Looking for some input on a survival gun

profeser

profeser

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Hey there ,

I recently pick up a new gun, its a Savage model 24 ,over under 22 on the top and 410 on the bottom, my question is, this is a survival gun what can this combination be used for, as far as hunting is concerned , the 22 is great for small game but what can I shoot with the 410



Thanks
 
Not that this something new here, but what the he77, I'll play!
If your going for a true survival gun; can keep Red Dawn or post nuke movie stuff out of your head. I'd go for a high powered center fire rifle with a good fixed powered scope and quick detachable mount for use with iron sights if needed. Or see thru mounts. It would probably be a light weight bolt gun or second to that, a lever carbine, in 30-30 or such. With 40 to 60 rounds of ammo and your good to go.
Any small game I'd want, I'd use a sling shot or snare. I'd get real familiar with edible plants in your area.
I'm not out there to shoot up the bush or escape & evade. I'm obviously stuck in a bad situation and trying to find the quickest & safest route to help. Any big game I'd have to shoot I'd want to be sure it dropped in it's tracks. Tracking a wounded animal when your already lost/ injured in the bush does appeal to me...
 
DANCESWITHEMPTIES said:
Not that this something new here, but what the he77, I'll play!
If your going for a true survival gun; can keep Red Dawn or post nuke movie stuff out of your head. I'd go for a high powered center fire rifle with a good fixed powered scope and quick detachable mount for use with iron sights if needed. Or see thru mounts. It would probably be a light weight bolt gun or second to that, a lever carbine, in 30-30 or such. With 40 to 60 rounds of ammo and your good to go.
Any small game I'd want, I'd use a sling shot or snare. I'd get real familiar with edible plants in your area.
I'm not out there to shoot up the bush or escape & evade. I'm obviously stuck in a bad situation and trying to find the quickest & safest route to help. Any big game I'd have to shoot I'd want to be sure it dropped in it's tracks. Tracking a wounded animal when your already lost/ injured in the bush does appeal to me...
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How refreshing !!! Survival common sense for a change..........I know this is heresy on a forum like this, but whether or not you survive a bad survival situation will most likely have nothing to do with a firearm. To be prepared there are about 50 things more important than a gun for survival. First aid kit comes to mind...............maps are handy, as is some way to start a fire etc...etc...etc...
 
profeser said:
Hey there ,

I recently pick up a new gun, its a Savage model 24 ,over under 22 on the top and 410 on the bottom, my question is, this is a survival gun what can this combination be used for, as far as hunting is concerned , the 22 is great for small game but what can I shoot with the 410



Thanks
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I have two sav. 24s. one is .222 over 20 and the other is 30/30 over 20.

I think the 20 ga is much more useful than a .410. Ducks on the wing are quite attainable with a 20 ga.

I do have a double .410 that I use for grouse and rabbits but prefer a 20 ga. for wing shooting. A 20 ga slug is far better that a .410 slug as well.
 
c-fbmi said:
How refreshing !!! Survival common sense for a change..........I know this is heresy on a forum like this, but whether or not you survive a bad survival situation will most likely have nothing to do with a firearm. To be prepared there are about 50 things more important than a gun for survival. First aid kit comes to mind...............maps are handy, as is some way to start a fire etc...etc...etc...
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Being a pilot in the North, I'm sure that you have a Model 24. I thought it was a requirement for a pilot's license up North!

I'd opt for the 22/20g version for more versatility but the 22/410 will keep you alive in the event that your plane ceases to fly and becomes a makeshift tent.
 
A .22/410 is a pretty decent "survival" gun, but as others have noted, other things, like fire/water/shelter are going to be more important for survival in general.

Personally I would consider a .22/12 guage to be significantly superior to the little .410 version, and ammunition is more commonly available and almost always cheaper.
 
I think people mix up 'survival' gun with 'camp' gun. A 22 over a 410 would make a handy rifle around the camp. But a life or death tool? Maybe better than a stone, but I'd rather have a good axe.

When it would come to shooting ducks there would be an advantage to a shotgun, but season & location would be a key factor. Sneeking up on a duck if you got desperate could be done with a rifle. Retrieving over water may not be so fun. There are some good traps for them as well.
 
I just bought an M6 Scout Survival rifle. They only come in .22LR/410 and 22 Hornet/410. I got the later, as I wanted more than .22LR. If these fine rifles came in something bigger yet, I'd be looking for another one. 223/20ga or 243/12ga would be nice. It's more for protection for me when on the forest trails, sled/quad/sxs etc than getting survival food.
 
two-dogs said:
I just bought an M6 Scout Survival rifle. They only come in .22LR/410 and 22 Hornet/410. I got the later, as I wanted more than .22LR. If these fine rifles came in something bigger yet, I'd be looking for another one. 223/20ga or 243/12ga would be nice. It's more for protection for me when on the forest trails, sled/quad/sxs etc than getting survival food.
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I have one of the original U.S.A.F. Ithaca M86 Survival rifles in my collection of junk. When the airforce tested these for aircrews they realized there limited usefullness fairly soon. It actually became more of a comfort item. I haven't looked too hard to find any real world use by them. But think I would have felt better in a down & out situation in the airforce using a 1911 with a couple extra mags. Although in their predicament it could have been combative as well as a survival scenario.
 
