Posted on 12/10/2013 7:24:30 AM PST by Carriage Hill
If you were going to pick a rifle caliber for a long term SHTF situation, what would that caliber be? For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about my 7mm express / 280 Remington, and how the panic buying in the first half of 2013 caused a shortage in ammunition supplies. When I got my Remington model 700 chambered in 280, I wanted something that was around the 270 or 30-06, and that would also work on heavier game such as elk and moose. In all honesty I put too much thought into picking the 280 Remington. While it’s a fine caliber, the price of ammunition has gone up so much that shooting has gotten downright expensive. With a box of 20 rounds costing more than $25, stockpiling is cost prohibitive. And let’s be perfectly honest, there is nothing the 280 Remington / 7mm express can do that either the 270 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield cannot do.
(Excerpt) Read more at alloutdoor.com ...
Long-term SHTF rifle caliber choices Ping.
Is this guy a salesman for oddball stuff?
.22 LR
Well, it used to be... when you could actually buy it.
.308 and 22lr
I’m partial to the ‘06, but it usually doesn’t come in a platform suited for SHTF like the more manuverable and higher capacity AR/AK guns.
It’s all over the shelves in Phoenix. I just bought golden bullet Remington at Wal-Mart. Back to a few cents a round.
.22 LR
.45 acp
.357 / .38
12 ga
5.56
30-06
.308
30-30 has brought down a lot of deer over the years
Good to hear.
Perhaps the “gluttons” have been sated and will let others have a few boxes now.
/johnny
“I have more .22lr than I can count.”
Count with shoes on or off?
/johnny
In such a situation the only caliber worth while is one you can get ammo for.
Here’s my assessment. Chances are you may not remain stationary so you may have to pack everything. Stockpiles of ammo, food, and clothing will not work. You will not be driving long. Pack animals, maybe, but you will eventually become a target.
There are great air rifles on the market, you should possess one. You should have a mold for making pellets or bullets. Lead is plentiful in car batteries. A compound bow will be indispensible and often arrows may be reused or made more easily than firearm ammo. You can quietly feed yourself with an air weapon and/or bow.
As far as caliber, what ever is most plentiful.
Best of both worlds, cheap and general purpose, get a Waffen Werks AK74 for about $600, a few commie magazines to go with it, and you can stockpile 5.45x39 surplus ammo in sealed tin for about 17 cents a round. Unless you expect to target practice a lot after things get ugly, one tin should last a very long time. (1080 rounds)
The round is cheap and effective, accurate to 200 yards and the AK is rugged and reliable in design and requiring little maintenance.
223/5.56 Nato for the reasonable prices now and widespread availability because so many other have it; 22 LR for the same reasons, and 12 ga shotgun. 308/762 Nato is good, but pricey now. 338 is fine but on the high end. Anybody who buys oddball calibers and gauges for SHTF purposes is not thinking straight.
‘“I have more .22lr than I can count.”
Count with shoes on or off?’
I can count to 21 if I take my pants off..
Cabellas and Dicks always have .22lr.
Ah yes, forgot this one—7.63x39 AK, perhaps the best.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.