What do you think is the best overall gun. I like the ruger 10/22 because there are many spare parts for the rifle and you can hold 50 rounds in one hand, downside it's a glorified BB gun. 12 gauge is nice but the rounds are heavy and you need the right round for the right job. I'm looking for my next rifle and its a hard choice.
Best overall gun... Target, hunting, home defense, shtf
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Varmintman
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Hmm. Well you cast a pretty wide loop with what you want in a single gun. A pistol of the largest caliber you can shoot accurately is best for home defense while a rifle is better for hunting game.
For me a rifle is what works and I have several for different reasons. Smaller calibers for home and varmints and bigger for the freezer
For me a rifle is what works and I have several for different reasons. Smaller calibers for home and varmints and bigger for the freezer
derbycitybrewer
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haus88 said:
10/22 is a great rifle. In my area at the range I work at 22 is in the most demand right now. Dead accurate accuracy and in a prepper outlook it's the best round to have. And the upgrades for the ruger is unlimited. I love mine and would never get rid of it. Hope this helps. Cheers.
Airplanedoc
Well-Known Member
I would say for this all this criteria your best bet would be a AR15 or other carbine. You can target shot with it, you can hunt small-midsize game (depending on your state), SHTF check, Home Defense with proper training you could manage this one as well.
However, would you build a house with a Leatherman tool? It can be done, but its not the best for any part of house building. No one firearm is going to be the best in all these situations. Narrow your focus, and I'm sure we could help you better.
estricklin
Well-Known Member
I've seen someone shot with a .22 LR before, it's a little more than a BB gun that you realize. I would mention that for me I prefer the Marlin Model 60 over the 10/22.
I own 35 guns or so and the shotgun is my go to, it is what I say everyone should buy before anything else in the gun world, but you mentioned your in the market for a rifle.
Buying a rifle is always a hard choice for me, because I want them all!! I love the modular design of the AR-15, if the 5.56/.223 is good enough for our military, then it's good enough for me. I reload my own ammo for it and I tend to keep a stockpile around, well when I can keep my hands off of it. The SKSs can still be found at reasonable prices, but it's tricky to mount a scope and keep it sighted in, not to mention for just a bit more money you can have yourself an AK-47. I've been seeing a lot of AK-47 Ohio Ordinance recievers with Tapco furniture on them (not sure what company is building them) lately for $350-400. I'm guessing your not looking for a high powered bolt action, but I'll through in my .02 for the Savage if you go that route. Super accurate and reliable right out of the box at an unbeatable price.
Let us know what you buy!
You want a laser gun.
For target, it's whatever you're best with and how far you want to shoot. Fully adjustable sights and a see under scope mount would be nice on any gun for that.
It's hard to beat the shortest shotgun you can get for home defense. And it doesn't have to be a 12. Nobody wants to get shot with a 20. A shotty gives you spread to fill a hallway and you can choose loads that may not go through little Suzie's bedroom wall.
For shtf, I'm torn between a shotgun, a .22 or an SKS.
You can take down a lot of targets with a shotgun and not have to be an expert marksman to do it.
A .22 is relatively quite, and you can get ammo to help with that, has longer range than a shotgun, lighter, smaller ammo, and can still kill stuff.
The SKS is a beast. Mine has been drug around wet and muddy and works every time. And it's got capacity. Drums, if you want. If you can tear up an SKS, you don't need a gun. You're already the baddest thing under the sun.
Thing with home defense and shtf is you may find yourself having to use it when you're tired, not on your best game, not in the ideal situation and in a jammed up spot. Shotgun.
HeadyKilowatt
Well-Known Member
Look into a .243. Very accurate and flat-shooting for target/range, good for varmints, and legal for deer in every state as far as I know (which is a downside to the .223, which isn't legal for deer here in VA and in some other states).
You want a laser gun.
That my friend wold be amazing!! Picturing DR. Evil saying lazy beams!
I'm not looking for one gun solve all I'm jut curious what you guys think. I'm going to head to the gun store when this dam blizzard is over. I have a 2 22's and working on my pistol permit when ever that happens aa the waiting game.
That my friend wold be amazing!! Picturing DR. Evil saying lazy beams!
