Posted on 10/22/2019 3:48:46 AM PDT by Kaslin
In my last column, I recommended three firearms every man had to own in order to retain his man card. The theme of the column was threefold – 1) Protecting one’s home, 2) Protecting one’s loved ones while away from home, and 3) Raising children with respect for firearms (and, of course, knowledge of responsible firearm use). Since only three essential firearms were recommended, I was bombarded with emails asking me which should follow. I am certainly glad they asked. And I am happy to provide the next three choices needed to advance those three important interests:
The Mossberg 500 .410 shotgun. The 12-gauge is clearly ideal for protecting one’s home from intruders. That is why I recommended it in my previous column. But home defense sometimes involves taking care of predators in one’s yard. For me, that is most likely a copperhead snake. Where my parents retired in Huntsville, Texas, it was almost always an armadillo tearing the yard apart. Either way, the .410-gauge shotgun is absolutely ideal for these kinds of threats. I don’t need to blow a snake to bits with a 12 gauge when I can do the job with a .410. Even in residential areas in the county where it is legal to use a firearm there is a need to be mindful of one’s surroundings. It is a matter of both safety and courtesy to avoid using more firepower than is necessary to complete the job. Thus, something less than a 12 gauge needs to be in every man’s shotgun defense arsenal.
Smith & Wesson Model 640. I previously recommended a 9mm for concealed carry because I wanted to suggest something a man could use - and that he could also let his wife use should the need arise. My second recommendation is also good for both man and wife. Men will definitely want to use the .357-magnum round in this snub nosed revolver, which features an internal hammer. (I use 145-grain silver tip hollow points). The knockdown power is more than sufficient for a concealed carry weapon. But women will also love shooting this snub nose with a lighter .38-special load. (Many will prefer 110-grain hollow points).
Marlin 30-30. The process of raising children with respect for firearms and with firearm proficiency begins with a .22 long rifle. But it continues with a good lever action rifle capable of taking down a deer. The 30-30 Marlin is my weapon of choice – and I am certainly not alone. This gun has dropped more deer than any in the entire history of this gun-loving nation. But it also has important defensive purposes. It has more than enough firepower to level a coyote. And, as a duel North Carolina/Colorado resident, I definitely advocate having one of these around if you ever have contact with black bears. Using 170-grain soft points, this gun can definitely lay any black bear on its back. And the ammo is also relatively cheap.
One last note: The deer hunter who is hunting in brush and taking shots between 50 and 100 yards can hardly do better than the lever action 30-30 (although the .44-magnum lever action rifle is a close second). Of course, long-range deer hunting will require another rifle. And that just means my column series will have to continue.
As usual, all deranged feminists (pardon the redundancy) and totalitarian progressives (pardon more redundancy) offended by this column should write to Chancellor@uncw.edu. Make sure to explain that you are writing in opposition to my continued employment because I am a) exercising my First Amendment rights by writing about guns, and b) exercising my Second Amendment rights by using the profits to buy more guns and ammo.
If you do write to UNCW, please be sure to remind them that I just don’t give a damn about the feelings of my hoplophobic critics. The statement will be accurate. Much like the fine choices in my ever-growing collection of firearms.
… To be continued.
My thought was to have a really good assortment of files. Any edged weapon needed can then be fabricated...from other files, in a pinch.
That’s uncalled for. WTF?
10-22-2019,
RUGER
The .45-70 is a great hunting round.I gave my Siamese mauser in .45-70 to a good friend(he helped me a bunch during my recent illness).He’s harvested 2 deer with it so far,one shot kills and both deer didn’t get off one step when hit.I would hunt moose with that rifle.
One good shot from a cartridge with a 400gr bullet and they do not move.
I think that a .45-70 loaded with the proper ammo would kill any animal on the planet.I can handload some pretty effective ammo for any occasion.Just have to have a strong rifle.
