Definitely agree with the 12ga and .22LR.

.223 is fun to shoot but there are a lot of areas that won't allow it for whitetail hunting, so I wouldn't call it a game round for North America.

.30-06, 30-30 and .308 seem to come down to personal preference. I find them equally available, but since I don't hunt any more or do long-range target shooting I haven't bothered to buy a rifle of this size.

Handgun ammo is more divided. I shoot .40 S&W because I like the combination of speed and whack, but I've considered a .357 magnum revolver paired with a lever action rifle in the same caliber. Simple, Luddite, non-tactical technology that would also shoot cheap-and-easy-to-find .38 Special. You can take deer with .357, too, although not at great ranges.

If I was buying solely for survival purposes, it would be:
Ruger 10/22 .22LR semi-auto rifle
Mossberg 500 12ga shotgun
Smith & Wesson 686+ .38/.357 revolver
Marlin 1894C .38/.357 rifle









Edited by jaywalke (05/07/08 04:36 PM)