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22LR Rifle/Pistol for SHTF/BO

26K views 49 replies 35 participants last post by  Cuteandfuzzybunnies 
#1 ·
I've got a 12 gauge and a 9mm pistol for personal protection. But if SHTF, they will probably be left behind due to weight restrictions. So I'm thinking of buying a 22 rifle and pistol so I only have to carry 1 type of ammo. 1000 rounds of 22LR weighs less than 50 rounds of 12 Ga. shells and I could eat a rabbit/squirrel every day for three years. What do you think good idea or bad idea?
 
#8 ·
Get the Ruger 10/22 Charger pistol. since I've gotten mine I love it. It is one of my favorites. The accuracy is amazing. I shoot 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards and I'm not a great shot. It is heavy and bulky for a pistol but much smaller and lighter than a rifle. It is easily packable. You have the 10/22 rugged reliability. The receiver is the same as the rifles. High capasity. Cheep and cheep to shoot. I cant say enough positive about this pistol. It even comes with a Bi-pod! Just add optics and shoot.
 
#10 ·
Pack an AR-7, marlin papoose, or the like. Carry a 9 mm handgun and a 9 mm carbine (i'm shooting for a Glock 19 and kel tec sub 2000 cut down to take G19 mags). Use the 9 mm ammo for short term survival/relocation when you need to be sure that you can take out a target with the minimum amount of time/shots. The 22 is for small game and surprising two legged varmints later in the game.
 
#12 ·
You got some dangerous game in Florida, gators not to mention 2 legged critters. Have something with some pop. The bare minimum a 22lr rifle and 9mm handgun. Can't hold your weight? Store a bit of extra stuff in your favorite forest/swamp or two.

I'm carrying a 30 cal centerfire w/ 150-200 rounds and thats it. The misses is carrying a 22lr rifle w/ a brick. Buy a rat trap or two or a commerical foot trap, have some rope and brass wire around, keep a good SAS or military survial book. You'll have plenty of squirrel. A good couple of fish hooks and line would probably come up with more meat.
 
#16 ·
Sounds like more hunting than defending so the Thompson Center Contender with 10" .22 barrel, 10" 44 Magnum barrel, and 14" 30-30 barrel is my choice. Barrels change out in under a minute. The .22 is Match accurate for hunting, the 44 Magnum can take from 180gr to 300gr+, and the handloaded 30-30 with real 150gr+ spire point hunting bullets will do 1 MOA at 100 yds off a rest. Nice multi-game animal hunting package. Packs small. Handy even with my Versa-pod or off shooting sticks. You can still buy the older Contenders for a reasonable price unlike the new ones. Carry a small handloader, some dies, a good powder, powder measure, primers. Yep, talked myself into it!
 
#17 ·
i would make the pistol a bit stronger than a .22. let say you make it out,and your liveing in the woods what are you going to do when a BIG bear come sniffing around your camp?you dont need ALOT of ammo just some for serious situations.

im not sure if that 9mm would be enough to kill a black bear.you may need something a bit bigger.
 
#22 ·
I think it all depends on location like a semi-urban enviroment,you could do well with a .22 rifle /pistol combo like Ruger 10/22 and MKII, in a SHTF scenario most of us will be more concerned with gathering food over going into battle with outlaws and gangs . I would be more concerned with keeping out of view of others as much as possible and limiting any noise that would draw unwanted attention. A.22 can be suppresed very easily. In that type of area you also would not have many large predators other than two-legged ones in which case I would suggest large capacity mags jungle-clipped together.Every MKII that I have ever shot has been incredibly accurate,just know your limitations and practice ,practice ,practice. NEVER underestimate the lowly little .22. In an area where you might have large animals that would look at you as a meal a 12GA. would also be extremly useful insuring that you see tomorrow !!!
 
#26 ·
I solved the multi gun problem in my own BOB. My first solution was a Tactical Solutions alloy barreled receiver for the 22/45. That was a light and super accurate solution. Capable of head shots on squirrel or rabbit to 50 yards and body shots to 100, if your skills are up to it. If they're not, .22 is cheap enough to practice until they are.

Then I went through the idea of a .22 converter for an AR-15. That's still a solution if you're convinced you absolutely must have a semiauto .22. Unfortunately it's heavy and clumsy with all the parts and specialty magazines and the time it takes to swap them all out.

Then I realized that for me, the best solution was just to use the .223/.22LR adapter cartridges. I now carry a Kel-Tec SU-16. If I need to blend in, the gun is folded up in the BOB. If I need to hunt with .22, I just swap mags to a 5 rounder carrying the adapter cartridges and manually cycle them. There is really no need for a semiauto when hunting small game anyway. You generally only get one shot.

That solution allowed for 1 lightweight rifle capable of full power ammo or rimfire, depending on need. I have no particular use for the shotgun, so that's a lot of weight eliminated, making room for other things I need more. So basically it's just a rifle and handgun for me. If you might have to bugout a long way on foot, keeping the weight down is important.