Every gun owner has an opinion (or twelve ;^). What constitutes a "fighting weapon" (or 'hunting weapon') may depend more on the man than the firearm. Years ago, I read that the .22 Hornet is extremely popular with Inuit hunters. The Hornet is not a cartridge that most Americans would list in the 'top 10' for hunting, but apparently it works just fine for some folks, who know what they're doing...
Yet he still knows dick about shot patterns....
Rather than a full-size shotgun, a wheelgun in .45 Colt makes far more sense to me. Alternate .410 with .45 cartridges, everything he calls for in a varmint gun with the added advantage of a serious stopping round available at will!
I’m not sure what qualifies Mike Adams any more than anyone else to pontificate about essential firearms. His shtick is writing columns about liberal abuses in academia. It’s all just opinion anyway.
I just smell a rat. Nothing black with a 30 round magazine seems to be “essential”.
Adams is welcome to his opinion. I just don't share it. He's an academic type who as far as I can tell is no more qualified to list essential guns than anyone else - not sure if he realizes what might be coming courtesy of the Democrat wannabe socialist tyrants when they get in power again. I personally prefer the AK variations (which is also missing from his essential list) simply because they can take more abuse.
Smith & Wesson Model 640. I previously recommended a 9mm for concealed carry because I wanted to suggest something a man could use - and that he could also let his wife use should the need arise. My second recommendation is also good for both man and wife. Men will definitely want to use the .357-magnum round in this snub nosed revolver, which features an internal hammer. (I use 145-grain silver tip hollow points). The knockdown power is more than sufficient for a concealed carry weapon. But women will also love shooting this snub nose with a lighter .38-special load. (Many will prefer 110-grain hollow points).
Snubbies take dedication. And...
Men will definitely want to use the .357-magnum round in this snub nosed revolver, which features an internal hammer.
Uhh, probably not. I've owned a steel .357 snubbie for about 10 years. I've shot maybe 2 or 3 cylinders of .357 through it. Not fun.
A good pair of stocks helps, but still not fun.
Knew a guy that said he loaded it with “button bullets” for shooting rabbit.
At one hundred yards my in line Knight .50 cal black powder rifle outshoots my best match rifle.
I grew up hunting in New Mexico and ended up in Virginia. Both VERY different. Most of my hunting in VA has been from tree stands. The ground is what’s behind your target when hunting brush from a tree stand.
Never bought that saying for a second. Hell the 30-40 was already in use by 1892. the 30-30 wasn’t offered on any platform until 1895. By 1903 the 30-03 was available and by 06 we had the 30-06. All of these rounds are much more capable than the anemic 30-30 and hunters knew it. While a know a few people that have 30-30’s (Mainly just to have a lever gun in the collection) I know of none who seriously consider it a go to deer caliber. I started hunting in 1957 and have spent many wonderful hours around a campfires since. The merits of the 30-30 as a capable deer rifle were never discussed. Hell in the last 60+ years I’ve only seen 3 actually used for deer hunting. I guess what I’m saying is I call Bull Chit on the old 30-30 claim.
Now with all that said let me say this. Yes the 30-30 has enough gas to be a deer rifle just a very limited one due to power and bullet design. Keep it for what it’s designed for and it actually fares pretty well. It’s about a 50 yard rifle with open sights and a 100 yard rifle scoped, keep it there and your OK.
Now there is one area where the little 30-30 does fairly well here in Texas and that’s hog hunting thick country. Short and quick with open sights and enough gas to take full size hogs, just keep them in it’s favorite range.
You raise some excellent points. HOWEVER - folks tend to forget that our grandfathers did not hunt the way we do, because they did not have the same gear available. Sure, the .30-40 and .30-06 were "available" around the turn of the century, but what commercial firearms chambered those cartridges? The Winchester 1895 comes to mind - Americans were familiar with lever action rifles, and the demand for bolt action hunting rifles apparently didn't start to increase until the 'doughboys' came home from The Great War. And the vast majority of hunters used iron sights; affordable scopes didn't come on the market until after the Second World War/Korea. An awful lot of things changed in the half-century before you started hunting.
Just my two cents worth...
;^)
Good point.
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