The Best Rifle for Survival

by Jack Woods

Well, its time for some more back woods wisdom from me, Jack Woods. We all have our opinions on our favourite rifle for our favourite job. However, the question here is; what is the best prepper rifle?

If… you only can have one rifle in your bug out bag, what would that be Jack?

What would it be… is it that large calibre rifle that the often, very knowledgeable preppers like to see in those bugout bags? Is it the biggest, the nastiest full auto machine gun that we can find. Perhaps a Rifle capable of mowing down wave upon wave of brain eating zombies, hordes of the oozing- infectious undead. Fellow citizens suffering with some designer Ebola viruses created in a secret lab, right down the street in Main Street USA. A Psyop gone terrible the nightmare they keep warning us about.

Alternatively, on the other hand is it the best rifle able to perform most jobs well enough when the time comes. Like, feed our families, and maybe drop a zombie or two when presented with one.

Custom multi Calibre/Barreled rifles that are available

Now, aside from the obvious over and under models of custom guns by those talented old time gunsmiths like “Krieghoff, Carl Stiegele, or even Savage Arms, theirs are usually referred to as the “Model 24s”. Most are rare guns mostly made by the high-end designer rifle companies?

We often wonder whether they are a myth, to good to be true. How can a rifle do it all? Maybe they are just another example of an all season tire that doesn’t perform well in any season. These fancy checkered stocked shiny hunting irons are being produced with some very expensive tropical woods and gold plated triggers, but sorry they are are not the topic of this article.

These rifles from the fancy sporting makers have dual barrels that often have a shotgun barrel on top, and small calibre like a .22 underneath it, or some have a large bore rifle on top and a 410 under that. Some even have as many as 4 barrels in total. However, I am doubtful about how long you could stand and aim such a weapon accurately. They are beautiful to look at and great, but lets talk about what we can commonly find on most gun store racks, in our lower price range, CHEAP.

Let us look at a rifle as more of a tool than a defense weapon too.

What do you need ideally?

Well let us see, using my infallible back woods reasoning here, lets try to narrow it down a bit. First, we need to consider the scenario of the collapse. What kind of collapse is it? One collapse might be something different to one person then to another. It may simply be that your local Seven Eleven has run out of wonder bread, and cold beer or perhaps it is a short-term food shortage down at the Quickie-Mart, due to a truckers strike.

Alternatively, maybe it is a Katrina hurricane like aftermath, were the National Guard is called in. On the other hand, some kind of apocalyptic Mad Max home coming, that is unfolding uncontrollably across the entire globe, with insurrection, martial law, armoured vehicles roaming the streets, cholera, or some other nasty epidemic. Future calamities, like these hat present themselves this way will create an entirely different set of challenges to most trying to survive, be it by him or her self, or when trying to hold a frightened family together.

The Short List of Survival

Therefore, I always like to start with my favourite list of necessities for your long-term survival.

THE SHORT LIST:

Water

Food

Shelter

Heat

Safety

(Not necessarily in that particular, order either.)

The Zombie Apocalypse

If you ever to find yourself in one of the aforementioned scenarios, and you are missing any one of the five items from the above list, you will understand what I mean by long-term survival. For instance, you might want to get out and procure said essential item right away, while you still can.

Before the looters take it all. That is to say, do it, get out into whatever calamity you find yourself in, which usually happens under the strife of some social upheaval. They always are manifesting themselves in some violent form or another. Your objective is to then try, and flee town for higher ground and some safety for your family. At least until things blow over.

This can be a dicey maneuver for a lone prepper, and trying to do this little reconnaissance move unarmed, and during the heat of an uprising or total collapse, can be impossible. Perhaps there is looting, or better yet, a riot, or maybe there are predatory gangs of miscreants wandering the streets, hunting humans for sport. Yet, all you really need is to do sneak down to the corner store and procure some milk for the wee one who will not stop driving your wife nuts.

This is how that scene could play out.

Your choice of prepper rifle is… “Well easy then”, the man behind the counter slides the rifle across the glass counter, with a squeal. “The rifle of choice is an AK-47 still smelling of the gun oil it is packed in, or an AR-15 with well-stocked 30 shot banana magazines taped back-to-back, and ready for action. Better, yet,” he then heaves from the rack behind him a monster of a gun a flat black M-60 complete with a 6 foot bandolier chock full of shiny 30 calibre brass cartridges. You can see yourself now in the blazing sun of the aftermath. Can’t you?

