Gun and ammo question

[Soundguy]

Buy a 5.56 for things going south. Buy the 22lr for varmint. AR 556 around $500 10/22 around $200 You can get a Mossberg® 702 Plinkster 22LR for $160 Savage® Arms AXIS 223 on sale for $229 (non 5.56 ) both for under $400

you can get del-ton AR in the sub 400$ range!

 

[k0ua]

I have fired plenty of 22LR in AR15 and M16 lowers, but in my mind it is hard to beat a good Ruger 10-22 as a stand along gun. Have your AR just set up for 5.56 and a good Ruger 10-22 also, No you have two good rifles. Yes, I know this is not what you asked for, but it is the way I roll. Ruger 10-22's are as common as dirt, and are one of the most modified/customized rifles on the face of the planet. They are so good that everyone uses them as the platform to build custom rifles on. And they are a wonderful rifle just out of the box. Their 10 round rotary magazine is a wonderful compact jam free device, or if you like there are plenty of 30 or more round mags that will go in it also. I have several of the Eagle 30 round mags and they work very well, or Butler Creek is another great brand. I would stay away from Ram Line. With a good AR15 and a 10-22 and a 12 gauge shotgun, you are ready for about anything except longer range big game hunting. And a good 30-06 will take care of most of that . See you need several firearms.... don't forget your pistols too.

 

[MossRoad]

Why not get an AR15 5.6mm/223 for everything? Put an inexpensive red dot sight on it - the ammo isn't all that expensive. You could later buy a 6.5mm Grendel upper and transform it into a dandy deer rifle.

Not in Indiana.... gotta be .XXXXXX224 (or 6mm) or larger.
DNR: Deer Hunting Questions & Answers

EDIT, should be .243, not .224

 

[Gary Fowler]

You can fire 22 lr, 223 and 5.56 all in the same gun safely, I do it all the time.

Buy a Rock River Arms coyote model that has the Wylde chamber works great for both .223 and 5.56 and buy a 22 LR conversion bolt and magazines like this. Great way to practice.

View attachment 530765

For the cost of that bolt conversion, he can buy a nice Ruger 10/22 and have a second gun without need to do the alteration for changing bullets. I would much rather just have a .22 rifle than a modified AR15. You never know which caliber you might need and it is much easier just to pick up the right gun when needed.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would offer couple ideas. One, if you had only One gun, it would be 12 ga pump, they can load anything from birdshot to slugs and are one of the most affordable guns to buy and shoot. 20 gauge is roughly the same price but it's much more difficult to find good Buckshot and slugs in a 20 gauge but if you don't like the recoil they are nice. A bolt-action 223 Wylde or 556 can be had right now for under $200 with holiday discounts and can kill anything from squirrels to Dear with proper ammo. If you're strictly talking about varmints and then two-legged varmints, not interested in hunting mid-sized deer type game there's nothing wrong with a 223 with the proper ammo and the raccoon won't know the difference between whether he was hit with a 22LR or a 556 he'll just be dead. But if you're interested in hunting midsize to large game there's better options for cheaper or as cheap than the .223. Under $500 you could easily have a nice bolt action hunting rifle and a 22LR varmint type gun.

Another serious option that you may want to consider is a Hi-Point 995 Carbine I know everyone laughs at Hi Point, but the carbines are nice and in 9mm will do everything but actual legitimate hunting hunting. It is an extremely cheap to shoot cheap to buy gun and with even moderately decent ammo very effective at home defense. And the raccoons and possums won't last long against even the cheapest 115 grain FMJ

I agree, I traded a Keltec P9 for a Hi-Point 995. I put on a cheap scope and it is deadly at 75-100 yards. I was surprised by the "kick" from the 9mm in the carbine. It sure puts some zip in a 9mm compared to shooting it in a pistol. The downside is the clip only holds 10 rounds and it only comes with one. I think Hi-Point is now accepting the Red Ball 30 round clip without voiding the lifetime warranty though.

 

[bcp]

My experience with interchangeable barrel guns is that the one you want to use is usually not the one installed. That could be bad in an emergency.

Bruce

 

[TheMan419]

So as the OP my thought process is I can get SWMBO to approve a 22lr for small varmit killing.

For 2 leg varmits I have a 9MM in the nightstand. That will take care of the someone coming into the house to rob the place scenario. For reasons not germane to the debate I find that superior to a shot gun.

The desire for the long gun in .223 or 5.56 NATO is if the stuff hits the fan. That will be, in my mind, a far superior weapon than a shot gun. The 30 rd mag and range will make it so in my mind. I also won't care what Indiana law says if I need to take a deer to feed my family at that point. Any scenario where I am hunting for survival food means things are really bad. 223/5.56 NATO ammo is plentiful and relatively cheap (certainly not as cheap as 22LR).

So my justification to SWMBO would have been that I could use the 22LR to dispose of varmits of the 4 leg variety, but still get something to edge toward protecting the family if it hits the fan.

The interchangeable parts to use 22LR do not make sense to me if I can get a good 22LR rifle for the same cost. Having 2 rifles is better. While 22lr is not a good man stopping round if it hits the fan me with the 5.56 and the wife with the 22lr is superior to me with the 5.56 and wife with nothing.

So now I have to figure out how to justify BOTH purchases Then start to accumulate ammo and some extra magazines.

Everyone thinks that the North Korea mess is what is going to bubble over. I think it is the moving of the US Embassy to Jerusalem that will cause a tipping point. Note I am not trying to start a political discussion, just advising of why I am thinking more about this recently.

It goes back to the recent thread of if you could only have two guns....

 

[/pine]

IMO...It should at least be noted that although they are adequate, centerfire calibers of .22x... do not make ideal deer, hog etc. rounds....sure they are deadly with well placed shots but not everyone is an experienced hunter (or marksman) and there is a big difference between taking aim at a paper target and a live hoofed beast...especially for someone that has never hunted...

In many parts of the country almost all the deer harvested are taken within effective shotgun range regardless of the firearm used...a pattern of .30 cal.+ lead balls is far more effective over a small cal. single projectile that one small twig will send well off the intended trajectory...
Just Sayin...

 

[MossRoad]

Get a Ruger 10/22 with some high capacity magazines. I have had one for well over 25 years and its a great gun. The bolt release is a little strange, but once you see how it operates, its just a rocking motion. Other than that, that's the only quirk about that gun. It's rock solid. Dependable. Highly customizable if you choose to go that route. And can be had for about $219 on a daily basis, and cheaper on sale frequently. 25 round magazines are easily obtained for about $29 on a regular basis as well. I have an old 50 round magazine, and man, that would be a lot of squirrels! :laughing: The only thing that has killed is many bags of pop cans.

If it comes down to our social situation being so bad that we can't get to any stores to purchase food safely, or the supply chain has been hosed, and you running out of food and having to poach a deer, my guess is within a year, there will be no more deer in our area, as so many rural folks will have the same idea. You'd be better off stockpiling rice and beans, canned goods, water source, etc... Shooting only attracts attention. And I'd hazard a guess that once the food runs out in town, guess who's going to start roaming the countryside looking for food and plunder?

So for protection, get an AR15 to go with your 9mm.

Personally, I'd ditch the 9mm for a shotgun, but you've already said that isn't an option.

 

[Soundguy]

Not in Indiana.... gotta be .224 (or 6mm) or larger.
DNR: Deer Hunting Questions & Answers

I think you mean .243 / 6mm