.22 lr bolt action for survival

I have (amongst others), one of these -

www.youtube.com...

It's an awesome little rifle. My father taught me to shoot as a kid with one of these.

Nice crisp bolt action and plenty of larger magazine options available. Lightweight and reliable. I would happily recommend one to you

reply to post by subfab


Well the US air force has a survival rifle- AR-7 most are made by Henry no bad, not too good either

If you can find the M6 scout/survival rifle its a .22lr and a .410 shot gun over/under action (one barrel over the other) the shotgun is for fowl game (ducks ect) the .22lr is for small mammals.

I'd buy an AR-15 platform, THEN buy a 22lr bolt and magazine kit takes only a few seconds to make it a .22lr AND all the cool AR attachments are there to help in the bush.

But the M6 (I use to have one untill a "friend" I thought was a good person stole it and moved away) is awesome and handy for the bushwacking needed to live outdoors.

Originally posted by TruthWizard
oh yeah and you ain't killin' crap with a 22lr other than small game and varmint.

edit on 1-5-2012 by TruthWizard because: (no reason given)

edit on 1-5-2012 by TruthWizard because: (no reason given)

In my younger and more rebellious years before I gained an understanding and respect for game conservation laws.

I have taken dozens of deer with a bolt action 22. Sure I had to follow a few of them to let them bleed out but never more than an hour of tracking. Most shots where head shots taken at close range (within 20 yds) and downed them instantly. Don't listen to anybody that says you can not hunt with a 22 caliber rifle, they are simply wrong.

I would check out this video for the rifle I am about to recommend based on what it sounds like your wanting it for:
youtu.be...
It is for the U.S. Survival Rifle 22LR Semi-Auto AR-7 by Henry Repeating Arms. I do not personally own or have shot one but have had a strong desire to acquire one for a while now. I believe there are more updated versions of this rifle being manufactured currently. Anyways, I plan on purchasing one this year as a birthday present for myself. I believe it would serve me well in a week long camping/hunting trip during squirrel season. It seems like it would be easily stored away in a backpack while not in use and is very lightweight. And I believe that a 22lr is an adequate round for a bug out situation in what I would envision as the most likely scenario where you would need a gun 90% of the time. A good higher caliber handgun could pick up the slack. Anyway I am suggesting this without actually hands on experience with this firearm but with the intention of buying one in the near future. So take this for what its worth and know that's why this is a shorter post.

Another vote for a Ruger 10/22 - I just picked up one from my local Wal-Mart - they had the stainless barrel version for 197.00. I have it set up like my AR and use it as a cheaper-to-shoot-often trainer.

Originally posted by subfab
I’m in the market for a bolt action rifle in .22lr caliber.
A folding stock is preferred but a standard stock is good.

Any ATS members have a .22lr bolt action rifle that you would recommend? What are your experiences? What’s good? What’s bad? Which models should I stay away from?
I’m thinking about one that can easily be carried in a back pack.

Why a .22lr?
Ammo is cheap and you can carry a hundred rounds in your pockets. A .22lr can kill small game and not make too much noise.

Mainly because the ammo is cheap.

-subfab

Purely survival speaking I wouldn't go for any of most common and popular calibers because those are the ammo that will be the most available at first and people will abuse this and run out quickly then they're worth will be inflated exponentially...

Go for more rare calibers they'll be left on shelves everywhere...

Furthermore I would go for a crossbow... perfectly stealth... packs a hell of a punch... no muzzle flash... re-useable ammo and arrows can be found everywhere and/or can be made from pretty much anything...

Due to its slow reload a good sidearm is mandatory though and I would keep a good rate/power rifle hidden here and there so you have armed and loaded covers to fallback when your cover is blown...

Yet another vote for the Ruger 10/22.

In my youth (Before my Govt came and took it away) I put thousands of rounds through it and never had a jam. Great after market stocks.

If you know how you can even make it full auto. (If the law allows!) They used to have a 50 shot drum magazine too. Don't know if they still have those.

For survival forget the bolt action.. Especially on larger game or for defense you will need a semi-auto.

Also handles hot loads like Stinger and such like. Put a scope and possibly a laser on it as well. Depends on how good a shot you are. If your average every little bit helps. Scopes help you to find small game without scaring it away.

P

I'll throw in another vote for the ruger 10/22. I want one myself.I wanted the regular archangel aftermarket stock but that marauder stock is pretty bad ass.The ruger 10/22 takedown is pretty darn cool too.And IMO if you are defending yourself in some sort of SHTF scenario,you have lots of ammo with a .22lr.Spray and pray,and even if they figure out what kind of round is coming at them,they still have to dodge the damned things. It might be a small round,but it still kills stuff.If you don't believe that go stand in front of one,or one hundred, and let us all know how that turns out for you.

I cant buy a gun here in england, i think our leaders would know they would be out of a job if we were

Rossi makes a VERY lightweight rifle/shotgun combination, comes with it's own carry bag
and can cost anywhere from 130-200 dollars for the .22/.410.

The gun is single-shot, open sights, (the best way to learn to shoot), and even has another option
of getting a 3rd barrel in 20ga for the same gun.
Also, you can get a .243/ 20ga gun from them.

