No offence taken, I was just trying to get you to expland your answers?
LoL...okay...
Anyone see the movie "Into the Wild"
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Christopher McCandles, the guy the movie was based on, trudged into the Alaska wilderness with only a 22lr as a means for hunting....everything up to a moose was taken with his trusty 22lr.
On another forum I frequent, a man (and his family) from northern British Columbia IIRC were out camping when some wolves showed up and got offensive towards the children. After they wolves were chased away the father got out his 22lr "just in case." A short while later the wolves returned and he dispatched two of 'em before they could attack again.
When my father was young, he used to hunt with a man who ran hounds on cougar. He only used a 22lr to dispatch tree'd cats. He would shoot at the base of the spine and *supposedly* never had a single cat get more than 10 feet from the tree it was shot in.
I'd trust my life with a 22lr without a doubt...but as mentioned, I'd much prefer a rifle over a pistol. The extra velocity, lower noise level, and increased accuracy would be extremely beneficial. I'd also insist on iron sights, as scopes can fog or be broken, and red-dots can go dead.
Easy to handle, easy to maintain, and extremely easy to carry large amounts of ammunition. What's not to like?
With the ever expanding assorment of ammunition available, there are cartridges perfectly suited for almost any scenario.
Personally, I'd like to have at least 2 trays of CCI's CB Longs for dispatching rabbit, squirrel, etc for food. They are extremely quiet from a rifle, but are accurate/powerful enough to take any of the above at 25yds or so. IF you're trying not to spook game, these are the ticket!
Futhermore, I'd want a brick of generic HP's such as the Federal 550rnd bulk packs. The extra noise can be heard if you're trying to get attention, they're easy to carry, and more than sufficient for small game.
Lastly, I'd want at least 100rnds of CCI's Segmented Hollow Points or Velocitors...extra energy and "killing power" for some of the larger critters you may encounter rather it be for nutrition or defense. Lets face it, in a survival situation you just might need to try and take down a deer or similar for food if nothing else is out there. For those not familiar with the latter--the Velocitor is the fastest 40gr bullet available. The Segmented Hollow Point is designed to break apart into multiple pieces for separate wound channels--IIRC, it's also HYPER velocity.
If you're stuck with a pistol as your survival task, I think you're at a disadvantage.
How many people here can shoot 4" or smaller 5-shot groups at 25 yds, with a pistol, offhand? If not, you're dinner just hopped away.
Now, how many of you can easily do that with a rifle? It's quite a bit easier!
The Henry Survival Rifle, or Marlin Papoose are two great options that are easily broken down to fit in a pack...they're also very lightweight and reasonably accurate. Unfortunately, they're both semi-automatic which could prove troublesome if you spend much time in the mud, rain, sand, etc.
Personally, I'd probably opt for a stainless/synthetic bolt action or single shot rifle.
A bolt action can afford to get a little more dirty before failing...it's also got fewer parts to LOSe when you do clean it. A single shot would be nice, but would make follow up shots on larger game more difficult. Ya can't afford to let one get away!
Is that expanded enough? LOL
