Survivalist Forum banner

Single Caliber for Bugging Out?

10K views 104 replies 34 participants last post by  NAC/NSW/CAC 
#1 ·
I've recently given some thought as to what pistol/rifle combination I would actually carry if I physically had to leave my homestead.

I have a number of different calibers and weight vs carry capacity is a concern.

I know someone may have at some point asked the same question.

But if you could carry only one caliber what would that be?

My thoughts are .22lr or 9mm.

It's pretty easy to carry 500 rounds of .22 that would not be a huge weight add to a backpack but at at the same time the 9mm has more power.

So simply by bullet weight 500 rounds of 36 Grain about 3 pounds

Or 144 126 grain rounds (same weight) which simply does not seem to be enough for an emergency.

Thoughts?

HK
 
See less See more
#4 ·
Yeah I get it.......all things considered if I had a stockpile of ammo that I didnt have to carry it would be .45 acp.

Bullets are heavy flat out....thus the dilemma.

There are a number of interesting pistol rifle combos for this

.22 and reliable semi auto pistol and a ruger 10/22 there are a million combos here

Keltec has that PMR 30 in .22 Magnum and a matching rifle

.9mm get pretty interesting with the Glock platform that can go any number of ways

.45 Pistol and an HK USC Carbine

Also the Taurus Judge and Rossi Circuit Judge......45 long, 410 shells in any variety.
 
#5 ·
The US military has already optimized the carry weight vs Power equation for a defensive rifle and came up with the AR-15. At least for the time that troops are in between resupply points.

It is also one of the most popular calibers out there, so you might find more ammo more easily in the course of your bugout travels and travails.

ANd the .22 target pistol is kind of a no brainer for small game and light weight. Just hit them in the brain. :)
 
#56 ·
The US military has already optimized the carry weight vs Power equation for a defensive rifle and came up with the AR-15. At least for the time that troops are in between resupply points.
:)
When I was in the Army I wasn't issued a pistol.
I think there's a reason for that
Rather than carry 3-5 pounds of pistol w/ ammo, you should maybe carry 3-5 pounds more rifle ammo.
 
#6 ·
CHOICE WOULD be easier to make if one knew what was the cause of the bug out.

Forest fire coming
flood coming
tornado coming
blizzard coming
blizzard hit and you need to evac to someplace else
rat invasion
animals and birds have said "ENOUGH" and are rising up to over throw mankind
alien invasion(pick either/or)
gay transgender homosexuals had a rave that got out of control and are now sweeping across your area screaming "it is not a choice" and burning places where folks disagree
gov't collapses under the weight of its own stupidity and now all laws are gone and all social order has broken down
incoming asteroid has been predicted to hit your AO
A family of skunks has decided they want your crawlspace to live in and they claim it my "marking their spot"
or.....

All of these have different permutations to them that might cause one to consider a different choice
and
we haven't even contemplated whether or not the BO is with a vehicle or on foot.
:D::D::D:
 
#8 ·
.223

Sure...I could carry a lot more .22lr....but why? I'd rather have 120 rounds of 223 than 500 .22lrs

9mm? whats the point? Neither powerful or particularly light. About the same weight as .223 but a fraction as useful. The only 9mm I would carry is what is in my handgun and spare mags. But limited to one caliber? psshh....not even worth thinking about. 9mm and .22lr would be among my LAST choices.

Of course, that is just for the purposes of this rather pointless question. My actual bug out plan is very different.
 
#13 ·
Gee whiz I hate when I type a response and forgot to login:

Seems like I'll go with a .223 and a .22 conversion seems simple enough.

For those that asked about my bugout scenario. My preps for Getting Home and Bugging out are the same and I plan that way. I would really only bug out with a total loss of the homestead. Getting home while stranded a more likely scenario

I also want to keep a set of firearms separate from the main homestead and not buried underground.

