Anyone interested in survival?

[Rayner]

An air rifle maybe a good option. Perhaps a rimfire .22 would also fill that role well. I don't own one but despite being kind of quirky a ruger 10/22, along the standard 10 round rotary mag, you can also buy from ruger 15 and 25 round mags to feed it. the only down side to the 10/22 is that you can only shoot .22LR out of it. what I would use to that role would be may be either a tube fed lever or pump action (witch ever you prefer) .22 rifle. with the tube feed you can shoot either ,22 short,longs or long rifle shells.

I've been thinking about adding an air rifle to my survival kit. Thus far I've been looking at a Benjamin .22. I've seen several styles, so I'm still trying to decide which would be the best for my purpose; they also come in varying prices from $189 to over $500.

The .22, I believe, would be a good caliber since it has enough power to take down small game at 25 yards, it doesn't make much noise, and it is low maintenance. Also, it wouldn't require keeping a lot of heavy ammo on hand. And in a last ditch scenario, it would be better than nothing since it is capable of dropping a coyote. Something capable of doing that would definitely disrupt someone's day.

This is one that I'm looking at. The video shows animals being hunted, so it may be offensive to some. Keep in mind this is for survival with the acquisition of food being paramount:

 

[Rayner]

I'm not sure of the costs involved, but I've seen some aftermarket threaded barrels for the 10/22, I've been told that with a suppressor you can bring the noise down to hearing safe levels. that would be pretty stealthy.

The 10/22 is an excellent rifle. I wish I'd kept the two that I had at one time. Oh well, hindsight is 20-20. Another reason I'm attracted to a high-powered air rifle is it's stealthy. I can pop one off in my backyard without having the SWAT team show up; and with the number of coyotes that have been moving into the area, I'm certain it would get plenty of use. I couldn't believe it, but the other night there were three running together in the yard at the church across the street. I guess they must have been Presbyterians.

 

[Rayner]

Yeah no kidding, some laws just don't make sense. I after a little more research I figured out that Ruger makes a model of the 10/22 with a threaded barrel. Depending on the the legalities of having a suppressor that maybe a good option, for the options and the capabilities that the Ruger 10/22 brings to the table and the stealth aspect that air rifle provides.

Hmm, now that's an interesting idea, especially since they make some very cool aftermarket parts for the 10/22. I don't know what the legalities are for a suppressor, though. I think the feds eased up, but I don't know about locally. It's weird, because I can carry a switchblade in Alabama, but not a Bowie knife. In Huntsville I can't carry any knife over a certain size and then it can't be for the purpose of a weapon, but I can get a conceal carry permit and carry a Dessert Eagle .50. It makes me wonder who the yutz is that thinks up some of these laws.

 

[Rayner]

after a littler more research I found that Ruger makes suppressors they a, that seem pretty promising and fit with a variety of their products. Depending on how you look at it is kind of expensive, but all of the suppressors I see online are around the same price point or more,

Personally I would say that a Ruger 10/22 would probably be an overall better set up over an air rifle , especially considering that you can buy a 10/22 for about the same amount of money. At least to me the ruger seem like a better choice because of it seem like a better choice, for a few reasons. The first is it because it is about two pounds, lighter than an air rifle. It doesn't have to be charged with air, like a high powered air rifle. Also it seems that sights aren't included.

Hmm, now that's an interesting idea, especially since they make some very cool aftermarket parts for the 10/22. I don't know what the legalities are for a suppressor, though. I think the feds eased up, but I don't know about locally. It's weird, because I can carry a switchblade in Alabama, but not a Bowie knife. In Huntsville I can't carry any knife over a certain size and then it can't be for the purpose of a weapon, but I can get a conceal carry permit and carry a Dessert Eagle .50. It makes me wonder who the yutz is that thinks up some of these laws.

 

[Rayner]

I figured I would throw some cash just a little somewhere in my survival cache of goodies. I still haven't add knife to my kit yet but I already have a few I can put in there.

Anyway I'm thinking getting kelly her own knife as she doesn't have one and she is always borrowing my Buck 110. The only concern is with weight, as she finds the brass and wood handle heavy. So in my infinite wisdom I think I'm going to buy her one of buck's newest models in the 110 family. the 110 folding hunter LT. The handle is made from a polymer cutting the from 7.5 ounces to barely 3 ounces. What really appealed to me is that this model of knife is cheaper than the traditional brass models.

 

[Rayner]

I really like my buck 110, it's a great knife for the outdoors. The only thing I about that makes me uncomfortable about putting one in my kit is the weight. At 7 ounces It's really heavy to put into an already somewhat heavy pack. Buck I've been told recently began making a fixed blade knife engineered around the design of the 110 that I'm considering for my kit.

