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Something to think about is can you keep your choice of weapon going in the field and how many tools will you need to carry that will allow you to do so and two do you have the parts and three do you know how to replace them?
If you are going to carry an AR get a needle oiler and carry Mobil 1 0W20 synthetic motor oil in it. Put a couple drops in the port holes on the bolt and it will keep the carbon soft and easier to clean.
If your extractor fails are you able to replace it and do you have one on hand?
If a striker fails, are you able to replace it and do you have one?
If you fall and your stock breaks can you fix it in the field.
What kind of sling will you use? Leather will rot and may be eaten. Best I have found is M16 silent sling with rough weave nylon. Will last many years. Is 1 1/4" wide. Even better get a old worn out OD cotton sling for the M1/M14 and remove the hardware and replace the cotton webbing with the M16 round weave nylon. Don't know how long they will hold up as I started using such modification in 1980 after I got a call from a Marine who thought the drawing should be changed from the cotton to the rough weave nylon and now I have very few cotton slings left. As well you can use this sling as a tourniquet.
Your choice of sling swivels is critical. You want MILSPEC 1 1/4" sling swivels and not the ones that come on most commercial rifles for the 1" slings and some of the 1 1/4" sling swivels are not reliable.
If you fall and your muzzle gets rammed full of dirt how will you correct the problem? Have you made any preparations to prevent such.
If you have a buffer in your rifle (ARs come to mind) when they fail they will become disassembled. What is the your immediate course of action?
The climate you are in will likely be a factor and use of the wrong lubricant will insure your weapon won't work. I have seen rifles go down as warm as 20 degrees ABOVE zero and plenty go down at minus 20,30,40,50 and 60 below zero.
Your fire control is likely to fail. This has nothing to do with ladders, axes, pumpers etc. Your fire control is your sight system. Most will have optics, do you have a spare scope with mounts pre zeroed for your rifle in your pack? Hint the smaller the scope the easier it is to carry.
You should be aware that generally a rifle scope is more delicate than a pistol scope thus is you have a pistol scope on your rifle the chances of it giving problems is much less.
If you have a AR and the ring on the lower receiver breaks in a fall or from being dropped do you have a spare lower receiver?
If you have a bolt rifle with a wood stock there are things you can do to make it take more abuse like drilling a hole from the action area down through the pistol grip and inserting a piece of 1/4" to 3/8" all thread rod and secure it with Devcon 2 Ton epoxy. Hint grind a flat on one side and take a hack saw and cut a slot on one end so you can run the all thread in the hole partially filled with Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy and the excess epoxy can escape up the ground flat area and come to the top of the hole.
Several years ago I identified a oiler that seems to be ideal for weapons. It is called a Neiko Precision Oiler and you can find them on ebay. I got mine from Lowes years ago and it has been with me at least 15 years. I have Mobil 1 0W20 Synthetic motor oil in it.
A laminated stock is even better or FIBERGLASS best of all but they are pricey and heavy. CIP the Marine Corps while evaluating their choice of sniper rifles back in the day of the M40A1 built them up and took them to the bayonet course and had troops utilize them on the course and the stocks did not break. Forgot this was after they shot a 7.62 round through the pistol grip at right angles.
The Army had the M14 sniper rifles with the Redfield scopes with range finder on it and the same part broke on every one of them.
The battle course of fire for the Springfield 1903 rifle (1920s onward) was to start at the standing position, rifle loaded. When the shooter saw the target move he sat down and fired 10 rounds in 50 seconds at 200 yards. Give this a try. The 1903 only holds five in mag so a reload of 5 was required. Same target was fired standing to prone at 300 yards in 60 seconds.
Several things are likely to occur such as striker failure, extractor failure, or a stock failure from a fall etc.
Simple things can shut your arsenal down. Running around out in the woods you are likely to lose your balance, trip or fall. What can happen to your rifle should you do so.
I tend to think the physical load of carrying lots of ammo for a AR/AK is not feasible. Letting off lots of shots in a hurry will let the world know exactly where you are before you empty the magazine. One shot fired your location is less likely to be visited.
Carrying a bolt action rifle you are not as likely to get large amounts of lead in the air at once and a bolt action is likely to be more accurate than a semi auto as they need more TLC to keep them going in the long haul.
Per Col Fackler MD Army Wound Ballistics Lab he said a non lethal wound from a 6.5MM or larger rifle will generally incapacitate a individual quicker than a lethal hit from a handgun.
Moral to that is "never ever take a handgun to a rifle match"
Have you evaluated the performance of the weapon you intend to carry? Try this. Save your gallon milk jugs and when you get about 6 fill them with water and shoot them with your candidate rifle at 100 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards, 400 yards. Even better if you have someone that can be down range behind protection have them photograph the jugs as they are hit.
I believe you will be shocked at how much loss of performance different rounds produce or rather fail to produce as the range increases.
The 5.56 round (55 and 62 gr) both have their highest wound lethality in the first 95 yards per the Army Wound Ballistics Lab.
As well if you have the contacts get a piece of steel about 12" diameter and 1 1/4" thick and set it up on edge on a flat surface and shoot it from 300 yards and see if your selection of calibers will knock it over.