I'm not looking for one gun solve all I'm jut curious what you guys think. I'm going to head to the gun store when this dam blizzard is over. I have a 2 22's and working on my pistol permit
when ever that happens aa the waiting game.Ya btw I'm a medic in a friendly NYC projects, I see people shot all the time n 22 rounds don't do too much. I had a perp shot 12times with a 22 and survived. 22 are nasty when they enter a cavity and can not escape, or follow a bone. Vs a 45 just devastating
Varmintman
Well-Known Member
I agree that a 22 is a good round and everyone should have one. Big draw back to them in my head though is once shot they are done. With a .223 or my favorite varmint round the .204 you can reload the brass
I'm a "right tool for the job" kinda guy but if I had to do all of those in 1 - it would be AR 15 hands down.
Straight targets - long range? I'd want a 6.5 Creedmoor on a Sturgeon action, Rock/Krieger/Bartlien/Brux barrel, McM A5 topped with a S&B.
Hunting? 6.5 Creedmoor on a basic M700 with a #2 or so contour barrel - all done up by Karl.
Home defense - 870 12 gauge
SHTF - whatever I can get my hands on but an AR-15 of some sort would work.
Straight targets - long range? I'd want a 6.5 Creedmoor on a Sturgeon action, Rock/Krieger/Bartlien/Brux barrel, McM A5 topped with a S&B.
Hunting? 6.5 Creedmoor on a basic M700 with a #2 or so contour barrel - all done up by Karl.
Home defense - 870 12 gauge
SHTF - whatever I can get my hands on but an AR-15 of some sort would work.
BetterSense
Well-Known Member
If you can only have ONE gun, I'd say it's a 3-way tie between .22 rifle, pump shotgun, and AR15.
.22 rifles are a must simply because the ammo is so cheap and available, and you can kill food with it, and plink, and you can even use it defensively if it's all you have. You can buy 500 rounds for the price of a steak dinner and carry it in a jacket pocket.
Pump shotgun
Pros:
Play skeet and sporting clays
Hunt pretty much anything for food; rabbits squirrels geese ducks deer
Pest control; coyotes, racoons,
Defense: Bears, humans. Possibly the best home defense gun.
Cons:
No range. Heavy.
There is a reason AR15s are popular. You can kill medium game out to several hundred yards, they are (were) cheap and easy to shoot, and they are light, and they are still effective for home defense.
Notice that there are no pistols on this list. That's because pistols suck.
.22 rifles are a must simply because the ammo is so cheap and available, and you can kill food with it, and plink, and you can even use it defensively if it's all you have. You can buy 500 rounds for the price of a steak dinner and carry it in a jacket pocket.
Pump shotgun
Pros:
Play skeet and sporting clays
Hunt pretty much anything for food; rabbits squirrels geese ducks deer
Pest control; coyotes, racoons,
Defense: Bears, humans. Possibly the best home defense gun.
Cons:
No range. Heavy.
There is a reason AR15s are popular. You can kill medium game out to several hundred yards, they are (were) cheap and easy to shoot, and they are light, and they are still effective for home defense.
Notice that there are no pistols on this list. That's because pistols suck.
Something about a pistol is a means to get to a rifle, or something like that.
michael_mus
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Whatever you end up choosing, get a good strong safe to secure them in. Also, if you haven't already: Complete a hunter/gun safety course - They're usually offered on the cheap at your local gun range.
+1 on the pump shotgun. I have the Mossberg 500 "Persuader" and am very happy with it. It even came in a waterproof tube labelled JIC (just in case). I've used it for shooting clay pigeon, it's my primary home defense piece and it's a lot of fun to shred zombie targets with at the range.
On the other hand, or "in" the other hand as it may be - I recommend a Glock 19. It's a different but equally well rounded option. Reasonably priced and very available ammunition, accurate for target practice and absolutely suited for CQC / home defense.
+1 on the pump shotgun. I have the Mossberg 500 "Persuader" and am very happy with it. It even came in a waterproof tube labelled JIC (just in case). I've used it for shooting clay pigeon, it's my primary home defense piece and it's a lot of fun to shred zombie targets with at the range.
On the other hand, or "in" the other hand as it may be - I recommend a Glock 19. It's a different but equally well rounded option. Reasonably priced and very available ammunition, accurate for target practice and absolutely suited for CQC / home defense.
michael_mus
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Agreed except for the last two points.
There are a few ranges here that allow shotguns. Let me tell you, it's a thrilling gun to shoot indoors. Sort of puts the whole power of home defense into perspective. If the racking slide sound doesn't scare you off, the sound of a round going off in a small room will.
