Survivalist weapon

[jpm1]

Hi. Let's say tomorrow everything break loose. and all of sudden you have to transform yourself into a survivalist. if you had to pick up only one weapon, which one would you choose (knives and axes put aside)

[TreeKiwi]

Light sabre!

[InstinctiveArcher]

If given unlimited ammo I would go for a longbow. Extremely versatile, accurate, and quiet.

[jpm1]

If given unlimited ammo I would go for a longbow. Extremely versatile, accurate, and quiet.

even if your life relies on it? traditional bows ammos aren't the most difficult thing to craft

[Hawkeye]

It depends on the situation. Are you having to defend yourself against other people, or are you in the woods hunting animals for survival? For the former, it's a .223 AR & 9mm semi-auto pistol combination, and for the latter, I really like this Little Badger from Chiappa in 22LR, especially if weight is a concern.



It weighs next to nothing, and you can throw a 500 round brick of ammo in a backpack and be good for a while. I put a lightweight red dot on mine and am wrapping paracord on the butt of the stock. There's a lot of good choices out there, and this one is great if carry weight is a concern. You sacrifice a bit by going with a single-shot break-action rifle in a small caliber, but gain in light weight, ability to carry much more ammo, and ammo availability.

No matter what your choice would be, ammo availability needs to be a primary concern. One bad example I can think of off the top of my head is the trend of some "survivalists" and "preppers" in buying up Mosin Nagants. Sure, the gun itself is cheap, but the gun is big & heavy and the ammo cans, assuming you've got surplus ammo, are also big & heavy, and no longer readily available. The caliber isn't popular, either, so you could likely forget about every scrounging some up in a survival situation. That's why I prefer common calibers, so stick with 223, 9mm & 22LR...nothing creative.

[InstinctiveArcher]

If given unlimited ammo I would go for a longbow. Extremely versatile, accurate, and quiet.

even if your life relies on it? traditional bows ammos aren't the most difficult thing to craft

Yup. If I'm gonna die, I want to die while doing something I enjoy.
Arrows aren't hard to make depending on what they're made of, but they take quite a while. That's why I need to know if I'm allowed unlimited ammo

[jpm1]

It depends on the situation. Are you having to defend yourself against other people, or are you in the woods hunting animals for survival? For the former, it's a .223 AR & 9mm semi-auto pistol combination, and for the latter, I really like this Little Badger from Chiappa in 22LR, especially if weight is a concern.

It weighs next to nothing, and you can throw a 500 round brick of ammo in a backpack and be good for a while. I put a lightweight red dot on mine and am wrapping paracord on the butt of the stock. There's a lot of good choices out there, and this one is great if carry weight is a concern. You sacrifice a bit by going with a single-shot break-action rifle in a small caliber, but gain in light weight, ability to carry much more ammo, and ammo availability.

No matter what your choice would be, ammo availability needs to be a primary concern. One bad example I can think of off the top of my head is the trend of some "survivalists" and "preppers" in buying up Mosin Nagants. Sure, the gun itself is cheap, but the gun is big & heavy and the ammo cans, assuming you've got surplus ammo, are also big & heavy, and no longer readily available. The caliber isn't popular, either, so you could likely forget about every scrounging some up in a survival situation. That's why I prefer common calibers, so stick with 223, 9mm & 22LR...nothing creative.

good post, but with 22 LR that means you plan to go hunting everyday. 2 or 3 bad hunting days or bad weather, and you are starting to starve seriously. or maybe you plan to down few deers with the 223. anyways, good posting.

@ InstinctiveArcher: bows are very ethical, but they are also know to be real hard to master. i mean most of bow hunters say they often come home without meat. could it really be a good survival weapon. not sure??

[Hawkeye]

It depends on the situation. Are you having to defend yourself against other people, or are you in the woods hunting animals for survival? For the former, it's a .223 AR & 9mm semi-auto pistol combination, and for the latter, I really like this Little Badger from Chiappa in 22LR, especially if weight is a concern.

It weighs next to nothing, and you can throw a 500 round brick of ammo in a backpack and be good for a while. I put a lightweight red dot on mine and am wrapping paracord on the butt of the stock. There's a lot of good choices out there, and this one is great if carry weight is a concern. You sacrifice a bit by going with a single-shot break-action rifle in a small caliber, but gain in light weight, ability to carry much more ammo, and ammo availability.

No matter what your choice would be, ammo availability needs to be a primary concern. One bad example I can think of off the top of my head is the trend of some "survivalists" and "preppers" in buying up Mosin Nagants. Sure, the gun itself is cheap, but the gun is big & heavy and the ammo cans, assuming you've got surplus ammo, are also big & heavy, and no longer readily available. The caliber isn't popular, either, so you could likely forget about every scrounging some up in a survival situation. That's why I prefer common calibers, so stick with 223, 9mm & 22LR...nothing creative.

good post, but with 22 LR that means you plan to go hunting everyday. 2 or 3 bad hunting days or bad weather, and you are starting to starve seriously. or maybe you plan to down few deers with the 223. anyways, good posting.

@ InstinctiveArcher: bows are very ethical, but they are also know to be real hard to master. i mean most of bow hunters say they often come home without meat. could it really be a good survival weapon. not sure??

Yeah, that's part of the pros & cons. With 22LR, you have to kill more small game, but at the same time, you're far more mobile. At the same time, squirrels, rabbits & birds are far more readily available than deer. I've hunted most of my life, and I'd probably starve out if I had to take a deer every 2-3 days or so. If you're able to tote the weight, maybe a 223 with 22LR pistol would be a great combination.

If a person were serious about learning survival, he'd be better served to learn what plants/shrooms are safe to eat and how to properly make snares & such in the bush. Also, learning to catch fish on very basic kit is extremely helpful. The woods are full of fishing poles, and line weighs next to nothing.

The most critical tool imo would be those skills and a good knife, with your weapon(s) of choice as a very efficient backup. There are also many good books out there on survival techniques, but I prefer Hawke's Special Forces Survival Handbook because it's very small & waterproof, so it's practical to throw in your bag.

[MooseHunter330]

Krieghoff Trumpf. Propably with a .22 LR or Mag barrel in the right shotgun barrel. A 2,5-10x52 scope on there and you're ready to roll.

[InstinctiveArcher]

@ InstinctiveArcher: bows are very ethical, but they are also know to be real hard to master. i mean most of bow hunters say they often come home without meat. could it really be a good survival weapon. not sure??

Yeah, they're difficult to figure out, but once you get it, you can drive nails with them. Most bowhunters don't come home without meat because they can't hit anything, but because of the range limitations that come with a bow as opposed to a gun. Also, a bullet can only be shot once, while an arrow can be shot over and over again.
I agree with Hawkeye that a good knife is an essential. I carry a multi-tool with me every where, and use it for just about anything. A bigger knife might be more useful, but the saws and other gadgets in the tool come in handy all the time.