I'm not the type of person that preps from the perspective of a high degree of paranoia, 3 gun shootouts, sniper fantasy and things like that. The concept is to put food on the table and have some degree of defense.

HK
 
#23 ·
I can relate to that. I feel very similar in regards to needs. Didn't hear what kind of game you want to harvest, or need to take care of. As another poster mentioned, I'd probably go with some heavy bullet 9mm if that is the one you go with. Gains quite a bit of energy with a carbine length barrel. I wouldn't really want to face the biggest animals in NA with one, but if I had to, I wouldn't consider myself unarmed.

While I don't mind the idea of having an upper in different chambering, invariably I would have the wrong one in my hands when I needed it. And while messing around switching it, you in essence have no gun while it's in pieces.

I liked your first idea better, or having 2 guns, one being rimfire. Rather than a rimfire pistol as some suggest, I'd probably go with a rimfire rifle, and have a wheel gun in one of the magnum chamberings, as that is the one you'll need if things get hairy in a hurry.

For a slight weight penalty, you could go up to .357, and gain a pile of performance, especially out of a rifle.

Or you could go 2 different chamberings, and carry a "sub caliber" insert. This would adapt your 30-30, 308, 30-06, maybe .300 WM to .32 ACP which is a lot easier to carry around in volume. Or use a Hammond Game Getter which is more or less the same thing, but loaded separately, and uses a round ball, for all different bore sizes. I wonder as well whether a .358 caliber cartridge can be used as an insert for .357, or 9mm.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big-D
#14 ·
I would rely on what I have, 5.56 and .40 s&w. Why? If it’s short term civil unrest I want the power, if it’s long term the idea of living on squirrels and scallions isn’t realistic.
I read that during the depression small game quickly became scarce because everyone had the same idea.
Plus, if it gets to the point people feel they have nothing to lose we’ll see so much violence you’ll be praying for something with more power.

If I ever get to the point I feel I need to hunt small game i’ll Try my luck with .62 grain steel core 5.56, i’ll Scoop up what’s left after I blow a hole in it and throw it in the pot.
 
#15 ·
What I think should be added to everyone’s list is training. A well trained shooter can do more with 6 loaded magazines than most people can do with a case of ammo, and that includes me. I haven’t made the time to take the classes i’ve Planned on taking and this is a reminder to stop procrastinating.
I think most conflicts will be between two people who bought guns and ammo and stuck them in the safe and felt prepared, and if a person survives one conflict that makes them twice as likely to die in the next one. The only way to slow those odds is to get training and lots of time practicing what that training taught you.
 
#16 ·
for one caliber only a pistol round like 9mm aint a bad choice.. first of all it can be used in handguns where rifle calibers cannot, its cheaper than any rifle caliber, and if you pair it with a carbine you get about a 200 yard effective range which is enough to cover MOST situations, especially urban, or thick forests.. i think a good handgun alone would cover many realistic situations

and no, i do not consider all out war and zombie apocalypses to be realistic
 
#17 ·
Back during the Cuban Missile Crisis my Dad made the choice an M1 carbine in our family. I still have it. Later we added a Ruger Blackhawk revolver in that caliber and it is a versatile field gun.

With softpoint ammo the .30 M1 carbine round still not a bad choice. No so much with FMJ. I can certainly see the logic of a high cap 9mm pistol and carbine which would use the same mags. Using 147-grain ammo in the 9mm you have better deer similar larger game potential than with the lighter bullet stuff which often fails in penetration when trying to put down livestock, etc.

But there is nothing wrong with a sturdy .38/.357 revolver which can stand a steady diet of +P or +P+ .38 Special loads with a companion lever-action rifle to go with it. I figure that when the lefties start going after the high-cap autopistols and learn to restrict imports of cheap Russian and Chinese surplus ammo, that robust ex .38/.357 cop guns will be high demand items. SO I am hoarding them now, a dozen or so seems about right. Each packed away in an ammo can with basic load of ammo, cleaning gear, holster, etc. Caches everywhere!
 