Also, WADR pistols don't suck. I will say that some pistol hobbyists suck, but you get that with any hobby...
aiptasia
Well-Known Member
I have two shotguns for home defense: A Marine Magnum pump action 12 gauge and a pump action Spas 12. The Marine Magnums are still in production (model 870) and this is an excellent home defense weapon. It has a six round magazine (can be modified to hold more) and is just a well made, light weight, rust proof shotgun. Mine has a trigger lock built in for extra family safety. My Spas 12 is more of a glory piece. I bought it for a song, have only fired it a few times and it lives in a case with a trigger lock on it.
DirtyOldDuck
Well-Known Member
Sigh. I started to respond last night but didn't want to be "that guy." I have to say, however, that your assertions that a .22lr is just a "glorified BB gun" and "22 rounds don't do too much" just make me shake my head. Neither one of my sons, who are now adult firearms owners, would have ever received their first .22 while living in my house if they had displayed such a blase attitude toward a firearm. Yes, people have survived being shot with a .22lr before, but so have people who have been shot with much larger rounds. Your chances of surviving getting shot may be better with a .22 than with a larger round, but you could still die. A .22lr through the heart is going to kill someone a lot faster than a .50 BMG through the hand.
That said, I am in the right tool for the job camp. You should have at least one 12 gauge shotgun, one rifle (everyone should have a 10/22 or similar rimfire) and one handgun (start with a revolver then get a semi-automatic). In a shtf situation, however, whichever one I have with me is going to be the "best" one!
jungatheart
Well-Known Member
Ar15 Pistol.
What's the fun in owning only one firearm? I have 3 rifles and 2 shotguns, and I'd say I'm fairly set for life:
7mm Rem. Mag. Remington 700
.308 Browning BLR
.22LR Remington 504
12g Remington 1100
10g Remington SP-10
(I have a thing for Remington if you couldn't tell)
A handgun may be on the list of things to buy once I have plenty of disposable income, as well as a black powder rifle, but those are two things I can certainly live without at this point in my life.
7mm Rem. Mag. Remington 700
.308 Browning BLR
.22LR Remington 504
12g Remington 1100
10g Remington SP-10
(I have a thing for Remington if you couldn't tell)
A handgun may be on the list of things to buy once I have plenty of disposable income, as well as a black powder rifle, but those are two things I can certainly live without at this point in my life.
DirtyOldDuck
Well-Known Member
Sorry, so was I.
Remington 870 12 gauge would do well for all four of those activities.
The recoil is pretty light if you stick to the 2 3/4" rounds and even 3" slugs are tolerable for a short period.
There's a ton of ammo choices on the cheap especially compared to rifle or pistol ammo except the .22lr.
Parts and accessories gallore.
Easy to clean. Especially compared to a rifle or pistol.
The more you shoot it the smoother it gets.
They made over 10,000,000 of them.
It won't hit a prairie dog in the eye @ 1000 yards but you can take almost any animal inside of 50 yards.
The recoil is pretty light if you stick to the 2 3/4" rounds and even 3" slugs are tolerable for a short period.
There's a ton of ammo choices on the cheap especially compared to rifle or pistol ammo except the .22lr.
Parts and accessories gallore.
Easy to clean. Especially compared to a rifle or pistol.
The more you shoot it the smoother it gets.
They made over 10,000,000 of them.
It won't hit a prairie dog in the eye @ 1000 yards but you can take almost any animal inside of 50 yards.
Thus far I have an old .22 rifle, I'm not even sure of the manufacturer, a Chinese made SKS, a Winchester 20 gauge and a Mossberg 500 12 gauge. I don't hunt so I don't really see a need for any more rifles, but lately I have been thinking about handguns. If I were to get another rifle, I think I would probably start looking at something sniper grade. Not a .50 caliber but something for precision and distance. But that would be just for fun.
I keep my 20 gauge in my closet, unloaded. And a box of rounds. I keep a short bat next to my bed as well. If I need something now, the bat will serve me well. If I have a moment or two, the shotgun is always ready. This is also a moot point because even though I live near the "bad" part of town, I still have no concerns whatsoever of having any problems. My town is pretty quiet. But luck always favors the prepared.
I keep my 20 gauge in my closet, unloaded. And a box of rounds. I keep a short bat next to my bed as well. If I need something now, the bat will serve me well. If I have a moment or two, the shotgun is always ready. This is also a moot point because even though I live near the "bad" part of town, I still have no concerns whatsoever of having any problems. My town is pretty quiet. But luck always favors the prepared.
What do you expect for $0.04 each? That's about the price of a primer, isn't it, if you buy a large quantity?
Yeah, there's always miracle cases.
Hinckley made quite a mess with a 6-shot .22 revolver, and I personally knew two people that died from single shots from .22; not suicides either. Accidents.
