You're going to get a lot of different opinions on this one. You have to decide what is the main purpose the rifle - defense or survival. If I could only take one rifle with me, it would be a .22LR. I'll leave the defense option to my pistol. WRT hunting in bad times, large game is going to be scarce.

 

I have to agree with the .22LR being the best choice for getting game. I keep at least 4000rds of 22LR on hand as I figure 400rds a year times 10yrs. I have hunted lots of rabbit and squirrel with the round, and I have an indian (native american just to be p.c.) friend that I know has poached deer and turkey with it. You said you arent a hunter, dont have much experience with long guns, and are getting it just to put away for bad times, so I would invest in a single shot or bolt as they wont tear a hole in your wallet and are probably best for hunting. Another reason Id go with .22LR for game getting is I see you are in New York and while I may be wrong I doubt youll run into any bear, large cats, elk, bison, or moose if S were ever to HTF. As for a rifle for two legged threats give some serious thought as to whether you think you might ever have to engage many (say five or more) individuals at one time. If the answer is yes Id buy the semi auto version of a more recent military arm in one of the many calibers they come in .308, 6.8spc, 7.62x39, .223, 5.45x39 6.5grendel. Didnt want to step on any toes so I listed all calibers I could think of and I wont list rifles I like the best. If you dont have to escape from New York and live in a rural area an older military bolt action or a decent bolt action hunting rifle would probably suit your purposes just fine. Depending on where you are and your situation you might also want to think about a shotgun. I personally feel that the combination of a 12gauge and a .22 rifle give a person the ability to hunt pretty much everything on the continent if you are sneaky enough and have a selection of shotgun ammo.

 

In my opinion (disclaimer added for clarity), if I could only have one rifle it would be either a bolt action 30-06, or a lever action 30-30, preferably Winchester or Marlin.
With a 22LR, your options are too limited, with some of the modern semi-automatics reliability under adverse conditions could be compromised unless you are well versed in weapon maintenance.
Of course, for the best of both worlds, an M1 Garand can not be beat.

 

If you only get one rifle, get a .22 LR. For every deer you see, you will see 20 rabbits/squirrels/turkeys.
After that, get a MBR. I have to agree with the Garand on this one. With a $35 adjustable gas plug, they can shoot the most common rifle cartridge in North America, 30-06. They only bad thing about the M1, is that it is hard to mount optics on it, so if you have shady eyesight, it might not be the best option. They do come with some of the best Iron sights out there though.

 

a gun is no use with out ammo try picking up a 1000 30 06 rounds but i can carry 5000 22lr on my back no problem

 

Different strokes for different folks.
My wife and I worked hard and long to afford our little farm in the country. I ain't going anywhere, so I don't have to hump any ammo. This is as good a place to die as any.
Of course, a lot of "survivalists" with 22LR weapons that think they can get over on me will soon learn that 30 caliber works real well.:thumb:

 

30-06 is a fine old military cartridge that will cleanly take all game in North America with proper shot placement. 308 is a good choice with a little less recoil. If you plan to forage small game and birds, take a shotgun instead of a rifle. You can syill kill deer under 100 yards with slugs.

I'll differ on the 22 advice. I own a few and would never ever choose it as the first choice for either hunting or self defense. A shotgun does far better for small game and birds, a rifle is much better suited for large game.

a 22 is better than no gun at all or if you had to carry a thousand rounds, but really you don't have to.

 

I'm a big military surplus rifle fan.
They are a lot of rifle at a small price. Shop carefully and you can have a large game rifle for $100. Powerful cartridges, plenty accurate for 300 meter shooting. Ammo available and reasonable.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F3MOSIN9130

I've posted these a lot, but they're very illustrative of their capabilities.

 

well, i cant suggest just one firearm. but i can suggest a long arm and a pistol.

an ak and a good .22 pistol. i recently had a change of heart on the shtf on a budget. the 7.62/39 offers cheap fmj for SD, AND cheap softpoints for large game. im an AR guy, i like the platform better, but i have a rifle for every situation, and thats just not possible for some.

get an accurate .22 pistol or revolver, get profficiant with its use, and you will be able to harvest your small game with that.

oh, i missed that you were not a hunter and had no experiance with long arms. get a .22 rifle FIRST. get one in the style of the larger rifle you plan to buy in the future. ie, if you want a bolt 30-06, get a bolt .22, if you want an AR, get an auto .22, if you want an optic on your CF rifle, get the same kind on your .22.

