Firearms Question for extended bush time

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by BushcraftKilburn, Dec 20, 2018.

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In your opinion, which seems like a good Bushgun option?

  1. Winchester 94 .30-30

    6 vote(s)
    22.2%
  2. Savage 10 Scout .308

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Savage 111 .30-06

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  4. SKS 7.62x39

    1 vote(s)
    3.7%
  5. Mossberg 500 12 gauge

    4 vote(s)
    14.8%
  6. Ruger 10/22

    3 vote(s)
    11.1%
  7. AR 5.56/.223 with potential .22lr adapter

    4 vote(s)
    14.8%
  8. Other (please comment and share!)

    9 vote(s)
    33.3%
  1. ManOfSteel

    ManOfSteel Member

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    Yes. But then the wife kills me when I keep buying more and more. I don’t have much use for the 45-70 that the .44mag wouldn’t take care of

    I just want the same exact gun I have but in a .44mag
     
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  2. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    A .44 mag pistol/lever or a .357 mag pistol/lever combo will always be a pretty solid way to go. Effective for hunting and SD, and cross platform compatible. I agree about long distance - if a threat is 300 yards or more away from me, I'm simply going in the other direction, or making them close the distance.

    I could also imagine just grabbing my most reliable 9mm pistol and my Ruger 30.06 and feeling pretty well covered with that choice as well. The former for close-range SD and easy to find ammo, and the latter will take just about anything in N. America at a reasonable range. But hopefully I'm not on foot and then I'd probably also have an AR, a shotgun and another pistol in the truck....:D

    I don't have anything else to add, except that the phrase, "extended bush time" will always make my inner 14 year-old snicker.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2018
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  3. Rick R

    Rick R Member

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    I imagine being “shelled” by someone 300-400 yards away with a .44 Mag would be incentive to go the other way. :D
    We had a druggie shooting in our general direction with a .45acp one day and it wasn’t a lot of fun.
     
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  4. McKROB

    McKROB Member

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    If I could only pick one, it would definitely be a 12Ga. I work in the woods, frequently around bears, and either carry a Mossberg 500, 590 or older Winchester Defender, all have 18.5" barrels. The 590 and Defender have after-market Uncle Mike's steel side-folding stocks which makes them much more compact and easy to carry (and still legal/non-restricted in Canada). Some of the new Defenders have interchangeable chokes (like the SXP Dark Earth), which gives you a lot more ammo options in a survival situation.

    I used a new SXP Dark Earth Defender last year while working in NWT, primarily for bears, and loved it. Even with the cylinder bore choke I had no problem taking grouse at short range (we shot 36 of them while there). I can't imagine a more multipurpose firearm than this.

    The only other I'd consider might be something like a Savage 24 over/under in 12Ga/.223? The Ruger Gunsite Scout is quite versatile as well.
     
  5. ManOfSteel

    ManOfSteel Member

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    That’s why you need a baseball bat at all times. You can hit a home run with that basketball trajectory it has.
     
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  6. evilunclegrimace

    evilunclegrimace Member

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    Sorry but I have to disagree with this statement. A .22 caliber round that is properly placed will do all of the above with a very high probably of success except for the bear and it has been used in that capacity a few times. Black bears have killed 67 people in North America since 1900. You have a better chance of being killed by Bees, Dogs or being struck by lighting, you have a 60,000 times greater chance of being murdered than you do of being attacked by a Black bear. I understand that Brown/Grizzly bears are a different story but in most cases a firearm is of little use against a determined bear attack.

    Using a firearm in a bush type scenario most folks will be trying to make a humane kill if they are gathering food and the majority of shots taken are well under 100 yards. Shooting at something/one at extended range is just calling attention to you self needlessly. If they are that far away let them pass by and change your location to match your need. If you need food move closer, if it is a threat move father away.

    This just my opinion , any time that I am in the woods armed with "only" a .22 I never feel under gunned
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2018
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  7. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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  8. CWB

    CWB Member

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    pick one

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. BushcraftKilburn

    BushcraftKilburn Member

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    Uhhh, of those? The top one with the quadrail but I'd be grabbing the Leopold sight too.

    If it was one of a rifle and one of a pistol I'd also be grabbing that snub nose
     
  10. Nowhere

    Nowhere Member

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    If I could have only a single gun for an extended stay in the woods, it would likely be a shotgun. Probably a 12 gauge, although I'd rather have almost anything other than a Mossberg. I'm pretty sure I own at least five shotguns, and of the lot I would take a Remington 870 with a synthetic stock. I love my Beretta A400 for a lot of things, but for survival purposes the Remy would be my go to.

    You can use the appropriate load in a shotgun, for the appropriate game. A 12Ga slug up close is suitable for bear defense and taking deer for food, and lighter shot is good for smaller game. I'd probably consider my Savage 24F, which has a 20Ga shotgun barrel on the bottom and a .22WMR barrel on top. Good for all sorts of thing.
     
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  11. KMCMICHAEL

    KMCMICHAEL Member

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    Why would you pick the pump over the Auto?
     
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  12. mtngoat

    mtngoat Member

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    Around where I live, if you take predators out of the equation then a 22lr will keep you feed indefinitely, the ammo is also easier to carry, I think 500 rounds fits in a canteen.

    If you want something with more power and if you like handguns how about try what the cowboys used to do and have a pistol and rifle (lever gun) chambered in the same round. I know several guys who run the Iditarod carry a 357 pistol and 357 rifle.

    Again this will come down to personal preference in the end, it doesn’t matter what we say if you are not comfortable with the choice you won’t carry it.
     
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  13. rileybassman

    rileybassman Member

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    To me kinda depends on where you live... I live in NW Montana... and we have lots of predators... particularly grizz... so have to view this through the protection lens.

    If I could only take 1 firearm... 12GA no question... grouse to grizz is covered with some good hunting skills and a variety of ammo.

    I would prefer to take 2 or 3 - in which case it would be most likely a .22 and a 30-06 with a 12 ga for good measure.
     
  14. Nowhere

    Nowhere Member

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    The pump doesn't care what loads you are shooting. The latest and greatest autos (like the A400) supposedly handle wide variations in pressures, but I know I can pump whatever cartridge the 870 can chamber.
     
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  15. McKROB

    McKROB Member

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    Don’t forget bear deterent rounds or even flares, I don’t think they would ever cycle through an auto. No problem at all though with the pump.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2019
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  16. ManOfSteel

    ManOfSteel Member

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    FWIW I shot thousands of rounds of low brass bs ammo out of my Maxus and I’ve never ever had a single malfunction.
     
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  17. Rick R

    Rick R Member

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  18. KMCMICHAEL

    KMCMICHAEL Member

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    I also own the Beretta A-400. I have not shot it that much but do have some light loads that will not function. Low brass is a somewhat ambiguous term. I doubt anything under an oz. and less than 100 fps would function.

    I do have a ton of experience with an 870, carrying, qualifying, teaching and giving demonstrations. It is very easy for many to shortstroke. I do understand the light power loads Less than lethal etc. but would one ever come in contact with such loads in the aforementioned scenario?
     
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  19. Nowhere

    Nowhere Member

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    Yep, I've accidentally short-cycled a pump, for sure. In fact I did it today with my Benelli Nova, at the range. A lesson that definitely bears learning.
     
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  20. KMCMICHAEL

    KMCMICHAEL Member

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    Everyone short strokes them. If I were emporer, all law enforcement would go to auto shotguns. The non lethal considerations are invalid.
     
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