BOB gun

[kid_couteau]

For me the hardest part is what is the gun for?

If I am just out in the woods trying to survive and forage for food then a 20 gauge pump would do it all for me.
But then the ammo is heavy if you gotta carry a lot of it.

If I am defending myself from looters then a magazine fed rifle such as an AK-47

If I was actually bugging out on foot and needed to be very discreet then my Chipmunk Hunter and some semi automatic 9mm pistol I guess.

See for me it depends on the scenario.  I guess for my get home bag the chipmunk hunter would do. Its light enough.

It is hard because there is no perfect BOB gun that I know of.

Single shot shotgun:
Pros:Light good for foraging
Cons: Lousy defensive weapon if there are multiple baddies [baddies could be a griz bar too]
Ammo is heavy

Semi auto 308 Winchester:
Pros: Magazine fed, good all round caliber for medium and larger size targets. Good for defense.
Cons: Hard to conceal, cant shoot a squirrel with it too easily. Ammo is heavy.

Semi auto pistol in most calibers:
Pros: Fast to reload, decent defense gun at close ranges, easy to conceal.
Cons: Most ammo is heavy, reduced range, still cant shoot squirrels with it easily

22 Pistol:
Pros: Light ammo, good small game getter, easy to conceal. Could be magazine fed so fast to reload.
Cons: under powered for defense or larger game

Best I can come up with is the single shot 22 pistol for foraging and a rifle for other stuff.

Someone needs to make an AK-47 out of titanium. 

[SHOOTALL]

You bring up a consideration with what is the gun for ?  I was thinking about that in a different way. It might be your choice of gun defines what you are thinking about survival. Some think 22 LR and getting food , small game so not to waste . They know they can also take a large critter if need be. Bad guys could be repelled with a 22 rifle in a pinch. My concern with rim fire ammo is keeping it in good condition. These guys see them selves avoiding trouble , out of sight. Then we have the Para military guys ready for battle.  Of course there are many a mix where a 22 rifle and a 45 1911 is carried. or the battle rifle with a 22 pistol. This is mind set and it could be relative to location.
 I live in a area mixed urban / country . Lots of people that would eat every critter in a short time. There would be criminals out and about. I expect it could be like New Orleans or worst if things were bad. So I suspect hybrid types would be high . A 22 and a larger cal.
 So you would use it for what came up that the correct tool was a gun. Personal protection and food gathering  and in extreme conditions to join up with others to protect you area. Police may need help etc. Or hopefully you won't need it.
 Think about this a few days after 9/11 six of us headed to Canada to hunt. It is a 1850 mile trip one way. We don't waste time and cross the border the next day. We were 100 miles into Canada and my phone goes off . My wife ask where we were . She was concerned that the US had closed the borders. A crisis no ( well as long as there was game and shells) but it did wake me up to the fact that at anytime what you have with you may be all you get for some time.  So it's better to have a few basic tools than need them.

[GrassLakeRon]

To stay or to go?   Are you wanting to just get home or leave forever?  Concealed is better then whipping out an AR.  If your bag is weight sensitive then handgun is still the way to go.  Urban, its hard to beat a shotgun.   Open country is a rifle. Yet you dont carry all three... cut down a rifle and make a canoe gun.  I did.  Fits into a folding chair back pack sling cover.  Those also make a good bob.

Ron

[Duke0313]

We keep our BOB's right below the rifle rack in my man-cave. Everyone grabs a bag and a rifle on the way out!
I do carry a Henry Survival Rifle in my GHB (get home bag) in my car.  And plenty of mini-mags to keep it company.

[SHOOTALL]

Wish I could find one of the All metal 410 / 22 mag O/U for my truck.

[Duke0313]

Your truck like to shoot, does it?

[SHOOTALL]

Well it has never complained when around shooting. Also it often has one in the cab for weeks or years at a time with out complaint.

[scattershot]

Seems like most of the imagined scenarios involve an attack by multiple armed assailants. You will lose such an encounter, so why not avoid it altogether? With that out of the way, a .22 would serve you well for just about anything, and you would be able to carry a boatload of ammo, to boot.

[SHOOTALL]

22 LR ammo is about the worst ammo for long term storage and carrying in in the field can cause problems.

[scattershot]

How so?

[SHOOTALL]

The heel type bullet fails to seal the case . It also easy to move around in the case. Both can lead to moisture contamination. Also some 22 ammo is defective from the start more so than center fire or even 17 or 22 mag ammo. But both of them have regular bullets instead of heel type. Heat can also effect 22 RF ammo , I guess due to the poor seal between case and bullet. Also the primer in the rim seems to have voids in some ammo. So for a long term stand point it is not a good choice unless you have tested the lot # of ammo very well and can provide good  storage (read cool and dry) while on the move.
 If I were going rim fire it would be a 22 mag.

[scattershot]

Thanks. I have seen that from time to time, but no one ever explained why. Makes sense.

[SHOOTALL]

Some here suggest using the plastic bags you seal to store 22 ammo . That might be a good idea. I would do so and carry a 22 lr pistol for food gathering but not as my defense weapon. I have been reading and have found that Winchester is making or made or will be making a run of Mod 1892 take down rifles. I would think one in 45 Colt , 44 Rem Mag or 357 mag. would be a great gun in a BOB.  A  concern I have is weight and things that are needed to allow use of a gun. Magazines are a big concern. They add weight that could be exchanged for food , water or ammo. Damage to a magazine is also a concern. With a lever action take down rifle you don't need anything but the gun and ammo to be set. One concession would be a 22 lr pistol over a revolver, it would allow a silencer (something else to tote and lose ). Of course I plan to stay away from trouble and not engage in fights.

[mcwoodduck]

What about a pump up pellet pistol in 177 or 22 like the Crossman that cna take a bolt on shoulder stock instead of a 22 Pistol?
Ammo is lighter, accuracy is good to take small game, birds, and vermin.  Ammo can be wet and it will not matter.  500 pellets in a tin weigh about as much as 100 rounds of 22LR.  The pump up air or spring air Pistol is usually lighter than a 22LR like a Browning Buck Mark or other standard size Pistol used for target and small game.  And snapping on a shoulder stock makes it a short rifle able to gather squirrels, rabbits, quail, Dove, or other small game with little noise.
At one point I thought my 44 Mag Carbine would be a great general purpose rifle,  44 Mag for big game, 44 Specials for small game, and shot shells for other small game. 
The 44 mag was great and accurate, the 44 Specials did not work so well and were not as accurate as I had hoped with the sights set for the 180 grain JSP ammo, and the shot shels left a donut size and shaped pattern at 15 feet.

[tacklebury]

I have a Crosman model 1322C that performs very well.  I have used a double pistol case and included the stock, 4 tins of different ammo and the pistol all in the one case.  Works well and gives me about 2000 shots before I have to worry.  Oh and I have a tube of Crosman Pellgun Oil in there too.  Don't use petroleum based especially in the chamber/pressure areas.