one rifle to rule them all shtf

[BigBoxaJunk]

10/22 Ruger, I can carry a 1000 rounds in my front pockets

Considering the most serious battle just might be against hunger, that .22 would be the best over-all bring-home-the-bacon gun, and with a home made silencer, wouldn't advertise itself.

 

[spectre327]

For all intents and purposes, a .22lr or .22wmr with a can has more uses than any other gun in SHTF situation. Let's be realistic here. You are taking care of your family or you are striving for yourself. Are you really going to going rambo on everyone you see and fight every firefight there was?

At the end of the day what one really needs is a .22 LR or WMR and perhaps a .223 for self defense. Against most organized enemies, you won't be able to carry enough ammo to live out a firefight, and you certainly can't protect yourself on every front without a butt load of large weapons. So the focus would really have to shift to outdoors survival and food capture. .22 for small game and .223 for larger game

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Mine is my lever action .45 long colt. It matches the ammo in my pistol, can be loaded up or down for any game in North America, is a proven manstopper and can be loaded with blackpowder if I need to. During the reloading components shortage we've been having, blackpowder/pyrodex is always available. I carry my Lee hand press reloading kit for it and my pistol in my bug out bag.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Maybe the one with the longest track record for use in SHTF?

Seriously, look at pretty much everywhere that civilized society has collapsed in the last 50 years, and look at what the locals are armed with.

They are where society has collapsed because communism always collapses.

 

[Rip007]

I would agree with a 22lr. My 10-22 would be on my list.

 

[sbrville]

I think I'd lean toward an ar if I had to chose one rifle, good in battle, accurate for hunting, abundant ammo.... But if I had to carry one firearm for the rest of my life it would probably be a 12 gauge, probably my 870 or m1 super 90. But you did say rifle.

 

[Quad]

12 gauge would be a great do-it-all gun. If I was bugging in, I would be hard pressed to find a better firearm for just about anything. The big problem being ammo is large and difficult to carry in large numbers.

Bugging out would have to be a .22LR, mainly because of the vast amount of ammo that could readily be taken with you.

 

[bwframe]

I think your rifle should chamber the rounds that you'll be taking off of the dead guys. A rifle in .223 or .308 would be first choice.

A .22lr handgun that you could shoot very well would be handy for the using up all the ammo from those who thought .22LR was a good choice for self defense.

I think SHTF rifles are always a good topic for discussion. The problem is never solved. The discussion of possible scenarios is always informative.

Obviously, semi-autos are best for dumping rounds on something, but is that really going to prevail SHTF? Lots of rounds means lots of attention...

 

[CathyInBlue]

We're all thinkin' it! bwframe actually says it!

 

[churchmouse]

We're all thinkin' it! bwframe actually says it!

Have you ever noticed that Hollywood hardly ever shows the winners stripping the dead of their gear. Even war movies (except saving private Ryan) never show much of this.

 

[CathyInBlue]

John McClane did it all the time.

 

[maxmayhem]

must shoot 1 moa accuracy, ammo must be readily available, most be reliable, must be user serviceable with parts readily available, must have backup sights and scope, must have high cap mags, most be easy to operate and manipulate controls, must be capable of taking down medium size game, must be able to handle 22lr bullets in a pinch with change of bcg, must be very modular in terms of components and uses and it must optimize the amount of ammo you can carry in terms of size(length and width) and weight, must be accurate to 500+ yards.


winner is ar-15 in 223/556...i can build this things from the ground up and know every inch of them

 

[spectre327]

I think your rifle should chamber the rounds that you'll be taking off of the dead guys. A rifle in .223 or .308 would be first choice.

A .22lr handgun that you could shoot very well would be handy for the using up all the ammo from those who thought .22LR was a good choice for self defense.

I think SHTF rifles are always a good topic for discussion. The problem is never solved. The discussion of possible scenarios is always informative.

Obviously, semi-autos are best for dumping rounds on something, but is that really going to prevail SHTF? Lots of rounds means lots of attention...

Have you ever noticed that Hollywood hardly ever shows the winners stripping the dead of their gear. Even war movies (except saving private Ryan) never show much of this.

John McClane did it all the time.

Realistically not possible.

Look at the thread alone and tell me how many calibers have been listed. Now tell me if you are going to carry a gun for every caliber listed. Follow that with the consideration of how much ammunition exactly will be available with those around you also going after it first come first serve?

I agree with the sub 1 MOA remark. But again, realistically, you aren't going to go looking for a firefight. Limited ammo, sketchy partners, if any, and varying ranges of targets dramatically reduce survival rates to near 0. SHTF, most of us would be thinking outside the box and trying to go around obstacles than through it. So the question becomes:

Best SHTF Rifle for survival, not war.

 

[bwframe]

Realistically not possible.

Look at the thread alone and tell me how many calibers have been listed. Now tell me if you are going to carry a gun for every caliber listed...

Maybe I missed it, but I don't think anyone said that?

 

[spencer rifle]

FAL, with 30 rounders. Or maybe CETME (extremely sturdy).
7.62x51 turns cover into concealment. Good for hunting about anything (but will turn rabbits into red mist). Good for long range.

If I want an AR I'll take it off the dead guys.

 

[bwframe]

...
7.62x51 turns cover into concealment. Good for hunting about anything (but will turn rabbits into red mist). Good for long range.

If I want an AR I'll take it off the dead guys.

I'm leaning more and more this direction.

 

[patience0830]

Quigley Sharps in 45/110. And a tall place to shoot from.

 

[kevinsr98]

SHTF ? No contest, AK47

 

[CathyInBlue]

OMG! I said SVD Dragunov in .308 Win… THEY ACTUALLY MAKE THAT!

Dragunov dot net - Izhmash Dragunov Tiger - Tigr .308

 

[Magnum314]

AR 15

1. Effective Battle Rifle
2. Common Caliber which means cheap to stock up on ammo and higher probability to find ammo in the future.
3. Most widely used rifle platform in the US which means plenty of parts around for repairs or customization.
4. .223 has plenty of power to hunt just about anything on this continent (even if it takes a couple of shots to down some of the larger stuff up north). And if .223 can't get the job done... a simple upper change and you can rock a caliber with more punch.
5. Ability to shoot .22lr with a cheap conversion kit which can be silenced for hunting small game.

Hard to argue with any of that!