Should I buy a SHTF rifle ASAP?

[Iroquois]

Nothing against .308. It will cut a man in half a close range. I'd hate to haul one 100 miles on my back even without the ammo. If you're a great shot the 600+ yrds reach is reassuring...however, the lowly .223 is being used in competitions out to 600 yrds . Not effective as .308 but a sight easier to shoot, haul, and buy. A thousand rounds is useless if you can only carry 200...

 

[tyler34]

I agree with the sentiment of being unseen, that means less chance of having to use your rifle or lose your life. your best bet for guns is something RELIABLE!!!. it also doesn't matter what gun you have if you don't know how to use it effectively.

 

[VERT]

I have to agree with a lot of the other posts. For the money it is hard to beat a .22 Rifle and a good shotgun in 20 or 12 guage. You already have a nice handgun! Honestly a good .22, a good shotgun and a good handgun is a very versatile battery of guns.

As far as a .22 is concerned the Ruger 10/22s are very popular and plentiful. Lots of after market parts. For a shotgun there are many opinions but a person can't go wrong with a Remington 870 and a couple barrels. With these two guns you can shoot target shoot, hunt or defend your home. If you decide you don't like them they are easy enough to sell and will hold their value.

 

[spencer rifle]

Consider a Mossberg 500 perhaps instead of the Remington. Most shotguns have the lifter down at rest. 500s have the lifter up at rest, making it easier to reload fast should it be necessary. And lots of parts available.

 

[wolfts01]

Nothing against .308. It will cut a man in half a close range. I'd hate to haul one 100 miles on my back even without the ammo. If you're a great shot the 600+ yrds reach is reassuring...however, the lowly .223 is being used in competitions out to 600 yrds . Not effective as .308 but a sight easier to shoot, haul, and buy. A thousand rounds is useless if you can only carry 200...

The RFB is only 0.3 lbs heavier than the M16A2 (about 5 ounces), and it is over a foot shorter. I'm still not 100% for the .308 due to the ammo weight and cost, but the RFB is a mighty nice design. I'll have to do some looking into .223 bullpups.

Nice work, u have me up this late looking at all the 5.56 bullpups out there.

I'll probably end up with an AT4 or something crazy when I've finally made up my mind on what I want...

 

[schapm]

My advice for whats it worth.
Get the following in wheelgun, pump or lever.
Get a .22 mag -fits a.22 short,long, long rifle and Magnum.

This is NOT correct. A .22 magnum (.22 WMR) can also safely chamber .22WRF. A .22LR can safely chamber .22 long, short, and CB caps. This is with the caveat that some repeaters will not be able to feed the shorter cased ammo. Your best bet for versatility in these cartridges would be something along the lines of a single shot rifle or a revolver. You could also go with a Ruger Single Six or similar that comes with both cylinders.

 

[03A3]

Keep a close watch on sturmgewehr, somethings bound to turn up. You just have to be patient.

 

[Iroquois]

AS for bullpups I don't see the attraction unless you're shooting from the driver
seat. If you're set on it try CDNNSPORTS.COM ...FN/FS2000.233;1400 dealer price
Also stg-e4..1300, and the kel-tecsu16b[5lbs] , 440. All take ar mags

 

[.45 Dave]

I third the 30-30 lever action there cheap 300-350 depending ammo is not bad priced and most of all a overall general purpose gun. You can hunt with it (in some areas not Indiana) has good knock down up too 100yrds it's compacked enough to carry it's fairly reliable. Something to think about


QUOTE=03A3;1855306]I don't know a lot about a Kel-Tec. Will they reliabily hold up to longterm use with 7.62x51? How new are they and is it a proven platform?
This weekend I looked at a bullpup that might have been a Kel-Tec though I may be mistaken. To me it was an ergonomic nightmare.
Have you considered an M1 Garand from the CMP? They aren't a compact gun but they're proven to be tough and effective beyond any doubt. Another plus is that they are easy to work on and parts for them are plentiful, which should always be a consideration for a SHTF gun. Given the price of a Service Grade and the condition of them it's a hard deal to pass up.
I understand all to well the deal with money being tight. But settling for a sub-par platform is false economy.
I think you're on the right track with wanting to go with .30 cal.
Don't never turn your nose up to the lowly .30-30 lever gun. They may not be black or have a pistol grip and picatinny rails, but they have been the deciding factor in coming out on top in many gunfights.
The world isn't going to end tomorrow, or next week. Save some money as you can and think about all of the options.
One thing you might do is decide on your choice of cartridge and start laying in a supply of ammo a little here and a little there. Ammo prices are said to be going up. No doubt it will.

ETA : I see that during the time I was hunting and pecking that several other people posted too. Some of them advised a 7.62x39 weapon, another good choice. There's not a thing wrong with a bone stock SKS as long as you're still young enough to see the sights lol, I can't. But they are tough and almost unstoppable. If you take the time to look around you should find a nice one for a decent price. And once again, spare parts are available for them.

[/QUOTE]

Couldn't agree more. My SHTF rifle is a Marlin .30-30. With practice you can learn to top off the mag while it is at your shoulder. I have a bandolier whith 80 rds also. AND it isn't as imposing as as an AK if you have to carry it around while bartering and so forth.

 

[VERT]

I have been thinking about the OP quite a bit lately. I remember when I was a poor college student. As an undergraduate there were several of us living together so access to many types of firearms was not a problem. When I moved to Michigan for graduate school my options were more limited. My arsenal at that time was a Ruger 77/22, a Browning Buckmark and a single shot 20 guage. To be honest I never felt defenseless.

Now that I am older with a family and a good job, my firearms options has...shall we say...increased. So I am now thinking about what gun or guns would leave the house with me in the event that I had to go. Also, what if I had to recommend a gun to a person new to shooting or somebody with limited income. It would have to be affordable, reliable, customizable, and readily available.

If it were me I would build myself a "liberty training rifle" out of a standard Ruger 10/22. A 10/22 with Tech Sights and a sling would be accurate enough for small game. 25 round (steel lipped) mags would provide enough firepower for defense in a pinch. The rifle would be light enough to carry. The rifle would be affordable (guessing about $400 new). And the rifle would be fun and cheap to shoot.

 

[irishfan]

I have been thinking about the OP quite a bit lately. I remember when I was a poor college student. As an undergraduate there were several of us living together so access to many types of firearms was not a problem. When I moved to Michigan for graduate school my options were more limited. My arsenal at that time was a Ruger 77/22, a Browning Buckmark and a single shot 20 guage. To be honest I never felt defenseless.

Now that I am older with a family and a good job, my firearms options has...shall we say...increased. So I am now thinking about what gun or guns would leave the house with me in the event that I had to go. Also, what if I had to recommend a gun to a person new to shooting or somebody with limited income. It would have to be affordable, reliable, customizable, and readily available.

If it were me I would build myself a "liberty training rifle" out of a standard Ruger 10/22. A 10/22 with Tech Sights and a sling would be accurate enough for small game. 25 round (steel lipped) mags would provide enough firepower for defense in a pinch. The rifle would be light enough to carry. The rifle would be affordable (guessing about $400 new). And the rifle would be fun and cheap to shoot.

If I were to recommend one rifle that is affordable then it would be a 10/22 without a doubt. They are great for learning to be a better shooter plus they are a great value for their price.

 

[Iroquois]

How about a .223 with a .22 adapter and a 10rnd mag.