 

If I have to leave, I am taking a bolt action scout (savage or ruger) in 308 with a few hundred rounds, a small 22lr pistol (Walther p22) 1k rounds, and a glock 23 with about 150 rounds.

For my needs I think it should suffice. Everyone is different!

 

Good lord, how many times do we have to go through this ha ha ha . It all depends on where you are. Where I am if I could only have one( government orders?) Bans on owning multiple firearms?. It would be my Ruger 10/22 . If I lived in Alaska It would a .30 caliber rifle like 30/06. If were in the plains or desert? 25/06 or 7mm mag. Africa? .338 or .300 mag. Afganistan? small nuke.

I mean this question comes up all the time. Be glad you dont have to choose just one. I have 16 fire arms. Rifles, shotguns, .22 rifles and 9mm handguns. I have all the bases covered and so should you. Dont limit yourself to one gun because there isnt one that does it all. Kingfish

 

stick with something simple, affordable to buy, innexpensive ammo, that is least likely to get taken away by gun control legislation, first thing to go will be high cap, semi auto "assault weapons" not regular old bolt action or lever guns. if only had one choice it would be near 30 cal (308, 30-06, etc) bolt action, removable mag, short barrel, scoped with iron sights as a backup.

 

if you are limiting yourself to one rifle the .22lr is the ultimate survival caliber,but its not a self def caliber. there is no 1 weapon that is going to fit for all types of situations you may need.you also have to let your terrain dictate what type of weapon is best for the envirionment you live in.

you live in New York state so that is dense forrest terrrain but even in forrsest terrain you have open fields from farms so a short range weapon may be ok ,you really dont need a long range weapon.depending on where your hunting and to meet your goals i would suggest a 12 ga shotgun. ive never been a big fan of shotguns i love rifles but it is the best choice for your situation. i would get it with a regular long barrel ,a short barrel and a rifled slug barrel. with a shotgun you have a wide variety of hunting possablities from pheasent to bears,from rabbits to moose it all depends on what barrel /ammo you are useing to what you will be hunting. the short barrel shotgun is the best home def weapons you can get.long barrel is for mid to small size targets,and the slug barrel is for deer and bigger. the 2 major draw backs to the shotgun is range and the other is the ammo is bulky so its not very good as a bug-out weapon and takes up ALOT more room if stockpileing ammo. but if you never plan on bugging -out then thats not a problem. but range could be a problem if your useing slugs you have a range of about 100 yrds for big game. but all else is more like bow range for buckshot or smaller (50 yrds or less). which is just fine for dense forrest terrain, it will be a challange in open fields but it can work. but the shotgun is the closest do-all weapon out there :thumb:

i wouldnt limit myself to just one weapon you need 4 weapons to cover all applications effectively

#1 handgun
#2 shotgun
#3 .22lr
#4 rifle

 

Only 1 centerfire? Def. a levergun in .357 or 30/30 depending on threat level and/or size of indigenous animals. :thumb:

 

for serious hunting /survival scoped 30 06 or similar cal. ppl are to worried about carrying 1000 rounds ... if you shot 12 deer/elk/moose/ buffalo /bear/wild cattle a year with carefull shot placement say 15/20 rounds per year, get a laser bore sighter to check your zero without wasting ammo 200 rounds could last a long time. im not into the shootout with bad guys senerio that much. it could happen but if im shooting 100 or 200 rounds at them they could be doing the same. not good odds if at all posible im running or hiding, call me chicken if you like

 

and one deer in a survival situation is worth more than than a lot of squirrels/rabbits . hard to get by with one gun.

 

Savage M111, Ruger 77 or Remington 700 in 300 Win Mag will take any game in North America

 

lol BIG game at long range yea but will there be anything left out of the rabbit or squirrel you took and good luck on takeing any fowl or turkey

 

.223/5.56mm will take any game in North America if you do your part.

 

im not shooting at a brown bear with my .223. more than likly you will just **** it off.

