this is gonna be the same old ford vs chevy debate....after the shtf...the AR is the LAST choice for a rifle. If you need a large capacity magazine...your already gonna loose...just from the odds so many others will be doing the same. Best not engage in a large round shoot off. So a light, slim, bolt action will be the choice. Mine is a 223/5.56...CZ

I want to survive...not see how many others I can engage.

 

I disagree - that AR is simply the superior platform even without the magazine capacity

 

I say no too, especially if you could only have "one".

Luckily, we still have a choice.

 

You would need 2, one in .223 or 5.56 (or both) and one in .308 for larger game. The lowers are different so it isn't just a swap out.

However, I like my 8mm, but probably post SHTF I'll be using my crossbow since it is quieter.

 

nah - you might need an upper in say 450 Socom or some such

 

Or alternatively, does one really need any black guns?

 

Mine are not black but CAMO, also those those civilians that want them taken away and tptb do not have the will or stomach nor enough brave people to try and accomplish such a task that would result in much bloodshed all the way around

 

I think caliber and a quality build is more important than the platform. If you are comfortable dropping game with an AR maybe you don't need a traditional wood and steel. You have to ask yourself, "What will I need to do that the AR will not do?"
A few AR's in varying calibers and a variety of shotguns in addition to your handguns would've you pretty well armed.
I shot an AR a few months ago in 7.62. Built locally. Loved it. Would be an nice addition for folks who have AK's and have stored lots of 7.62 rounds.
I know there have been issues with cheap builds where the 7.62 wouldn't feed correctly. My buddy said it has to do with the size of the hole in the gas block and also the feed ramp. He had to tweak both. We shot about 250 rounds and not a single jam. Like butter.

 

I disagree - that AR is simply the superior platform even without the magazine capacity

I agree. I dont plan on looking for a fight either. But should it come, Id like to be able to make a show of it.

Ammo capacity is only a problem when you dont have enough.

 

Short term, no. I have an emergency pack designed to support me for a week or two. I did not include a designated hunting rifle.

I also have a sustainment cache designed to support me over the winter, and this includes several hunting rifles, fishing gear, steel traps, and a shotgun.

Depends on the mission duration, IMO.

 

I don't own a traditional bolt action hunting rifle but I really should.

A .30 Winchester (Model 1894 lever action) is also a traditional hunting rifle (for white tail deer) and IMO would make an excellent SHTF firearm.

As would a classic Rem .870 shotgun.

The only bolt guns I own are my old .22 rifle I had as a kid and a Mauser I bought after watching a WWII movie.

 

I don't own a traditional bolt action hunting rifle but I really should.

A .30 Winchester (Model 1894 lever action) is also a traditional hunting rifle (for white tail deer) and IMO would make an excellent SHTF firearm.

(Hawgs and Blackies) too.:thumb:

Don't need traditional rifles or shotguns, but as long as you're not limited why not.

Only one rifle, AR has alot going for it, probably why it's so popular. For recreational hunting I'd rather use something with a bit more umpf, survival situation, use whatever is available.

 

Does a man really need an AR platform rifle?


I'm thinking maybe no


I'm playing Devil's advocate, not trying to be a smart ass


Millions of Americans have gotten along fine without an AR platform rifle.

I do own an AR, but I'm not necessarily sold on the platform or their range of current chambering's.

 

Your question is (I think) precisely what this thread is trolling. :thumb:

 

this thread is really about AR fan boys looking for validation for their choice...and anyone who does not agree...are wrong...inspite of the facts.

 

It's always the guy who actually IS a fanboy of something (in this case, CZ .223 bolt rifle) who accuses others of being fanboys.

My main hunting guns are a .30-06 bolt rifle, a .30-30 Winchester 94, and an old .22LR Springfield 87A. My main home defense long guns are an M1 Carbine and a Remington 870.

I own ~40 guns or at least I did before losing all of them in a tragic boating accident.

While CZ makes high-quality guns across the board, I really have trouble thinking what to do with a .223 bolt rifle, other than plinking, or teaching a 12-year-old to use a bolt rifle.

.223 is marginal for big game, excessive for small game, and a bolt rifle is an odd choice for defensive use other than in specialized situations. (Quick, name a military that issues a bolt rifle for general use, in 2017.)

An AR can be:
- big-bore pistol w/8" barrel
- 1000-yard target gun w/24" barrel
- anything in between

I have five ARs and no two are interchangeable in every situation.