I have an IZH-94 12G over 30-06 that is awesome and it breaks down to fit in a back pack. I can also shoot 32 pistol shells through it with the auxilliary case. Pretty versatile...
 
two-dogs said:
I just bought an M6 Scout Survival rifle. They only come in .22LR/410 and 22 Hornet/410. I got the later, as I wanted more than .22LR. If these fine rifles came in something bigger yet, I'd be looking for another one. 223/20ga or 243/12ga would be nice. It's more for protection for me when on the forest trails, sled/quad/sxs etc than getting survival food.
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They also came in .22 mag....just sayin'

Speaking of 22 mag, I've got a Savage 24 in 22 mag over 20 if anyone is lookin :)
 
I have often thought I should get one of those insert thingys so I could shoot .22LR from the .222 chamber on my M24.


As said above we really need to define "Survival gun" and what we figure it needs to do before we can talk about what it is.

The wife and I went on a canoe trip with three other couples some years back. One fellow brought along a well used win. 94 in 30/30 in a case in the bottom of his canoe. They were ahead of us as the flotilla rounded a bend in the river with an island in the middle. I saw him draw out the rifle and wondered what was up. A cow moose stood in the river splashing up water with her big hooves and her ears laid back. It looked as though we were about to get into a "survival situation". I reckon she had a calf on the island.

I guess she figured there were too many of us and she headed into the bush.
 
Savage just came out with a new 22/410 called the model 42
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Personally I would rather have a hunting rifle in anything 270 to 338mag with a scope. Lots of guys think they are going to "survive" with one of those "survival rifles" but the fact of the matter is your chances for food come few and far between. You dam well better be able to take advantage of every fleeting chance on game you are given. The fact of the matter is that you can go days in the bush without seeing anything then one day you may catch a glimpse of a deer/moose/whatever. You had better be able to shoot fast, shoot straight and actually be able to hit the ass end of a deer at 87 yards between willows as it disappears into the bush, and your rifle had better be able to actually kill the thing. When things are working against you in the bush they REALLY work against you, a open sighted 22 is not going to cut it.
 
I had a Savage .22/20ga...I called it my 'farmboy gun'. TERRIBLE trigger with no way to improve it, according to a gunsmith I talked to about it...I put a rimfire scope on it and between the horribly gritty, creepy trigger and the crash of the hammer, I could never keep it on target.

Maybe the new ones are better...or maybe I had a lemon. In any case I'm not sure these are the answer...if fact, I can't think of a good single-gun solution for the downed bush pilot...
 
c-fbmi said:
How refreshing !!! Survival common sense for a change..........I know this is heresy on a forum like this, but whether or not you survive a bad survival situation will most likely have nothing to do with a firearm. To be prepared there are about 50 things more important than a gun for survival. First aid kit comes to mind...............maps are handy, as is some way to start a fire etc...etc...etc...
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Indeed, one of the least useful things you'll likely have in a survival situation is your gun. 7lbs of water and shortbread, couple lighters, flares, space blanket, and a knife will keep you a whole lot safer. :) That said, flying around way out there, I like to be armed, it's anything but my first priority though gear wise. :) Heresy indeed.
 
Tengoo said:
I had a Savage .22/20ga...I called it my 'farmboy gun'. TERRIBLE trigger with no way to improve it, according to a gunsmith I talked to about it...I put a rimfire scope on it and between the horribly gritty, creepy trigger and the crash of the hammer, I could never keep it on target.

Maybe the new ones are better...or maybe I had a lemon. In any case I'm not sure these are the answer...if fact, I can't think of a good single-gun solution for the downed bush pilot...
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There is, and it comes in one chambering, 12 gauge in my opinion. I fly around very remote bush alone and the only gun worth carrying, if it's not a legally carried handgun simply because of size / weight, is a 12 gauge that breaks down, folds, or is otherwise tiny. 12 gauge lets you shoot flares for signalling, gather grouse or other small game with ease with birdshot, and slugs for heavy work, the versatility is unparalleled. Couple that with the fact many break actions can be taken down into a little bundle only a foot and a half long, and they just don't have competition in the role in my opinion.
 
I would think that a small break-down .22 like an AR-7, or Marlin Pappoose would not be a bad choice. Very small and light, and ammo is light weight and compact to store/carry. The only problem I see with a 12 gauge is the bulk and weight of the ammo.
 
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