I bought one for my son, and loved how light it was and bought one for myself.

I know it's not a bolt-action and you either use the .22lr barrel or the .410, but with the shotgun
you can add moving game and deer (using slugs) to you diet if you had to.

hope it helps and good luck

reply to post by TRiPWiRE


that is a beautiful gun.

i never heard of BRNO before. after watching your video, i had to google it. the reviews i read online echo your post. it is a great firing gun.

thank you for the post.

-subfab

reply to post by Yahm16


i had this discussion with a friend of mine. we came up with a similar conclusion. the versatility of the over under .22/.410 makes it a solid choice.

lots of great input in this thread.
i already own a ruger 10/22 an SKS and a .45acp pistol. trying to hike with all the weapons, and ammo would be difficult. the weight alone would not allow for carrying much else.



you guys have all given me great things to think about and research. i appreciate your input and advice.

so far i have:
a couple of really good knives.
a book on knots
a frameless backpack/sleeping bag

i plan on doing a lot of hiking this year. should be fun.
i'm thinking about starting another thread on back pack food to carry. top ramen is always in my bag.

-subfab

for taking small game, or just shoooting for hours for $1.00, i love my little Pump .22 crossman.
half inch groups at 40 yards, just over three lbs, and very very quiet

the only fault I find which some might find it shares with its larger relative survival rifles is that it is so light it takes a little extra focus to keep it on target while standing

I don't consider it a fault that it isn't for killing people....I don't eat people
and with this little puppy and a fishing rod..I won't have to

fortunately im in an area where bugging out is to where the population is so low as to being a place where you might not want to waste perfectly good people

ETA
there is something to be said for the .22/ .410 - using sluggs will get bigger game out to about a hundred yards..

Originally posted by Danbones


ETA
there is something to be said for the .22/ .410 - using sluggs will get bigger game out to about a hundred yards..

edit on 2-5-2012 by Danbones because: (no reason given)

wow, i didn't realize the .410 slug had that kind of range.
very good to know.

-subfab

reply to post by ecoparity


Lewis and Clark carried a very powerful pump up air rifle.



The reason the injuns left them alone.

Will fire 40 times before you have to pump it back up. Will go through a 1 inch pine board.

Originally posted by schuyler

Originally posted by Violater1
A 22 ????
Really?
Why not just use a BB gun or super soaker?

Really. Shoot small game with a .223 and you have a very mangled mess on your hands. Shoot small game with a .22 and you have a piece of meat to feed someone. A large caliber weapon can be overkill and the fact is, ammo is more expensive. I have a 10/22 like lots of folks here. It's extremely reliable, accurate, and can knock off most any threat from a safe distance.

I'm not knocking larger guns. I've got an AR-15 as well. It's just that you should choose the right sized screwdriver fo the job and the big ones don't always fit.

I feel differently. I've shot a crow, sitting on my 300 yard target, with my Rem 700 .308, that was only missing it's head. I guess it's all about practice. practice, practice.



www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by subfab

Ballistics show this poor little 410 bore is quite capable
"The .410 Slug, capable or comical?" This is a question that pops up often in shotgun slug shooting circles, no pun intended with the "pop", but I'll go with it because that is what many people have stuck in their head concerning the 410 bore and deer hunting, the idea that the 410 is just a pop gun and not capable of cleanly taking deer. That may have been the case in the past except for very close range or in the hands of the most able shooter. Today with the HBBS 410 Rifled slug barrels and adequate loads, 100 yard shots on target are easily achieved. Accuracy is not an issue with these barrels, so for those who need convincing in the power department, here are some ballistic tables to consider. These 410 loads utilize a 375 gr slug (nominal 370 gr slug for factory HBBS loads) that retain a lot of energy down range, unlike the typical fast but lightweight 1/4 or 1/5 ounce 410 slug load commonly available. The 45/70 load shown for comparison has a 400gr slug. This .410 is quite capable.

www.hoeningbigboresouth.com...

for all around suurvival a 22 410 over under or interchangeble might not be such a bad little gun..especially in a break down model

An English longbow, very easy to make and can take down large animals, with practice you can let off 12 sticks a minute every one of them powerful enough to do its job. I made my own 60lb bow and arrows in a weekend with basically a knife and flint (few other bits as well like glue), it was great fun too. check this little video out

reply to post by subfab


www.rossiusa.com...

is what I was talking about. Sorry, I should've done this to begin with.
The gun isn't an over/under, you switch barrels.

The advantages: lightweight, the shotgun barrel isn't rifled, comes with a carrying bag.

the bag has pouches for both barrels , handles like a briefcase, and a shoulder sling.
On mine, I'm trying to rig up something to hold extra .22 on the armguard. Kind of like for
shotgun shells on the stock.

Rossi says the shotgun isn't for shot, but we use it without any problems. If the barrel would be
rifled there'd be no way.

When buying shotgun ammo, don't forget there's target loads and game loads.
I don't know how much you know about them. Apologies in advance.

good luck

reply to post by Yahm16


darn nice gun.

reasonably priced at about $225 usd.

-subfab