What's your Rifle Caliber Choices for a long term SHTF

Cal Sportsman ^ | 12/14/2015 | K Felts

[w1n1]

What rifle calibers are you stockpiling?

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 back 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.

There comes a point when survivalists are stockpiling too many calibers. We need to get out of this "buy a new rifle, stockpile a new caliber, buy a new rifle, stockpile a new caliber" roller coaster.

During the great ammo panic of 2013, what calibers were available? Or maybe the question should be what calibers were not available? I'll tell you what, let's talk about both.

30-30 Winchester After its introduction in 1895, the 30-30 Winchester has won a loyal following for its reliability. There is a reason why the 30-30 is considered to be the gun that won the west. Excluding military calibers and the 22 long rifle, if I had to pick a single cartridge for a long term SHTF / TEOTWAWKI situation, it would probably be the 30-30 Winchester.

Why the 30-30 Winchester? Because it has a proven track record of over a hundred years on deer sized game. Chances are no other modern caliber has killed more deer than the 30-30. Read the rest of the story here. What are you all carrying?

[archy]

6.8 SPC in AR 15

Back when the 6,8 was fairly new [circa 2000] I got to try an Australian F88 AuSteyer. The H&K XM8 was then thought to be a big deal, and a dandy time was had by all. I was a bit underwhelmed by the Australian toy, since a quick-change barrel is standard on the F88, and the Ozzie ARES type who'd brought it suggested Well, it wouldn't have been worth the trip, if that was ALL I had brought...and dug out an Australian F89 Minimi Light Support Weapon, essentially the Oz version of the M249. And bless his little heart, they had a 6,8 barrel and links for it as well.

Now MGA is making a 6,8 M249 available. With a H&K-type trigger pack, which means that a registered HK auto-sear will work in it....