 

once upon a time i shot a canada goose with my 7mm rem there was quite a lot left 175 gr dosent bust them up to bad . and a rabbit shot in the head dosent loose to much meat either . is it cost efective to shoot small game with a big rifle? (rabbits) not really.. is it good practice ? you bet it is .. practice is fun

 

What rifle would you recommend,If you could only have one ,I am not a hunter.
and don't have experience with long guns.If I decide to buy one to put away for bad times.My thinking is what is the worst threat or best Game I could find in the wilderness what comes to mind Is. Bear's any species Boars, Moose,Large cats, Elk ,dear two legged threats which is a more likely threat than the above mentioned.I was scoping a 30/06 . It looked like enough to stop anything I could ever Imagine .I am sure it is not the best rifle for every occasion but if you are on the move or on the run it would be hard to bring ammo and 4-5 separate rifles.

You guys are good entertainment. The OP mentions bears, boars, moose, large cats, and elk, and a bunch of you jump in recommending .22's.:rofl:

 

Mosin Nagant cheap and dam accurate out to 1000 yards ammo is also very cheap.
I have 3 of them and they all shoot just about the same.

 

I wanted an all around Big Game/ Sniper Rifle I went with 7 mm mag. I use it for deer Now. I plan on hunting elk in a cpl of years.. Yes I own other rifles. 30-30 lever,22lr semi., sig 556, 4- 12 ga's etc. I would feel safe shooting a bear with a 7mm mag.

 

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Thank you all for you replies, let me add some info , guns I own Glock 17 S@w
686 .38 / .357 wife has Glock 19.Now I will list guns I would like to acquire.
.22 Lr CZ 452 Varmint
Shotgun Bernelle or winchester 1300 12 gage pump
Rifle 30/06 ?????????
I felt with this combination I would have the best of every thing .And be this is a family of 4 we would all have defensive weapon with the exception of the .22 Lr I don't find this adequate for protection against anything larger than a raccoon.But my lake of knowledge with high power rifles leaves me uncertain.
Yes I am in New York but I mentioned on the move on the north American continent. If f my area is inhabitable or my preps run out sooner or later I must move or face starvation or live at great risk.

 

.22 Lr CZ 452 Varmint

So you've got a .22 rifle already, and a couple of great handguns too. And you're planning on a shotgun, so this is really for just as you initially asked, a large game getter.

I personally opted for lever guns to fill that niche. Given you have a 686 revolver, you might consider a .357 lever - I have two to match various handguns. There are loads that will give you NEAR 30-30 performance in typical hunting conditions. They also serve nicely for SD as they typically hold 10-11 357 rounds, can be loaded with .38spl for people of small stature to shoot comfortably. I might not hunt bear with a 357, but if you hunt like a bowhunter, it'll do fine on other large game. An ad-hoc poll on another site after this years season showed that most folks took their deer under 100 yds, average about 80 yds, which is well inside 357mag range.

 

I noticed you listed location: New York. If you're close to NYC you need something more than a .22lr for that kind of threat. Upstate New York has a lot of woodlands and a lot of places to hunt if need be. You could get by with a .22. In that case, get good ammo that would be good for anything.
Remington Yellow Jackets 33 TCHP
CCI Mini-Mag 40 GLRN
CCI Stinger 32 CPHP
Federal Game-Shok - 40 grain High Velocity CPRN
Remington Viper 36 TCHB

 

If big bears aren't involved then any .300 magnum rifle will do--if they are then nothing less then an 8mm (.323) Mag or .338 Win mag/.340 Weatherby...they will give you the velocity needed to take animals at range and with a flat enough trajectory to accomplish it.

If you're talking the hardwood type forests of the Northeast then a .30 WCF (.30/30 Win) or .35 Rem is all you'd need.

Alternative for the plains of the west for mule deer, pronghorn antelope and elk is the 7mm Rem mag or it's near ballistic equivalent .280 Rem Ackley Improved.

 

Surfcast;

I am from NY. You probably have shot at the Calverton range like I one did. I am over in the catskills now.

You mentioned a high powered rifle and a family too. I have a basic requirement, the firearm must be capable of being used by all family members.

I'd get that 22lr sooner than later. You want to get your family more interested in shooting. Handing your wife a .30-06 rifle right off the bat is an excellent way to scare someone from shooting a gun. As far as dangerous animals in NY state, there is only one you should be weary of, deer ticks. Next to that, there isn't much next to that.

