JWR:
When I took the Appleseed training program almost everyone there was using either Ruger 10-.22 or Marlin Model 795
Academy Sporting Goods is running a Black Friday special on the Marlin Model 795 this Friday and Saturday only for $89. That is about $40 off the regular price — a great deal for the money. – Bryan E.
Good Day, Mister Rawles:
In regards to the letter advocating bird shot rather than buck shot I humbly offer the following. Of all factors that come to play in choosing ammo for your bug-out, my opinion is that the cost of the ammo should rank close to the bottom of said list. Your cheap and plentiful ammo supplies should be at your retreat but no expense should be spared in ensuring you have the best gear to get you there.
Buckshot has a chance of stopping someone on meth. Bird shot? Less so. The archives of many a law enforcement agency will back that statement up. If you’re banking on a head shot with the birdshot shells then best of luck to you.
The compromise is that you carry both but you only chamber the bird shot cartridge as the moment requires, or if you’re paranoid that your avian appetizer will get away while you’re chick-chacking the right ammo into place then keep a round of bird shot in the chamber and the rest of the tube full of something more substantial. Then, if some random crack-head tries his luck you can gather some definitive results in the field for yourself rather than finding out the hard way that you might have been wrong.
Seems prudent to me. Kind regards, as always. – The Apple Islander
James Wesley:
After reading many of the articles about buying a gun on a minimum budget I have to agree with everyone who said to buy the Ruger 10/22. It is a very good QUALITY gun. I personally love shooting mine. When at my local gun store and range I had the choice of picking up a very nice Ruger 10/22 with four magazines for $180 or picking up a random off brand .22 for $60.00. I think when it comes to this kind of purchase you really get what you paid for. I personally got a really nice Ruger at a great price and not an off brand piece of junk. The other reason I bought the Ruger was because it is easily customizable, the parts are common, and the ammo is DIRT CHEAP!
Personally when thinking about a hand gun for a minimal budget; I think you really have to reverse engineer the question. I think you have to think about ammo first. The ammo is a residual charge compared to a gun which you only purchase once. Personally you want to buy something in a common cheap round. The reason why I say this is because shot placement is the most important, and to get better at shot placement you have to practice. When you practice you send lead down range and when you are dealing with expensive rounds it empties your pockets very fast. I personally like my .40 S&W it has some stopping power and when bought in bulk it is pretty cost affective round. When talking about a very cost affective round I would consider the 9mm or the .38. They are both very common and cost affective. WTSHTF they will be the easiest to find because of how common they are. I know neither of these rounds have as much stopping power as others but once again I think the most important thing when shooting is shot placement.
Personally I am thinking about investing in a .357 because it has such a wide range of ammo it can shoot at different power levels.
Also check out TargetSportsUSA.com Great deals on ammo when bought in 1,000 round boxes and they do free shipping when purchasing in 1,000 round quantities.
Best Regards, AZAM in Pennsylvania