I will probably switch to a 9mm handgun from the .45 I carry now. I prefer .45 ACP for concealed carry simply because it's a low pressure round. Anyone who has ever touched off a high pressure round indoors will understand why. In a bugout situation, the chance of ever having to fire indoors for self defense is remote, so 9mm would reduce weight somewhat.
 
#30 ·
Shotgun ammo is heavy - agreed.
.22 ammo is nice to carry - agreed.

But in any defense situation, whether its people, dogs, bears, gators, whatever - a .22 is not what I want to rely on. 380/9mm and up for that purpose in handguns.

I've never seen the point of a shotgun for squirrels, rabbits, doves, etc. An accurate .22 will take all those. It calls for stalking and shooting when they are still, rather than the 'sport' of wingshooting.
 
#31 ·
Look at the 3" S&W 317 Kit gun. It's a super lightweight (about 6oz) 8 shot .22 revolver that's accurate enough to get small game. Also if I were you I'd reconsider leaving the 12ga behind, but that's me. If I could only go with one firearm it would be a 12ga.

Allan
 
#32 ·
Just curious, but why? I know shotguns are versatile, but you can take any game with a rifle that you can take with a shotgun with the exception of birds on the wing, and at longer distances.

A .22 takes birds on the ground just fine. Might not be "sporting" but when you're hungry, who cares. I've always found it comical that it's "sporting" to shoot a rabbit on the ground, but not a bird.
 
#35 ·
politics of the discussion aside, I have 2 .22 pistols a ruger mk3 and a smith and wesson model 17 revolver. Both great guns and both very accurate. Would actually be very comfortable with either one if I did not have a .22 rifle, but if I had to chose one I would go with the smith revolver. I shoot it better than any handgun I own and to clean and maintain is a snap. Riffle is a no brainer for me ruger 10/22.
 
#36 ·
22lr pistols are fun to shoot, I have a single six and i love it. However if we are being honest they don't typically have a ton of practical uses. I take mine when i go camping or fishing, i'm sure i could take my glock 9mm and it would be about the same. A 22lr rifle has much more practical use for hunting purposes. 22lr pistols i've always considered more of a recreation firearm. Just my take on it anyway
 
#37 ·
I've got a 12 gauge and a 9mm pistol for personal protection. But if SHTF, they will probably be left behind due to weight restrictions. So I'm thinking of buying a 22 rifle and pistol so I only have to carry 1 type of ammo. 1000 rounds of 22LR weighs less than 50 rounds of 12 Ga. shells and I could eat a rabbit/squirrel every day for three years. What do you think good idea or bad idea?
Good idea, my first choice when I think of survival gun and I could only take one gun it would be my 46 year old single shot bolt action 22 caliber rifle because it is simple, rugged, accurate, light, easy to maintain and a proven performer. Note I said survival not fighting off hordes of enemy zombies. I will admit that after coming face to face with a mountain lion in the desert my 22 revolver got replaced with a .357 mag revolver and since then a 41 and 44 mag have been added to my carry choices. Not as light to carry as 22 ammo but 30 rounds of magnum handgun ammo are still a lot lighter than 30 rounds of 30-06 or 12 gauge rounds.

Don't worry about the starving to death on squirrels and rabbit warnings. If you are living off the land you have fish, frogs, crawdads, possum. porcupine, groundhogs, wild berries and fruits, roots, and plants to eat. If you haven't learned which ones to look for there are a lot of books and this is the time to start learning. Go into the desert, plains or a forest and you are walking in a smorgasbord. You will get skinny but you shouldn't starve. Go light but go smart.
 
#39 ·
I was walking in my back pasture with my ruger bearcat yesterday. Missed a ground squirill at 50 yards. Had I used a rifle I would/should have got him. current result is squirill is still making holes in my pasture. In a survival situation? I would have gone hungry. Reality 101: most people shoot a scoped rifle better than pistol. No mater how good the pistol is.
 
#43 ·
at the current rate for ammo, 22LR should've been in your arsenal prior to 2008. prices seem to have leveled off and the hoarding at walmart subsided (around my parts), but i have a feeling it's the calm before the storm. Come Nov, people are going to be hoarding like SHTF, and if Nobama is re-elected, TEOTWAWKI hoarding will follow.

My suggestion for 22LR: Ruger 10/22 and 22/45. Both eats most bulk commerical ammo with hardly a hiccup and there's a huge aftermarket for Ruger 22LR. If you go that route, might i suggest the following mods:

10/22: Kidd trigger upgrade kit, Que bolt, Kidd extractor.
22/45: VQ trigger and sear, MKII bushing for mag disc mod

These mods makes a WORLD of difference!

And ofcourse, plenty of ammo. Buy it cheap, stack it deep!
 
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