#18 ·
I agree firearm training is really the key here. I could never really understand how someone could own a pile of guns especially rifles and not know how to effectively use them.

I do see these folks at the range every now and then......Red dot scope.....and a 20" pattern at 50 yards......3 30 round mags and then gone. I guess they figure that's good enough. Cracks me up!

There is a lot of education required to become a good shooter as well as a hunter.....it takes years.

HK
 
#19 ·
I CAN agree with that.

Many years ago I attended a local sight in day held by a local club here in northern Mich. It was an old civilian marksmanship range and had the pits and raising targets.
I knew a couple of folks and while I was talking to them I watched guys shoot 6 inches out of the bull and say "Good enough for Michigan deer hunting." Just had to shake my head at that concept. Over the course of an hour I watched 7-9 guys shoot and OK their sights and not one of them was on center. Just amazing.
 
#20 ·
It is all situationally dependent.

My AR pistol in 556 would be nice if combat was likely. Enemy invasion, civil war, or total societal collapse.

If I am going to need to go survive in a National Park and game getting is of utmost importance than my 10/22 takedown would be the way to go.

If it is a temporary event and things were going to continue to normalcy in the coming months or weeks then I'd just opt for my Carry Gun which is a G26 and my Bigger G17L in my bag.

YMMV.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
#21 ·
If I am going to need to go survive in a National Park and game getting is of utmost importance than my 10/22 takedown would be the way to go.
I remain highly skeptical that small game is a good survival strategy. Hunting is time and labor intensive, and attention intensive. I don't think you really want to spend everyday walking around looking for game in a world where everyone else is looking for you.

Shoot an elk, smoke it, dry it, hole up, and kept watch rather than beating the bushes for the approximately 15 squirrels a day you would have to shoot.
 
#22 ·
Consider a 12 guage shotgun. THE most versatile gun around as you can load 'up'to slugs and buckshot, mid level at no. 2, 4 or 6 and 'down' to birdshot.

With new advancements in ammo, 100 yd shots with slugs are possible and certain sabot rounds can push that to 200 yds.

Of course, all of this hinges on having the correct shotgun with the right kind of barrels, different loads, etc.

Otherwise, a well made centerfire rifle, preferably military grade/style.

It's been said that "With a rifle, you can acquire all the handguns you want." I guess as prizes at turkey shoots.

😉
 
#24 ·
If I could only have one caliber weapon it would be 9mm Parabellum. While I have several different caliber firearms, I have several 9mm pistols (Colt, Glock, H&K, SIG, S&W, & Walther) a couple Colt 9mm Carbines.

I prefer .45 ACP & 10mm Auto but the only other calibers I have in handgun and long guns are .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, & .45 Colt (Revolvers & Lever Action Rifles). They’re pretty but I’m more confident with my 9mms (as long as I keep up with my magazines, anyway).
 
#25 ·
My survival kit would be a scoped rifle of some kind like a scoped AR or scoped AK type rifle. I would want a good pistol either in .45 caliber or 9 mm to back-up the rifle. Then for those "really close and up personal or formal occasions" I'd like a good sheath knife of some kind. Throw in a hatchet or tomahawk for a little bit of extra striking power for when bad things happen.

I think if I had to choose a long term survival rifle to take down deer, wild pigs and so on, I'd go with a scoped AK in 7.62 X 39. They're reliable, accurate and need a minimum of care. The heavier weight bullet will drop a deer much like a 30-30 round does when used for hunting. Hunters in Michigan have been using the X 39 rounds for years when hunting deer and they've proven them effective.

If I needed a longer range rifle or a more precision shooting rifle, I'd take a scoped AR rifle in .223/5.56 caliber. In a pinch, the .223/5.56 rifle can be used to drop a deer or wild hog. I would use a 62 grain bullet for my round instead of the 55 grain bullets and I would try for either a hollow point or soft point round too.

