Best Indiana SHTF rifle...NO AK OR AR!

[G_Stines]

Ok guys, what do you think is the best Indiana specific SHTF rifle?

Edit: upped the budget
-Because of forests and hills, 300 yards is probably the max distance you'll be shooting.
-Ammo must be common.
-Parts must be somewhat easy to find.
-Reliability is a huge plus (must be easy to care for as well).
-Optics are allowed, but not nessecary.
-You have only $1000
-Magazines (if used) must be relatively cheap.
-Primarily used for taking game but can be used for self-defense in a pinch.

Oh yeah, NO AKs or AR-15s!

What would you guys, under these guidelines, consider the best SHTF rifle for us Indiana residents?


P.S. yeah SHTF weapon discussions have been beaten to death on the Internet. I've not however seen one with these stipulations. Let's see what you guys think.

This says to me that I am bugging in. To that, my M77 mark II in 30-06 would be it. Since its primary use is hunting, but can easily clear 300 effectively MSRP is 999, but I got mine for 650 and put a Nikon scope on it for right at 200. I can bug out if necessary, and 30-06 is pretty common. I know I have ammo loaded and could load down to be on par with a 22mag on noise and 22 on recoil on up to shoulder wreckers. Breakdown and mechanics are simple, and it's a Ruger.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

its amusing how the 22WMR round has been compared to the FN 5.7 in terms of ballistics. i vote .22

There's a video on youtube of a guy shooting hogs with a 17HMR. All headshots but every hog dropped like a stone. The biggest one - the eyes almost bugged out of the skull from the impact.

 

[alan robert]

Since we have excluded what I would normally want to use (AK or AR), I agree with the rifle/carbine concept, that is based on the use of pistol ammo.

But, just for a game rifle in Indiana (if rule of law is gone, lol), a .243 bolt action from your favorite firearms maker (Savage, Remington, Thompson Center, Mossberg, etc).

Mossberg MVP bolt action ($599) in .223 uses AR magazines. You can use heavier/longer .223 bullets in a bolt action also (single loading without mag), especially for a ammo reloader.

For self defense, a Sterling Type II 9mm carbine (nostalgic) and a Beretta 9 mm PX4 Storm sub compact pistol, and a 12/20 guage shotgun of your favorite flavor. lol

Shot gun with slugs will bring down game in this state. We have done it successfully for years. lol Almost every home has a shotgun, or use too back in the day. lol

The Sterling carbine folds up compact, closely ressembling a tube (lol), and would be easy to back pack.

If I am taken out of the equation for some reason, the family could handle and operate 9mm, .223, .243, and 20 guage firearms easily.

Second choice would be a Beretta Storm Carbine in .40/.45 with a Beretta Storm pistol to match.

All of these firearm rounds are common in Indiana.

 

[fullauto 45]

Remington 750 series in 30.06. Drop anything from whisel pigs to elk.

 

[tsugaruroman]

Ok, enough about the “well placed shot”. The will be no such thing. Even if you are an excellent marksman on the range, you are in a completely different situation. You are most likely running all day hunting food, and then you chop fire wood, mend your close, cook and build/fix your shelter and most likely fight off other people while doing this. So when you actually see a game animal, you are out of breath, exhausted and probably hungry. So, do you really think you can actually perform at your best? I doubt that. So what you would want is something that can drop an animal even if it wasn’t the best shot. Also you want something that can keep intruders away at safe distance. With .22 you most likely will be outgunned even by a man with a shotgun. Do you really want to be the one with .22 while everybody else has heavier calibers? If you have no chance of resupplying your ammo, why would you want to spend your ammo on rabbits? You can trap them instead of shooting, same as squirrels and many other animals. So you use of the gun will be limited to hunting large game and keeping humans away. I would have to agree with SKS people – the gun is reliable, ammo is cheap. I will also add Mosin rifle, even though ammo and the gun are heavy, both are cheap and with the budget of $1000 you can get few guns (or a gun and tons of spare parts) and butt load (I man years worth of supply) of ammo. With the effective range over 300m you can protect your stash, too.

 

[Billcurtis]

I would take a .22lr and the best rifle in this cal. that I owned at the time. You can kill any game in North America with it, if used properly, it is quiet, and you can carry lots of ammo. In a survival situation they work just fine. I have shot Hogs, Beef cattle, and all small game, and varmits with a .22 and it will work just fine up 100 yards. Poacher kill deer with them every year, just any game warden. I own now and have owned, more powerful rifles, pistols and shotguns. But if pressed to hunt for my family or go without, I would use one of my .22s, or one of my air rifles. If it comes to holding off a mob, then I can cope with that at longer range. I plan on staying put where I now live. I have good neighbors, and they are all armed as well.
Bill...

