pick for a survival live of the land do it all rifle (none assault rifle). pics if you got them.

The problem with your question is that you grouped two different scenarios together. "Survival" and "Live off the land" are different.

For survival, say I'm stuck in the woods waiting on rescue. Now if I'm waiting to be rescued and need to "survive", this would mean there was a reason I couldn't walk out on my own. Maybe I'm injured, maybe I'm just lost. This being a temporary situation, I'm not gonna be dropping deer left and right. Around here, I'm looking at squirrels, rabbits, possum, crow, and other small game. Also, with the possibility of being injured, I would want something very light in case I'm needing to shoot one handed and can't position myself behind a rest. A Crickett .22 would be good here, and is what I pack in the woods most times anyway. In a temporary survival situation, especially with an injury, my bigger rifles may be useless, and my Nagant would be a burden. My 10/22 would be a decent choice, but while it's a lot lighter than an off the shelf 10/22 it's still nowhere near the Crickett.

For "live off the land", I'd have more than one gun. At minimum, a good .22 and a larger caliber rifle. If I had to pick a "do it all, live off the land gun", I'd go with a 12 gauge pump or break-open with an extra rifled barrel, or an over under in 20 gauge and a decent rifle caliber. Then again, I don't see the point in shooting anything with a shotgun given a choice. I don't need a busted tooth in an "off the grid" situation.

 

[mainewoodsman]

it is made by armelite, ar7 explorer.

Another good choice is the Henry .22LR survival rifle, very similar.

If I had just one rifle, I'd have to go with the AR15. Ammo is readily available, from a LOT of sources