I have a Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag 12 gauge.
2-3/4...3...and 3-1/2 shells are all able to be run through it.
Came with a turkey barrel.
I bought a cylinder bore and rifled barrels.
Ain't nothing that walks or flies that I can't put a round through that gun and not put it down in it's tracks.
2-3/4...3...and 3-1/2 shells are all able to be run through it.
Came with a turkey barrel.
I bought a cylinder bore and rifled barrels.
Ain't nothing that walks or flies that I can't put a round through that gun and not put it down in it's tracks.
RMS
Well-Known Member
I think a 16" AR15 or the mini-14. Right now the gun market is in a very high demand and ammo is hard to come by depending on the state you live in so price's are high. Look and see what is available at your local gun shops, if you see an AK47 on a shelf under $800 grab it, if you see an AR15 under $1,500 grab it. If you only see a Ruger mini 14 ......BUY IT now!! If you see all 3 types available then the choice is yours.
I was in walmart a few days ago and the ammo shelf was almost totally empty. No .223, no .38 no .357, and no .22's they only had a few box's each of .40, 20 gage, and .22 shorts.
Good Luck!
I was in walmart a few days ago and the ammo shelf was almost totally empty. No .223, no .38 no .357, and no .22's they only had a few box's each of .40, 20 gage, and .22 shorts.
Good Luck!
Why one gun? Have you done any research at all? There's no single gun that'll apply to all of those categories.
If for some strange reason you can only purchase one gun then a .22lr is the only way to go, namely a Ruger 10/22. Infinite parts and customizability. Honestly though, if you want to cover all your bases you'll need four:
.22lr rifle
Common caliber handgun(revolver or pistol)
12ga shotgun(rem 870 can't be beat)
High caliber rifle(.308, .270, .243, 7mm......)
If for some strange reason you can only purchase one gun then a .22lr is the only way to go, namely a Ruger 10/22. Infinite parts and customizability. Honestly though, if you want to cover all your bases you'll need four:
.22lr rifle
Common caliber handgun(revolver or pistol)
12ga shotgun(rem 870 can't be beat)
High caliber rifle(.308, .270, .243, 7mm......)
For hunting large game I love my Weatherby .300 Wsm it will take down anything from a 2 pointer to a Bear. It's slightly heavy but once you shoot it you'll grow a little more hair on your chest.... Granted my wife seems to be a better shot then me with it. Haha
Shooting 12ga 3" mag slugs or heavy turkey loads will put about twice as much hair on your chest.
Shooting 12ga 3" mag slugs or heavy turkey loads will put about twice as much hair on your chest.
By that logic I should have shag rug carpeting on my chest from shooting 10ga 3-1/2" turkey loads. And an empty wallet.
But nothing beats putting a gobbler down at 40 yards every time.
How bad is the recoil on a 10 gauge? Is it worse than shooting a 12 gauge 3in slug? I like the idea of a 10 gauge autoloader for hunting turkies and geese but have never shot one.
landshark
HMFIC
This is my agreement. 1 gun can do everything, but not do everything well.
The AR can do a 9mm handgun, shoot 22, shoot 6.5, and shoot 223. But you need multiple uppers and a few other parts, but very all around. However, it's not going to those an excellent as guns dedicated to those purposes.
I have the Remington SP-10, and it does a really good job at knocking down a lot of the recoil. I'd say it's no worse than a pump 12ga, but then again, when you have all that adrenaline going through your system with a bird coming in, everything seems to feel a lot lighter. Not something I'd take to the range to shoot trap and skeet, but I have buddies that shoot the same shotgun for geese and they say the added recoil over a 12ga is definitely worth the price for the extra payload.
brandonhagen1
Well-Known Member
get a judge it shoots any 45 cal and 410 shells great for anything you need firepower for hunting for or two legged animals
A pump shotgun is generally agreed on as the best all around home defense weapon. A friend's dad bought one after getting burgled several times. He called his pump the 'slide trombone'. His favorite saying, usually while handling the gun, was- "First time they got the TV, second time the christmas presents, third time- they're gonna get the slide trombone."
The sound of a cycling a pump shotgun is unmistakeable, and that alone is enough to send most would be bad guys running. If not, in a dark room the 3 foot flame and noise from a warning shot will.
If your town is big enough to have a rifle range, it will have a skeet/trap range, usually in the same place. If not, you likely live in a place where you don't need a range for some fun with guns, especially the 100-200yds needed for a typical shotgun load.