 

[Excalibur]

I still don't understand why the criteria of this is no AKs or ARs. They fit everything on the list.

 

[.45 Dave]

I still don't understand why the criteria of this is no AKs or ARs. They fit everything on the list.

I don't know--just the rules to make us think outside the box.
I would go with an AK if that were an option and only because I like the bigger caliber bullet. No special reason. I know the .223 if fine but I personally like the AK better. However, my SHTF gun is a .30-30 Marlin because I have one, ammo is easy to get and I am very comfortable and accurate with it.

I've already got a bandolier with 80 rds that I can wear and I can also put a paddle holster on the bandolier where it crosses my chest for my XD40. On my hip I can wear a .45 revolver with 24 rounds. That's battle dress where I'm dug in and won't have to do a lot of running and gunning. For moving around, I might leave the .45 behind. Reason: xtra weight with limited firepower capability. Possibility of the grips getting caught on vines, branches, etc.

The weight of the bandolier and .40 is spread around over my torso so it is very easy to carry and leaves room on my waist for other things (knife, xtra mags, water, etc.) That's just me though. I've tried it in training and this might not be good for anyone else, but I find it easy to work with. You prepare with what you got.

Incidently, I carry my rifle in the African carry style to keep my right hand free to grab my sidearm if necessary. I can present the rifle faster this way, too without my revolver or other things on my belt getting in the way.

 

[Shootin'IN]

Ok, enough about the “well placed shot”. The will be no such thing. Even if you are an excellent marksman on the range, you are in a completely different situation. You are most likely running all day hunting food, and then you chop fire wood, mend your close, cook and build/fix your shelter and most likely fight off other people while doing this. So when you actually see a game animal, you are out of breath, exhausted and probably hungry. So, do you really think you can actually perform at your best? I doubt that. So what you would want is something that can drop an animal even if it wasn’t the best shot. Also you want something that can keep intruders away at safe distance. With .22 you most likely will be outgunned even by a man with a shotgun. Do you really want to be the one with .22 while everybody else has heavier calibers? If you have no chance of resupplying your ammo, why would you want to spend your ammo on rabbits? You can trap them instead of shooting, same as squirrels and many other animals. So you use of the gun will be limited to hunting large game and keeping humans away. I would have to agree with SKS people – the gun is reliable, ammo is cheap. I will also add Mosin rifle, even though ammo and the gun are heavy, both are cheap and with the budget of $1000 you can get few guns (or a gun and tons of spare parts) and butt load (I man years worth of supply) of ammo. With the effective range over 300m you can protect your stash, too.

I don't agree with your “well placed shot” theory. I believe with training you can take a well placed shot with a small cal rifle. Real training not just putting holes in paper at the range AKA learn to hunt!
But I also agree that you will be outgunned with only a .22 so I would suggest that the best Indiana SHTF rifle is not one rifle. It needs to be two rifles a .22 & a large cal rifle like the Mosin Nagant. That way you would be able to take small game & protect your own. You couldn't hunt small game with the Mosin Nagant there wouldn't be any meat left after hitting them. Don't ask me how I know this to be true.

 

[swissrifles1]

I like the Suomi M31 semi-auto 9mm. They don't meet all your criteria but its my go to Zombie killer. Absolutely love it.




[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMqtWfxG_go[/ame]

 

[djl02]

I would have to agree with who ever said shotgun. You can take all game with it from rabbit to deer.

 

[tsugaruroman]

I don't agree with your “well placed shot” theory. I believe with training you can take a well placed shot with a small cal rifle. Real training not just putting holes in paper at the range AKA learn to hunt!
But I also agree that you will be outgunned with only a .22 so I would suggest that the best Indiana SHTF rifle is not one rifle. It needs to be two rifles a .22 & a large cal rifle like the Mosin Nagant. That way you would be able to take small game & protect your own. You couldn't hunt small game with the Mosin Nagant there wouldn't be any meat left after hitting them. Don't ask me how I know this to be true.