I think my pistol would probably be my .45 Springfield Armory 4.5 XDm or my Sig Sauer P-220 in .45 caliber. I spent 19 months in combat in Viet Nam and the entire time I was over there I never carried one weapon. Most of the time I had 2 firearms on me along with a knife of some kind.
 
#33 ·
I got the impression that it would be 2 guns chambered the same. I don't think you can replace a pistol on your hip, just for the fact that it's always there. That's part of the reason I suggested the .357, and it really performs out of a carbine. At closer range it gets into 30-30 class.
 
#30 ·
I would have zero confidence in being able to snare a deer, so I guess you would need some sort of training or experience. And since it is not legal, no way to get experience. I assume you would have to find a deer run and then set up the trap. and you would need some pretty heavy duty snares. Which according to other large animal trapping videos seem to get twisted up so much they are only good for 1 use.
 
#32 ·
I've been thinking for a while now, that when S does HTF, that a bow and arrow would be your best bet for a survival weapon.
That and a good knife.
Re-useable ammo, no "supplies" to covet. Made from the world around you.
...however...
That is not the question the OP asked, so I'll try to stick within those parameters.
Much like the OP, I think my weapon of choice would be a long gun in either .22LR or a single shot shotgun.
The shotgun has great versatility to it and slug round can be very effective at short ranges.
However, so can a .22 LR.
Check out this video. Notice what the different round do the apples used as target medium...



Also, as the OP mentioned, you can carry large quantities of rimfire ammo without much impact to the space in your pack, or the weight you feel from carrying it.
...can't always say that about shotgun ammo.
In the shotgun's favour, however, the break action single is the simplest arm available.
This means easy to maintain, easy to shoot and easy to carry.
I would definitely pick a long arm over a handgun, because it will be more effective.
It offers more power from the round its chambered for (compared to handgun) and it works over a longer range.
Of course, I don't see myself caught up in guerilla warfare either, although I do expect to run into the odd individual on occasion.
I will take that factor, as it comes. Could be friendly, could be I become a cannibal, could be I feed a cannibal.
Either way, .22LR rifle or possibly a 1 shooty shotty. That's what you'll find me buggin' out with.


DCman
 
#34 ·
I've been thinking for a while now, that when S does HTF, that a bow and arrow would be your best bet for a survival weapon.
That and a good knife.
Re-useable ammo, no "supplies" to covet. Made from the world around you

Ummmm...no. Too much Darryl from The Walking Dead.

Some reasons against having a bow vs. a gun as sole weapon:

(1) Requires LOTS more training to effectively use a bow than a gun.
(2) Long bows are bulky abd unwieldy when it comes to maneuvering in an urban environment or thick brush.
(3) Crossbow strings wear out quickly.
(4) Crossbow bolts have a relatively short range.
(5) Can't leave a bow strung much less drawn indefinitely...so not readily available for defense.
(6) Making arrows that fly straight is time consuming and difficult.
(7) Arrows leave more of a directional trail than a bullet.
(8) Arrows kill less effectively than bullets.
Etc.

Using a bow in TEOTWAWKI is a good bullet saver and gun noise abatement...but when SHTF, you need a gun.

Unless you're a Master Archer and you plan on only having to defend against a bunch of Boy Scouts trying to win their Archery badge.

As a friend always says:

"If a bow and arrow was such a great weapon, there'd be an Indian in the White House today."

A break action single shot shotgun is the simplest arm available.
Better than nothing but still not on the Top 10 List. Use it until you can get something better...or to get something better.
 
#38 ·
22lr, because it is the only ammo that i can carry 500 rounds on my back for awhile with other essentials and is my personal most accurate. as for defense, 22lr isn’t ideal but in a real shtf hitting a bad guy’s gut or knee a couple of times at distance puts him/her/ze in pain and out of commission. after that there will be plenty of bigger and badder dropped firearms to harvest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top