You fondle it, “This will work nicely to deter those crack heads and losers down at the quickie- mart, simply by its merit of pure intimidation”.

As soon as they take one look at that babe hanging from your shoulder, they will not be messing with you my friend, trust me.

Now for My Devils Advocate

What if on the way back from the corner store you come upon a covey of quail or fuzzy bunnies, or maybe that big city vermin, the common pigeon. What luck an entire flock has alighted on that statue of that dead president you always-hated, right there in your favourite park.

Then you think to yourself, “darn, I forgot to pick up that can of baked beans and Vienna sausages for the kiddies”.

You don’t, want to make your way back through those zombie hordes surrounding the Quickie-mart, or wade across those cholera-choked drainage ditches, all for a simply can of beans, do yeah?

Then it hits you, “I have a weapon, sure it’s a might bit big for the job, and not for hunting but who cares? Besides, the little woman has been hankering for some squab. She said so just the other day. So why not stop by the park test it out on a bevy of pigeons. Turn the shiny new 30 cal. Monster that you purchased at “Big Bob’s Battle Emporium”, into a fowling gun”, why not?

“Besides, it’s on the way, and those gang bangers and crack heads won’t bother me for sure”, not while you are spraying the park for pigeons, with your new toy.

You think to yourself, “This is a great idea”, and all seems right with the world again; except after you gather the remains of your quarry in one of those plastic bags from the Quickie-Mart. You arrive home, and present the prize to the little woman. She looks at you disappointed, then at the bag of gore and feathers, then back to you. You swell up proudly. Unbeknownst to you, you have just presented her with what you thought was a fine dinner. She waves the dripping plastic bag of mush like a hypnotist waves a gold watch, back and forth in front of your vacant stare. You smile ear-to-ear thinking “what a great provider I am”.

Then you really see it… for the first time.

The bag of bird parts, and your ever-beautiful ever patient honey bun glaring back at you with that look… you know the one… the one she uses when you have disappointed her yet again.

She then points her trembling finger at the barricaded door, and before you even have a chance to pull your combat boots on, she swings the bag at your head containing what should have been some fine dining for you and the missus, but now have cat food in it for Mr. Tickles. How can this be?

Your intentions were right on. It was such fun spraying the ex president’s effigy with a barrage of gunfire, unseen since the battle of Iwo Jima. Never realizing as you collected up the thoroughly masticated pigeon parts, looking as if they went through a Cuisinart, that bag now looks so silly in her hands, you look away.

How did this happen?

You stare back at her confused, you wondering why is life so unfair. Surely, the nice man with the tattoo that read KILLER on his bicep would not have steered you wrong. After all it is a reputable downtown gun store surely he, was telling the truth when he sold it to you. You spent all afternoon reliving his old combat stories from Iraq, and it was all in good fun. He said it was the best weapon for anything you might come across during an apocalypse. Your only decision was whether to get it in flat black or desert storm beige. Eventually settling on the black, after Killer told you how he used it to mow down that Taliban hooch.

Back to Reality

I know this may come as a surprise to some of you preppers out there, and perhaps this way of thinking, does go against every John Wayne moving ever made, but BIGGER AIN”T ALWAYS BETTER when it comes to food gathering…

Affordable Choices

Now lets look at the affordability factor of your rifle of choice. I assume there is a budget in mind, unless you are independently wealthy. When it comes to basic surplus military rifles and there are plenty around nowadays. Even the low-end sporting models of rifles are cheap enough to buy if you are not seeking brand new.

They are in pretty much the same price range with either choice of low-end sporting model or surplus bolt action. A novice prepper can certainly pick up any one of the older 30 calibres like a Lee-Enfield, or a 30-06 US, or even a 30 calibre Garand or some NATO rifle in the 7.62 range. Getting any post WWI or WWII surplus rifles easily, they run under $400 bucks nowadays but check, the rifling to be sure they are not bagged-out. You might want to find some reproductions instead, like brand-new copies as long as the fact that they are not being made in American does not bother you.

They are new, and right out of the box, or maybe something cheaper like a .22 rifle. Perhaps an old used Coey or Martin .22 calibre for under $250 bucks. Therefore, if this fits into your price range we still are on the right track.

