Best weapons for my specific SHTF defense

[SemperFiUSMC]

What is your best weapon? Camoflauge.

Forget about hunting. Everyone else is thinking the same thing. If SHTF the land will be hunted out in months if not weeks. No more meat.

Plant your garden in a remote location, preferably surrounded by a stand of trees on all sides. If possible locate a hand pump to get water nearby. The better concealed your garden and water source are the less likely someone that can shoot 300 yards will kill you for it.

This is not an agist statement. You're 60+. While you may be in good physical condition for being 60+, you're in horrible shape for someone in their 20s or 30s. Physical reality. You need to be smarter than the 20 or 30 year old that would do you harm. That is easy. Reduce your known presence to nothing. Hiding is much better than engaging in a fight you won't win.

Think force multipliers. You want to set up entrapments and other devices that will make it undesirable to seek out your location.

If you really feel compelled to get a weapon, consider a suppressed 22 bolt gun. Quiet. Accurate. With practice you can hit mansize targets to 200+ yards (Gamez235 hits steel at 235 yards shooting offhand with his suppressed CZ).

If I was a pirate I would welcome the sound of gunfire. It tells me where I would need to concentrate my efforts.

 

[philagothon]

Handguns will be the backbone of any realistic scenario. Every person able to handle a gun needs to have one. Even if Hi-Points are all you can afford, anyone who cannot defend themselves is a target. From 50-100 yards a Hi-Point looks like any other handgun and seeing a farm where every person is armed is a pretty strong deterrent to riffraff. Find an affordable & reliable weapon platform that works for you.

The Marlin 795 is ~$135 and a $25 mail-in rebate make it ~$100 cheaper than a 10/22. It is a very accurate, very reliable semi-auto 22. Buy one for everyone that is old enough & capable of holding a rifle.

Buy a Mosin for every able bodied man. They are not for the faint of heart, but have the ability to take any game in America. They also have the ability of changing cover to concealment. Buy ammo in bulk and it will already come in sealed cans, keeping the ammo fresh until the day you need it.

Del-ton AR-15 rifle kits are only $465 for a basic kit. It comes with a pre-assembled and test fired upper, as well as everything else you need other than a lower. The lower will run you another $60-100. Almost anyone can assemble the lower. If you don't feel confident enough to do it, someone near you can help.

Prioritize these as you see fit. Keep in mind that there are many important factors in surviving any scenario and weapons are only a small portion of it. First-aid, food storage, butchering, water purification, waste management, diplomacy, and bartering are also important as are hundreds of other skills

 

[warhawk77]

I have a similar situation.

I have a 995 and 9mm pistol I bought the 995 because it would share ammo and ammo for it would be common if the SHTF. My 995 will do fine at 100yards and I bet I could still hit a chest at 150 yards, but I think most shoots will be less that 100 yards.

I have 22 for my kids (both young) and my wife wants one also. It will work for small or med game easy and I would be willing to go for deer if I run out of other ammo. For me I am thinking a SKS or AK to go out to 200 yards but a mosin 91/30 does sound nice.

I suggest this list.
Hi point 995
Pistol 9mm
1500-2000 rounds 9mm
22 bolt action ($150-200 easy)
2500+ rounds ($100 for 2500 rounds)
SKS rifle (could do mosin 91/30 to save money)
1000+ rounds

After you have the firearms stock up on ammo. I am picking up 2 boxes every time I shoot. One to shoot and one to store up.

I also suggest taking your guns out and shooting at least once a week. And take time stripping them down to clean. Better to know how it all works now then wait and maybe have trouble. Practice at 25-50-100 yards anything longer is going to be rare. If you have people coming to take stuff they won't stand at 300 yards and tell you, the fight will be closer

If SHTF holds off long enough pick up a shoot gun I like 12ga because lots of people have them and ammo is common.

 

[Zoub]

Hiding is much better than engaging in a fight you won't win.

There is nothing macho about E&E. Sure, it works but come on, where is the fun in it?

Except I agree with Semper. For me, two handguns and a pair of binoculars are the baseline. I would give up something else before I gave up optics to watch others with. A monocular can even be stuffed in some mag holders.

It is hard to read a map, climb a hill, garden, chainsaw or work on the roof carrying a long gun.

I assume everyone here keeps at least one pair of binoculars in their drivers side door? You really should. One day at lunch go park your car or truck, eat a cheeseburger and glass the area around you. It is good practice and it freaks city folk out when they see you doing it.

I also like to watch birds so a lot of times I am doing exactly that.

 

[PlasticPistol17]

+1 On SemperFiUSMC, he's spot on. Think passive defense first, then move on to active defense. Do all you can to eliminate the temptation from even entering their minds. I'd also add a possible Johnny Appleseed aproach to gorilla gardening and just go toss seeds all over the place as well, and let nature do the rest (helps with the black thumbs of us).

 

[Sailor]

I'd also add a possible Johnny Appleseed aproach to gorilla gardening and just go toss seeds all over the place as well, and let nature do the rest (helps with the black thumbs of us).

Try this before you have to rely on it. WETSU tried this last year with zero results I believe.

 

[PlasticPistol17]

Ya, you're probably right Sailor.

 

[DaveL]

Thank You Everyone --- This has been a great thread and I really appreciate all the information and the debate over various options. I have learned tons and have enjoyed the time I've spent comparing the different thoughts to what I want (and am able) to accomplish.

UPDATE: --- Actions taken 1). Trading non-gun stuff for a CZ512, 2). signed wife and I both up for the NRA Basic Pistol Class, 3). Signed myself up (wife can't make the date) for Appleseed event. She and I will attend the next Appleseed she is available for. I look forward to more training and feel that through that route and getting together with other INGO members at ranges, I'll just "find" the next purchase(s).

I'm thinking that is all we'll get done before year-end. Need to buy more mags for each gun and two slings ...

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I think you'll really like the appleseed program. If you have any questions or need anything let me know. It did wonders for my rifle marksmanship.

 

[GoDawgs]

Great thread, lots of good input. I'm a pretty new gun owner and while my #1 goal is not SHTF prepping, people made some great comments about the utility of various firearms. Looks like I need to look into a 10/22 since I already have a handgun and pump shotgun.