What I meant is not lack of training with guns or even hunting skills. Even if you are a good hunter, you real hunting now is what? Few times a year during the hunting season? And when you done hunting you go back to your home with electric power, running water, central heating and unlimited supply of food. You don’t really stretch you physical ability to max with this kind of hunt, do you? Realistically, how many people hunt these days for food only, or rather for how many people hunting is the only source of food? Now, in the SHTF scenario, this is exactly what you will have to do. And there will be no relaxation in your arm chair after that, there will be even more work instead. Considering that way over half of adult population in this country are overweight, with this ration going up in younger generation, your typical SHTF time hunter will not be in a great physical shape to start with (and many of our days hunters are not, either). So, again, overworked, tired and undernourished, not-in-such-a-great-shape hunter will unlikely deliver well placed head shot on a deer every time he/she pulls the trigger.
In general, I think this discussion is pointless without setting firm parameters of SHTF scenario. What do we mean by this? If it is just lack of food, then a 12 ga shotgun will provide for your table in Indiana just fine. If it is a complete collapse of the society, when you are driven out of your home and have to not only get food, but protect yourself from whatever/ whoever it is trying to kill you and/or take your supplies, than it is completely different scenario (in this case all of us will go with either AK or AK regardless what the original conditions of this discussion wereJ)

 

[tsugaruroman]

You know what, after reading all these posts, I changed my mind. I would go with any high power scoped rifle. With that I would start dropping people with .22 guns and take their guns and ammoJ.

 

[Mosinowner]

M1A?

 

[Alexp120]

Whatever SHTF scenario is (solar flare, power failure, avian flu, UFO), we are talking about hunderds of thousands, millions of people rushing into the parks and forests, and eating whatever there is (unless asteroid hits the Earth, then we don't have to worry about such details) especially after they are done with whatever they had in their pantries and fridges. Imagine Chicago on the move toward Indiana. So how long it will take before all the protein in the forest is eaten? After that, the largest mammal/prey would be human.
So rifles and guns are cool, but survivors would have to be on the move - ahead of the crowd. That means reasonably light weapons and lots of ammo. Camping gear and water. So, it will not be causal hunting for food - it will be surviving. Most likely eating 6 and 8 legs creatures and roots of some flowers, with occasional squirrel.
Personally I would take Remington 700 .308, and police issue revolver 38 special.

Little edit - and .22 rifle, that would be a main hunting weapon.

 

[Mosinguy]

I still don't understand why the criteria of this is no AKs or ARs. They fit everything on the list.

Because all SHTF gun threads come down to either: GET AN AR!

then: NO! GET AN AK!

Then the ****storm hits and nothing of value is gained.


So I make you exercise your mind! Keeps you sharp

 

[Mosinguy]

M1A?

If you find one for under $1000, LET ME KNOW!

 

[benjaminlee06]

The new ruger gunsite scout 308 looks great. If you are familiar with Jeff Cooper's writing, this rifle serves his philosophy. I'm actually thinking about getting on myself. Other than that, it is hard to say. Obviously .22 is simply essential, a shotgun is wonderful (and wonderfully priced), but larger rounds and round counts seem indispensable. Any more thoughts?

 

[N_K_1984]

The OP's screenname is Mosinguy. MOSINguy! It's a trick question. Think inside the box people... Mosin's are like opinions, buttholes, jeeps, camaros, and mustangs; Everyone has one! Therefore parts and ammo will be overly abundant. ...and since Mosin's never break, so all you need to worry about is ammo! The answer is clearly the Mosin Nagant! It is capable of harvesting deer out to 300 yards, defending the compound, and starting a campfire all at the same time! Since AR's and AK's are out of the question, the Mosin will reign supreme!

-Because of forests and hills, 300 yards is probably the max distance you'll be shooting.
Mosin: Done!
-Ammo must be common.
Mosin: Done!
-Parts must be somewhat easy to find.
Mosin: Don't need no parts, super done!
-Reliability is a huge plus (must be easy to care for as well).
Mosin: Uh, Done!!!
-Optics are allowed, but not nessecary.
Mosin: this is getting old. Done.
-You have only $1000
Mosin: I just bought ten of them. Done, x10.
-Magazines (if used) must be relatively cheap.
Mosin: No mags needed! Booyah! Done!
-Primarily used for taking game but can be used for self-defense in a pinch.
Mosin: When you need to put a fist sized hole in someone and set their clothes on fire at the same time, accept no substitute. (then roast marshmallows over said fire using bayonet.) UBER-DONE!

I still stand by my previous statement. I don't know why this is even a debate...

Mosin Nagant FTW

 

[avengedXT]

At least a few have said and I will say it as well:

Ruger 10/22. With the (new) $1000 budget you can get a nice trigger on it, stockpile CCI Mini-Mags, get a nice optic, and you'd still have enough money to stockpile on an abundance of beef jerky!