Ammunition Availability

Now lets consider ammo, and availability here and the cost of ammunition. The cost of ammo and availability after such an end of the world collapse will most likely begin to rise soon after it happens, due to supply and demand. Some of the most popular calibres out there from North America are according to Sales in 2014 by Federal Ammunitions are as follows:

In order of popularity;

1. .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO
2. .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO
3. .30-’06 Springfield
4. .30-30 Winchester
5. .270 Winchester
6. .243 Winchester
7. .300 Winchester Magnum
8. 7mm Remington Magnum
9. 7.62×39
10. .300 Winchester Short Magnum
11. .22-250 Remington

(I cannot help noticing that they do not list 22 Long Rifle here at all.)

Reloading your own Ammunition

Now, a true gun enthusiast, one that reloads his or her own ammunition might not care about availability after a collapse. Reloading can save plenty of dough if you shoot plenty of targets. Though I am sure if you are an avid shooter, you have probably stopped reading this article several paragraphs ago, with the pigeon story, and so be it. However, I bet this rant will still give even an avid gun enthusiast something to consider when choosing another rifle for their bugout bag.

Either way, if you are still are reading, then great, nice to still have you here. I must assume that if you are that novice, and you do not have a thousand dollars worth of reloading equipment in your bugout bag, and you do not make your own gunpowder, and food is still a major consideration for your rifle of choice. Then we have a different situation here, and not the same as the old time veteran survivalist, or well-heeled prepper finds himself or herself in.

For instance, the equipment alone for reloading your own ammo, can run you minimally, as much, if not more then the rifle that you just purchased. So, do not forget for a minute that the “reloader-guy” the prepper with everything might be better off, as he needs some of those tiny little projectiles we call bullets and a lot of new primers as well as a pound or two of smokeless powder to reload that ammo he or she makes for their sheer enjoyment.

Unless, you are SO SKILLED, you can make your own modern smokeless gunpowder, and cast your own bullets from old car batteries or the chimney lead off the neighbour’s house. So, if you can’t, and I recommend you do NOT try this yourself by the way, without some guidance. If you do not know how to make gunpowder already, and you still want to learn, then watch some one else first, because at best, it will not light and at worst, it will light when you do not want it to, and there goes the damage deposit.

Tried and True Black Powder

Perhaps soon I will write an article about homemade black powder for the future for you guys, but not now.

Black powder is one thing, and a black powder rifles are certainly a fine consideration as an alternative weapon for when things get scarce. Like ammunition, and factory made bullets. A smooth bore black powder gun with a flintlock can be used any old day, with just a lead ball or shot, even just about anything that fits inside it in a pinch will do. However, either way, black powder is relatively easy to make at home, unlike smokeless powder.  So read, read , read before trying it.

My Experience

Yet, this is not the original question is it? The original question was what is the best prepper RIFLE.

In short, and in my humble opinion since I am the one writing this article, is this. What is the best calibre for all around use?

Here is my honest opinion, be it as it may…

First, what makes me an expert on this you ask? Well nothing really, I guess. I have not lived through an apocalypse or even killed any zombie hordes, or even lived through an economic collapse, great enough to cause a long-term food shortage. Nevertheless, I have lived in some very rural areas of wilderness; where it was necessary to hunt or gather food for a living.

Taking from the wild surroundings, and preparing it each fall for the winter, usually just before freeze up. I have also, made black powder at home, and reload my own match grade ammunition for my rifles. I own half a dozen rifles and several shotguns, as well as many handguns too. I have been a hunter and a trapper all my life, and have lived well off the land, at least for my meager 53 years. So the answer finally, what is my favourite calibre of rifle you ask…. Drum roll please…

My Choice

The .22 Long Rifles, TA-Daaaa…

I can almost hear the crickets and groans of disappointment from the readers, but here’s why I chose this often over looked rifle:

To begin with, it is reasonably priced. Most .22s can be picked up used for less then $200.00 bucks. Certainly, that is within our budget. The ammo is readily available anywhere in the world. You will find it from the far north all the way to the tips of the Dark Continents. It is certainly the cheapest and no less available then any other ammo, due to the recent shortages in North America. I will not get into that right now. DHS might be hogging it I guess.

Next, it is the least expensive per round to buy of any kind, and averages about  .05 cents a cartridge, if you buy bulk. That means you can buy as many of the tiny little buggers as you can afford, and no reloading required. This calibre is very versatile, and works across a wide range of practical hunting applications. Birds, small game, varmints, and yes in a pinch even larger non-lethal game animals such as small deer and feral pigs. You might even be able to afford one that takes .22 magnum and .22 long rifle cartridges. (MY WAIVER IS: Although using small calibre on large game is immoral and illegal in most any country. And I would only endorse it in a dire situation of a family starving.)

