Best overall gun... Target, hunting, home defense, shtf

[Rhumbline]

A short barreled shotgun is my choice.

With a flashlight mounted under the barrel it's the best for home defense. Half asleep and fumbling in the dark? Just point the thing and what's lit up gets blown up. Also less chance of me killing my neighbor.

Interchangeable barrels and chokes expand the usefulness as do the different loads.

Around where I've been hunting, shotguns were about the only choice. But you've got to be close to the target.

I'm not real fond of target shooting with them.

 

[m3n00b]

I vote m14 or 357 or 44mag. I would say 12ga but not for target shooting.

 

[whoaru99]

Interchangeable barrels and chokes expand the usefulness as do the different loads.

Around where I've been hunting, shotguns were about the only choice. But you've got to be close to the target.

I'm not real fond of target shooting with them.

Guess it depends on what you mean by close. Immediately around where I live is shotgun only for deer hunting. Many have gone to scoped, rifled slug barrels and are shooting the (for slugs) high velocity sabots. Granted, they're not like a high power rifle in terms of range but 150-200 yds with quite sufficient accuracy isn't out of the question at all.