If you are going to carry an AR get a needle oiler and carry Mobil 1 0W20 synthetic motor oil in it. Put a couple drops in the port holes on the bolt and it will keep the carbon soft and easier to clean.
If your extractor fails are you able to replace it and do you have one on hand?
If a striker fails, are you able to replace it and do you have one?
If you fall and your stock breaks can you fix it in the field.
What kind of sling will you use? Leather will rot and may be eaten. Best I have found is M16 silent sling with rough weave nylon. Will last many years. Is 1 1/4" wide. Even better get a old worn out OD cotton sling for the M1/M14 and remove the hardware and replace the cotton webbing with the M16 round weave nylon. Don't know how long they will hold up as I started using such modification in 1980 after I got a call from a Marine who thought the drawing should be changed from the cotton to the rough weave nylon and now I have very few cotton slings left. As well you can use this sling as a tourniquet.
Your choice of sling swivels is critical. You want MILSPEC 1 1/4" sling swivels and not the ones that come on most commercial rifles for the 1" slings and some of the 1 1/4" sling swivels are not reliable.
If you fall and your muzzle gets rammed full of dirt how will you correct the problem? Have you made any preparations to prevent such.
If you have a buffer in your rifle (ARs come to mind) when they fail they will become disassembled. What is the your immediate course of action?
The climate you are in will likely be a factor and use of the wrong lubricant will insure your weapon won't work. I have seen rifles go down as warm as 20 degrees ABOVE zero and plenty go down at minus 20,30,40,50 and 60 below zero.
Your fire control is likely to fail. This has nothing to do with ladders, axes, pumpers etc. Your fire control is your sight system. Most will have optics, do you have a spare scope with mounts pre zeroed for your rifle in your pack? Hint the smaller the scope the easier it is to carry.
You should be aware that generally a rifle scope is more delicate than a pistol scope thus is you have a pistol scope on your rifle the chances of it giving problems is much less.
If you have a AR and the ring on the lower receiver breaks in a fall or from being dropped do you have a spare lower receiver?
If you have a bolt rifle with a wood stock there are things you can do to make it take more abuse like drilling a hole from the action area down through the pistol grip and inserting a piece of 1/4" to 3/8" all thread rod and secure it with Devcon 2 Ton epoxy. Hint grind a flat on one side and take a hack saw and cut a slot on one end so you can run the all thread in the hole partially filled with Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy and the excess epoxy can escape up the ground flat area and come to the top of the hole.
Several years ago I identified a oiler that seems to be ideal for weapons. It is called a Neiko Precision Oiler and you can find them on ebay. I got mine from Lowes years ago and it has been with me at least 15 years. I have Mobil 1 0W20 Synthetic motor oil in it.
A laminated stock is even better or FIBERGLASS best of all but they are pricey and heavy. CIP the Marine Corps while evaluating their choice of sniper rifles back in the day of the M40A1 built them up and took them to the bayonet course and had troops utilize them on the course and the stocks did not break. Forgot this was after they shot a 7.62 round through the pistol grip at right angles.
The Army had the M14 sniper rifles with the Redfield scopes with range finder on it and the same part broke on every one of them.
The battle course of fire for the Springfield 1903 rifle (1920s onward) was to start at the standing position, rifle loaded. When the shooter saw the target move he sat down and fired 10 rounds in 50 seconds at 200 yards. Give this a try. The 1903 only holds five in mag so a reload of 5 was required. Same target was fired standing to prone at 300 yards in 60 seconds.
Several things are likely to occur such as striker failure, extractor failure, or a stock failure from a fall etc.
Simple things can shut your arsenal down. Running around out in the woods you are likely to lose your balance, trip or fall. What can happen to your rifle should you do so.
I tend to think the physical load of carrying lots of ammo for a AR/AK is not feasible. Letting off lots of shots in a hurry will let the world know exactly where you are before you empty the magazine. One shot fired your location is less likely to be visited.
Carrying a bolt action rifle you are not as likely to get large amounts of lead in the air at once and a bolt action is likely to be more accurate than a semi auto as they need more TLC to keep them going in the long haul.
Per Col Fackler MD Army Wound Ballistics Lab he said a non lethal wound from a 6.5MM or larger rifle will generally incapacitate a individual quicker than a lethal hit from a handgun.
Moral to that is "never ever take a handgun to a rifle match"
Have you evaluated the performance of the weapon you intend to carry? Try this. Save your gallon milk jugs and when you get about 6 fill them with water and shoot them with your candidate rifle at 100 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards, 400 yards. Even better if you have someone that can be down range behind protection have them photograph the jugs as they are hit.
I believe you will be shocked at how much loss of performance different rounds produce or rather fail to produce as the range increases.
The 5.56 round (55 and 62 gr) both have their highest wound lethality in the first 95 yards per the Army Wound Ballistics Lab.
As well if you have the contacts get a piece of steel about 12" diameter and 1 1/4" thick and set it up on edge on a flat surface and shoot it from 300 yards and see if your selection of calibers will knock it over.