Nevertheless, all of these aforementioned tasty critters are potential food for the prepper’s pot. Lets face it, if we look back to the original list of five basic human needs. Food is definitely way up there for any prepper. The .22 rifles can still be used for a self-defense too. No, it will not cut a zombie in half with one shot, but it is small enough to be used by everyone in your family. That means Mom as well as the kids are not going to be afraid to pull the trigger when the time comes. Another bonus is its power; it is certainly enough to easily drop a pigeon or two at the park, pecking around those dirty hypodermic syringes in the grass.

Well, let us see does the mighty, .22 rifle also has a fair shooting range for its tiny size, but yes it does, and it still packs a punch too. Its able to kill small game out to 200 yards on a good day. Unfortunately, the arch of this tiny calibre resembles more of a rainbow then a straight line, at that distance. However, anyone who has shot gophers on the back forty, or squirrels out of some tall trees will attest to being able to do it with ease.

The newer .17 HMR arguments

I am not going to debate the .17 HMR caliber’s velocity with anyone here or argue stats with those who own these rifles. They are not common enough in most areas and therefore I have ruled them out, and will not being considered them here for that reason. Therefore, the champion and still my choice for best rifle for a prepper in my honest opinion one that you can and should be able to use to feed the family everyday, the .22 long rifle. Because, lets face it that is the number one consideration in any prepping situation, feed the spouse and kiddies.

My Opinion about defense

Therefore, in my now frequently over stated and forever contradictory humble opinion, I will say this one and salient fact. Unless you are a trained warrior and hanging around with a platoon of other trained warriors, you are probably NOT going to be fending off an onslaught of brain eating zombies by yourself. Just you and the missus in some twisted version of the Last stand at the Alamo you firing away and the kids and Mom reloading your M-60 while you swap it out for the AK-47 you got thrown in at “Big Bob’s Battle Emporium”, I don’t think so.

However, WHAT you most likely ARE GOING to be doing, is trying to survive by being stealthy, using those evasion apache ambush tactics from that Calvary survival book of 1865. (Or like us lay persons, you will be using the reliable running away tactic, with you and your kid’s arms pin wheeling as Mom tries to keep up.)

Whatever way you shake it, the zombie hordes are not getting you, and your family. They duck into a drive through car wash, and the kids shake them using those revolving doors at derelict shopping mall. Then, you and your love ones quietly bugger off to somewhere safer, and with less hostile horizons about you. Go now, get out, ride off into that sunset, well past the blazing apocalyptic burning city skyline, and get the hell out of dodge people.

Although most likely you will still find that there are not tasty cakes hanging from the branches of trees out there, and the term out in the woods means just that out in the woods. The inevitable fact is this, these .22 rifles are relatively light, they’re cheap, they shoot well, and they are easier to run with when zombies are chasing you, and just fine for shooting grey squirrels, or red, or what ever you prefer; from out of that pine tree at 50 yards.

What more could a prepper possibly want, and when you get to the woods, in any event, you and your .22 rifles, are going to be the best of friends. Because it is the best tool for the job, even the tiniest creatures, DO taste far better then nothing at all.

What do we have so far fellow preppers?

How about another list of the Pros and Cons of a .22 rifle. Just before I conclude this:

My Conclusion

I know I have not convinced everyone with my back woods logic. Nevertheless, I hope that I raised some valid points here, and entertain a few of you a little bit any way. I’m an avid outdoorsman, I honestly hunt for my own food, and eat what I kill, I always feel munch better prepared to bag some game in the short term with 500 hundred rounds of .22 in my survival bag, and a decent .22 rifle, then having a box of twenty or so 308 rounds and a deer rifle only.

Your chances of finding a meal that very day is far better with a rim fire then seeing a big game animal the first day out. Besides a .22 shot from a tree stand, only twenty feet above the game (Especially a magnum), and right at the old brain pan, is going to kill any small deer or pig, even if unethical or illegal. I contest, those who disagree that with a starving family at home, this gives you that right.

I could be wrong… probably am.

I was never very good at following rules; when my family is hungry, I hunt:

Happy hunting,

The Practical prepper Jack Woods