Comparing one particular gun model (particularly a .223 bolt rifle) with ARs as a category is gibberish. The two ARs that I have that would compare most directly are a 16" barrel 5.56 and a 20" barrel 5.56. We could have the discussion of whether the handiness of the CZ is worth the capacity and rate of fire of the ARs. But then, how do we compare it with the 24" 6.5 Grendel or the .300 Blackout 10.5" AR pistol or ...? You see what I mean?

 

I have several ARs and have no idea how to keep them busy. Really, I don't. They are safe queens.

 

Safes tend to attract a lot of queens, of all types.

 

Please clarify.....

 

I think that a hunting rifle of at least .30 caliber fills a niche in any personal armory. I lost most of my guns in the fire/s last year but I have a .300 WinMag on its way.

 

This thread is funny.......
Maybe if you ask nice you wife will let you have more than one?
Carry on...

 

Any rifle is a tool.
I'd rather have the follow up shots of the AR.
If you can't get accuracy from the AR I doubt you are getting it from anything else.
If you can't control your finger I guess that big magazine would cause a problem.
There isn't anything your hunting rifle can do that you can't do with the AR platform.
I can get a upper/barrel in just about any caliber from .22 to .50.
That said I have a .308 bolt action to hunt with. I've hunted with a 30/30 and my SKS also. The deer don't much care about what you use to take them with. I wouldn't feel uncomfortable using my AR to hunt with if I had to.

 

"Simply not true an AR can be had that can hunt the largest game in north America at the longest ranges"

I killed a grizzly with a .223 once. I did not fire a shot, but he died laughing when he saw my gun.

 

"AR" and ".223" are not synonymous.

40% of my ARs are chambered for 5.56/.223. 60% are not.

 

Lighten up, Francis.

 

You find statements of fact to be upsetting? :thumb:

 

Actually I told him the world's funniest joke.

https://youtu.be/ienp4J3pW7U

 

I will never give up my bolt guns.

 

Main advantage I've found with a dedicated hunting rifle (ie a bolt action rifle) over an AR for actual hunting is simply the fact that it doesn't get crud all up in its insides like an AR does. Whenever my AR hits the woods, I'm constantly cleaning dust and sugar sand out of it when the trip is over. The dust comes from four-wheeling on dusty roads. The sand comes from laying prone on roads when I'm hunting (we can hunt roads in Florida on private land).

That's no death sentence for the AR as a hunting gun. Its just that I find it much more enjoyable to go afield with my bolt actions knowing all they'll need when I'm done is a wipe down with an oil rag. That's more of a convenience factor though for sport and non-critical subsistence hunting. Whether or not that would be an issue for "surivival" would remain to be seen. Whether a rifle can get all sanded up to the point of being compromised while hunting would be a question better answered by a vet who's experienced combat in sandy environments.

 

The AR 15 or Ar 10 could easily replace all past rifles for hunting. The damned gun shops sure would be boring and the guns would all be ugly!!!!!

 

good point

 

If your only concern after shtf was hunting you could use anything. Even a single shot 22lr. with crappy iron sights. Chances are pretty good you will need a gun for more then hunting.

 

My vote would be that you need A rifle. Type unimportant. That's number one.

If you're able to have multiples, diversity could be nice. Having a long range, MOA capable, high power bolt gun could allow you to specialize your AR platform to work better in CQB with a 10.5 barrel and RDS with a flip magnifier.

But, if you're going to keep 18+ barrel and 3+ glass on the AR, then a hunting rifle isn't really going to do anything that the AR wouldn't until you get to 5.56's trans-sonic ranges.

 

i keep a 16" barrel and a red dot on my 5.56 rifle and i still kill deer dead in their tracks at any range i can conceivably hit them from.. its really not an issue as many people believe it is.. you really do not need more than this to hunt.. you can hunt with an AR, you cannot do CQB with your remington 700 or savage though and you cant carry both sooooo... 5.56 rifle it is

 

....but there are 6-8 areas where the AR wins, regardless.

name them...

 

Ergonomics and varying LOP, grips, etc.
CQB/kicking doors
Ease of reloading
Accessory availability, including optics, and ease of mounting them.
Ability to repair/rebuild/change the gun by just swapping out the upper and possibly a bolt.
Availability of parts, including mags.
Break down into 2 parts that fit inside a daypack. Yea, some wood and steel guns do...but not 99% of them.

Good enough?

The two things the Bolt gun has are theoretical accuracy, which is extremely dependent on the shooter, and the really big calibers. Which are not "hunting rifles", really. Unless we are talking the safari guns, but since this is a North America thing, let's not get silly about it.

Besides...you can actually pin bolt action uppers to your lower and shoot the big boys, too.