I am not saying a long range rifle is a bad thing at all. However, most of NY state is rather wooded. Something that can shoot 200 yards is plenty in NY. Guys who harvest deer every year may get one past 100 yards in NY. Some don't even get that far of a shot in their life. When deer are pressured they do not wander out in open areas during daylight. You best bet at a consistent meal is small game anyway.

The next purchase I think should be a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun. 12 gauge guns weigh more, so it offsets the recoil a bit. Careful selection of 12 gauge loads can be instrumental in having a low recoil gun. I prefer semi-auto shotguns. Despite what some folks will try to say online, they are very reliable. I shoot about 75-150 shots a week at the trap shooting range with a newer 11-87 remington 12 gauge. In the two years I have owned it, not one single failure. IT also has less recoil than my 870 in 20 gauge. Shotguns are very effective at every kind of hunting offered in NY. Shotguns are also one of the best self defense firearms out there. Law enforcement to some extent can pick what they want for a long arm, almost all of them go for a shotgun. Every gun can kill, but few can stop a threat right in their tracks. Threats to life rarely happen past 15 yards, very rarely.

Back to the rifle. .30-06 is fine for you, but might not be for the wife. A marlin 336 in .30-30 with a rubber ended buttstock is fine. Some women fine the metal end of the marlin's stock rough on them. It focuses the recoil force at times right on the lower edge of the stock. A good part of the problem is improper form. Buying a stock with recoil pad solves this problem. However, adding one on there just makes the length of pull too long for most women. Most women are already a bit short for the regular length, and then the recoil pad adds another 3/4 inch.

Semi-automatic rifles with a capacity of 5 rounds or less is legal to hunt with in NY. An AK-47 or SKS would make an excellent low recoil rifle and would be fine for hunting in virtually all public hunting spots. Be prepared to spend a bit of money to scope it. semi-autos are more brutal on scopes and a solid scope mount costs a bit of money. Some guys hunt open fields, but not many. Best bet is to hunt 50 yards in from the field, or a small wooded spot that connects or intersects several fields. But, public hunting is all wooded.

7mm08 and .243 are popular rounds that offer low recoil to shooters. .308 is easier on the shoulder than .30-06. You can also buy managed recoil rounds. They generally are lighter bullet weights with similar velocities as the standrd bullet weight rounds. For the most part, they do not effect your point of aim at 100 yards. Remington sells them. You can also reload your own ammunition mildy, so your family will not mind shooting the rifle.

NY is in no way a place that puts a high demand on a hunting rifle. Most game is easy to kill, just hard to find. Ranges are very close compared to other states.

I'd say get a 22lr, then a shotgun, and then a rifle. Also, if you are getting into hunting, start off with small game only. Learn the woods a bit, learn where to hunt, what to look for while your out there, and enjoy the outdoors. Hunting styles are so varied. You also want some good luck to run your way. Small game affords much more opportunity to pull the trigger than deer.

I am assuming you live in Long Island. Suffolk county is shotgun only. Going North in NY, Dutchess county is shotgun only. I am not sure what rockland and Orange counties are, I wouldn't be surprised if it was shotgun only.

The best one firearm to own if srictly talking big game hunting is a muzzleloader. You should be out there practicing, atleast once a month. If you do, and you practice just like your going to hunt, like you should; you only need one shot. Modern muzzleloaders are more accurate than shotguns. They're are also a 1/3 of the price to shoot. They're an acceptable alternative to shotguns in shotgun only areas in NY. The big thing though, as far as firearms hunting goes; the best hunting is muzzleloading season, usualy 10 day or so long and ends right before christmas, I see more deer out in muzzleloading season than I do the whole rifle season. The deer calm down, also the deer can not miss a day of eating because it is colder and the food available to them is not as nutricious. I love my thomspon center omega, but for about $200 every traditions muzzleloader I have seen has been a good shooter. Keep it clean and change the powder after a rainy day and they're 100% reliable. I have tried to make mine fail to fire, never got there.

Far as hunting goes in NY and in particular an area close to where you live, nothing beats hunting with a bow. If you live near levittown, cedar creek park has a no charge archery range. I see far more deer during bow season than with a firearm. Sometimes I see more opening weekend with a bow than I do the entire rifle and muzzleloading season. There are many reasons why. Also, the only private land I am allow to hunt is only because I hunt bow there.

Feel free to PM me if you have any NY specific questions.