If you're looking to add a knife to your kit, the Schrade I mentioned in a previous post would be an excellent addition:

Anyone interested in survival?

As for the Buck 110, that is a good knife. I have a similar one, but I can't carry it locally because it is illegal. I still can't get over their stupid knife laws here. The state outlawed any type of Bowie knife, but everything else is legal. However, in the city anything over 2" is illegal. I did some checking not long ago since I was thinking about getting a conceal carry rig for a self-defense knife, but that would be a serious no-no in the city.

 

[Rayner]

I like that schrade designed the knife so things can be stored in the handle. I'm trying to use what I already own in my kit. ideally I would also use this knife when camping,hunting. that's what makes Buck's fixed blade option appealing. I believe the model number for it is 101. My dad when he and I went camping he always took with in a leather sheath a well worn classic G.I. style Kabar knife on his belt. The irony is that in retrospect I can't recall my dad ever using it. So I've considered it too.

Oooh, I bet that's a nice knife. I'll have to check out their site to see what it's like. The Schrade I mentioned is nice, but it's also heavy. It makes the Buck feel like a butter knife. My main reason for it is extra things can be stored in the handle, it has a serrated blade, and it can be turned into a spear by fixing a pole into the handle and lashing it down. It would not be practical for a last-ditch bag, but it's good for a bug-out bag or just camping.

 

[Indy79]

I figured I would throw some cash just a little somewhere in my survival cache of goodies. I still haven't add knife to my kit yet but I already have a few I can put in there.

Anyway I'm thinking getting kelly her own knife as she doesn't have one and she is always borrowing my Buck 110. The only concern is with weight, as she finds the brass and wood handle heavy. So in my infinite wisdom I think I'm going to buy her one of buck's newest models in the 110 family. the 110 folding hunter LT. The handle is made from a polymer cutting the from 7.5 ounces to barely 3 ounces. What really appealed to me is that this model of knife is cheaper than the traditional brass models.

A

 

[Indy79]

Checkout the kalashnikov 74 for a good little knife. It’s pretty light and made pretty strong. I am not sure if they are legal in all states.

 

[Indy79]

Carabiner Grenade 550 Paracord Outdoor Camping Survival Kit
These I think are cool to have if you don’t want to pack everything into a survival knife handle.

 

[Rayner]

I'll be sure to check them out, I've looked up the knife laws here in texas they seem not too strict.

Checkout the kalashnikov 74 for a good little knife. It’s pretty light and made pretty strong. I am not sure if they are legal in all states.

 

[Rayner]

Another concept I thought maybe a decent option for survival, would be having a rifle (most likely a carbine) chambered in the same cartridge as one's sidearm. This isn't a new concept, it goes back to the 1870's where cowboys, hunters, lawmen and outlaws alike practiced with, carried, and used in the field one round for both their rifle and handgun. The combination of Winchester model 1873 and the Colt Frontier revolver, both chambered in .44-40 Winchester was one of the most commonly seen in the old west.

Anyway is this still a relavent option today? What are your thoughts?

 

[Rayner]

What I had in mind for the rifle part of the equation is old school, I was thinking a Winchester 1892 and for the pistol side, a large frame magnum revolver. I began to seriously consider going this route for a couple reasons. Mainly from the cost and options that handloading gives me the

From the handloading side of things, I can make hand-loaded rounds quite cheaply if I pick components right. Also, I can create finely tuned hand-loads based on what my needs are, to take that a step further I could even create different loads for each of the guns or for something different. So, for instance, I could load up some rounds of let's say .44 magnum to a lower pressure close to that of a .44 special with some modern bullets let's say Hornady FTX projectiles for my sidearm for personal defense at short range.

I could also make some hunting loads for my rifle using old school hard cast lead projectiles, hot enough that it would make Elmer Keith and Jeff Cooper cringe. Okay maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

The second is the reason is the cost. For the money, I could buy both pistol and rifle set up, for what a decent AR-15 would cost. Not to say that .223 Remington isn't a fantastic cartridge I think highly of it, but it doesn't have what I'm looking for in overall versatility and flexibility for in a carbine. The range of a carbine configured to accept handgun caliber ammunition is all pretty much within 200 yards, But the limited range as compared to an intermediate rifle cartridge to me isn't a huge disadvantage.

It is unlikely you will need to need to shoot somebody at all in survival type situation. It is even more unlikely you will need somebody at a range that a pistol caliber carbine or even a pistol wouldn't do the job. It is also pretty unlikely That I (all ethics aside) would shoot a deer at 300 yards or beyond, especially considering where I live. In the thick east Texas Bush, the ranges that deer are encountered are close enough that a .357 magnum, .41 magnum .44 magnum or 10mm just to name a few would do the job.