One rifle to survive......

crazy_davey

crazy_davey

Super Moderator
Moderating Team
Rating - 100%
168   0   0
Location
AB foothills
This topic comes up all the time around the campfire and figured I might as well ask it here. A while back I asked what was your favorite rifle to carry all around the outdoor area you frequent the most. Lots had more than one, this question you get one and only one :)

This is a hypothetical question, but be realistic.

So you are going to spend one month in some of Canadas most remote wilderness. You only can take one rifle with you to use as a survival tool. This is a survival situation, so you can take any animal needed to survive. Remember, you need to defend your life with this rifle as well if you want to survive(could be Grizzly bears, Polar bears, or Rabbits that might want to eat you ;) ).

I have heard some wierd answers to this question as well as some really good ones. IMO reliabilty is a big key to survival.

So what would you take and why?
 
Last edited:
My Remington 760 30-06. Not too heavy, fast cycling while staying on target, enough knockdown power, not as fussy on cleanliness as a semi-auto. Has both scope and open sights. If I did anything different, the same gun in .35.
 
One rifle eh.......Savage 24, 12 ga under .308. Hey...it's still ONE rifle ;)
Hunting: A load of # 5 lead for critters for the pot, good quality load in the .308
Defence: Load a slug in the SG barrel......a .308 (at distance...maybe two or three) and the 1 1/4 Oz slug for an "up close" encounter.
 
If the situation was surviving a plane crash or something similar my choice would be an accurate dependable .22 LR. .22 ammo equal to the weight of a box of shotgun shells will feed you for a month. Food is what gives you the best chance of survival, and the food you are most likely to encounter are game birds, migratory birds, rabbits, squirrels, etc. It would be foolish to wander too far from the crash site hunting for larger game.

On the other hand, if this was a planned, "live of the land adventure trip", of a fixed duration, I would choose a bolt action .30-06 with a low powered scope. I would also take a selection of ammunition suitable for both large and small game.
 
Bolt action .30-06 with rugged open sights. Take a bunch of reduced loads for potting small game and 180gr heavy loads for encounters with bears. Worked for Col. Townsend Whelen then and will work for me today :)
 
Wrong Way said:
One rifle eh.......Savage 24, 12 ga under .308. Hey...it's still ONE rifle ;)
Click to expand...
I had problems with one of those one time and took it to the local blacksmith. Mine was a .223 over 20ga. It would open when firing the .223 bbl. :eek:

The smith told me that those guns are VERY problematic. He fixes them all the time and has nothing good to say about them.



.
 
crazy_davey said:
IMO reliabilty is a big key to survival.
Click to expand...
Reliabilty is one of the keys but the biggest is flexibility. While I may or may not have to defend myself against a bear or other large predator in a survival situation I damn sure have to feed myself.

Any shotgun would be my choice. A 24" shotgun in 12 gauge either pump or semi with some birdshot and slugs would be easy enough to carry around and do everything I need. If space were at a premium maybe a nice coach gun with 20" barrels. If money were no object perhaps a nice drilling. Two shotgun barrels on top and a large rifle caliber underneath.
 
I was going to say 12 gauge with slugs and shot as well, only then I remembered just how darn bulky and heavy the ammo is.

I'd probably take my 94 Winchester 30/30, and about 200 rounds of ammo.
IMHO It is nice to pack around, and the cartridge will do what I would need it to do.
 
I'm with BIGREDD on this all the way.It would be my old Ithaca 37,has an ugly Polychoke but it works!!! Some slugs for the big stuff and Oh yeah toilet paper to clean yourself after dropping that grizz at 6ft.!!!
 
a full wood jungle carbine 303 with its original sights and 10 shot clip-designed for exactly that same reason-to be tough and reliable and take out anything capable of killing you-man or beast.A 22 would be more practical for small game-but if thats all you had,you wouldn;t be needing to worry about where your next meal was coming from if you were confronted by a grizzly looking for his.
Actually-maybe including one of those 22 adapters might be handy for potting small game with the 303
 
Last edited:
A good quality .22 rimfire to put meat in the pot. Ammo is not heavy and bulky like shotgun ammo and the typical .22 is a lot handier to carry than most shotguns.

The best protection from carnivores is to avoid them. If you go into the bush realizing you may end up being prey you will act like prey and tend to to avoid "eat or be eaten" situations.
 
Kilo Charlie said:
A good .22 or a 12 or 20 shotgun would do nicely. Your chances of actually having to defend yourself in the wilderness is about one in a million.
Click to expand...
Valid point, although I have seen folks quit survival school at the one man phase out of fear. And the next guy was only ear shot away :rolleyes: So you never know what games your mind will play in a real meal deal situation.
Prep and knowing your strengths and weaknesses is the key to survival. :runaway:
 
If I could have any rifle, I would select anything chambered in .375 H&H or the new .375 Ruger. I would have all the confidence that rifle would protect me from bears, and be more than adequete for anything else. Iron sights, no scope. Then you have dependability as well. A hundred rounds should be more than enough, to get me back home for extended periods too. Hmm, I think I need one of these.
 
One RIFLE for survival?
22 Rimfire Single Shot.
If it were any one firearm.
12 Gauge single shot.
Both simple and reliable.
As for defense against animals that would eat me I would just as soon leave them to their part of the country.
257 Roberts
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom