ONE AIR RIFLE IF STUFF HITS THE FAN

[DirtyDovi]

If S.H.T.F. the 1st thing I'd want is either a rain-suit or umbrella.

If limited to only One Air Rifle [going with the actual title / question]

I would have to say, I'd go with either a multi-shot PCP w/ built in pump:
[like the FX Indy or the Nova Freedom - and in .22 cal] Or a springer.

Never running out of air would be a huge plus, Built-in pump PCPs make the most sense,
so those options would be just as nice if not better than going with a springer, and, 
they'd offer more than just a single shot.. a Huge factor if we're talking zombies too.

Caliber wise - I figure .22 because they're pretty efficient as far as size/weight, 
their ability to cut through side-winds better than .20 and .17 cal, and, 
they're still easily found / readily available at any sporting goods store or WallyWorld..

Just make sure that if you go to WallyWorld for your ammo, 
to do it before they convert it/them into FEMA camps.  

Sam -

 

[GLPalinkas]

Without a doubt it would be my sheridan blue streak.

Lots of good answers and discussion but this one is my take on SHTF. 

My Silver Streak hits hard and I have 5,000 JSB's waiting for the day. (I have PCP's also but if mobile, they need a lot of support. Sheltering in place, PCP for sure)
For larger game, I'll take the chance of noise and use my defensive weapon to bring home a deer with my Sig M4 5.56

30 years major city law enforcement taught me that things really will NOT go smooth. People coming together to form a group/village would be great but that's a ways down the line and only the long-term survivors will be around to make it happen.

Gary
Venice, FL

 

[rigbymauser]

My choice is sealed...



https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/theoben-classic-from-1991-25cal/

 

[LDP]

Without a doubt it would be my sheridan blue streak.

Lots of good answers and discussion but this one is my take on SHTF. 

My Silver Streak hits hard and I have 5,000 JSB's waiting for the day. (I have PCP's also but if mobile, they need a lot of support. Sheltering in place, PCP for sure)
For larger game, I'll take the chance of noise and use my defensive weapon to bring home a deer with my Sig M4 5.56

30 years major city law enforcement taught me that things really will NOT go smooth. People coming together to form a group/village would be great but that's a ways down the line and only the long-term survivors will be around to make it happen.

Gary
Venice, FL

Well said. Pcp would be viable under certain circumstances but its not as likely to go that way. Your comment about how the situation will be is another good point backed up with experience. If it is a long term situation the people living in nice quiet areas will be effected by the ugly side of things. How many prisons are near your quiet neighborhoods? We have allot of prisons and some are close to your quiet towns. Imagine all those inmates getting out. Then you have all the people in the larger populated areas. When theres nothing left in cities where do you think the people will go? Living in quiet suburbia will not keep you safe. Of course we have no idea if we will ever see things turn that bad. I say think about every possible situation and try to be ready just in case. Theres no way to say whos plan is right or wrong, at least have a plan cause it can be changed to fit the situation. 

 

[Cheplicki]

I would use hatsan flash .25 if I have a hand pump or hatsan brake barrel .30 cal .. u could drop a deer with either gun with a head shot 

 

[Bigragu]

Agree with the other replies on a powder burner for main protection, but an air rifle of some sort for obtaining of hunt foods, along with saving the real ammo. A shotgun with a supply of slug shots, buck shot and bird shot is good. A black rifle of some type for its semi auto close range functions, and a good old 30-‘06 for the long range stuff. 

For air rifle yes I would like to say pcp, but leaning more towards a gas ram like a beeman RX/HW90. Have spare rams on hand, and the necessary tools to do maintenance on these, along with tools to service the powder burners. 

Take up trapping of all sorts as a skill set now, before the day comes, and come up with ways to protect the property. 

Quick story to share, and for you dads with 10-13 years olds try this experiment: sit with your kids over the movie I AM LEGEND. A week or so after the show, bring that movie up and ask your kids what mistakes did Will Smith make, that led to his demise. Put it in their head, if that were to really happen, meaning a time when all that would start, what corrective measures should be done to avoid Will Smith’s pitfalls? You’ll be surprised what a couple of kids would come up with in their wonderful imaginations. 

We included a couple of my sons classmates in this little “game” and one of the points brought up were the delegation of tasks. One person in charge of explosives, another for vehicle maintenance, another for weapons and ammo, and finally, one to do the cooking. Ideas like getting up early every morning, and hitting the local bass pro or big 5 first to gather up ammo came up, then hitting the groceries for all the canned goods.

Being an HVAC guy myself, I had to add to their list that a good handy man is needed, as he can turn a small shed into an icebox for the hanging of meats.

This little game lasted two years, by the way, and the ideas that came from these kids were unbelievable, and yet truly achievable. Like one kid spoke out and said the roof needed to be lined with plate steel, which was a fault in Will Smith’s castle. He got an A for the day, lol.

 

[Saltlake58]

One air rifle that could do many jobs nicely - Girandoni. 

.48 caliber, round ball, you'll need the pump kit, and mold. Sit around the camp fire, mold lead balls, pump the three butt stocks (are reservoirs) and you are good for 75 shots. Leather seals so you can cut new as you need them. Fast loading, 20 + round magazine fed. Highly accurate.

 

 

[AG72]

A low powered hw30 or Hw50 for small birds, mice and rats, cause you don't need a clamp or similar to change the spring or seal, but then on the other hand, if shtf you probably would not be able to get spare parts cause everything would be either burndt down or looted to the last lightbulb... So a hatsan 135 with a heavy wooden stock that you can slam in the face of whatever attack you will be my gun, and as long as you have pellets, you can kill deers or pigs with it 

 

[Raden1942]

Seriously though if you needed a rifle to feed your family and protect them from grizzly bears or even to kill a moose with proper shot placement you can always go with an XP 20mm or 12 guage. Cool thing about his rifles are that they share common rounds so you can share ammo with your muzzleloader. That dude makes guns that make the umarex hammer look like a plinker. And they can run on helium. Last I heard they were pushing 2000 fpe on the 20mm. Check them out. 

 

[Bigragu]

I want to add, for those that are thinking we as people huddle together to form a community(I want to make it clear, that I am not bagging on the idea, just throwing a curveball into the mix), that in that community people are going to need a leader. Someone to make decisions. Whoever gets picked, I can guarantee 100% there are the wanna be leaders lurking amongst that “friendly” community, wanting you to fail. To the point of sabotage, back stabbing, all that, and now there’s chaos, and eventually a division. Now, it’s survival amongst each and everyone within the community. 

If it were me, I’d stick to the theory of Robert Dinero in the Meet the Fockers movie. Stick to the inner circle, meaning immediate family, and try to survive. That alone is going to be tough enough. 

I also want to add, for the folks thinking pcp or air rifle only, think about that movie The Gray, with Liam Neesan. The group of pipe line workers stuck out in the snow, battling against wolves. Savage wolves. Think a break barrel or an eight round mag of 25 grain pellets from a pcp are gonna be enough?

 

[Greenarrow]

Pumper or a springer for me.

 

[Raden1942]

See everyone here is imagining in shtf you would have to carry everything. I heard one person say pcps aren't good because they wear out. I would argue that in shtf you should be bugging in not out. You will find me protecting my house that has all my seals, grease, springs, all manner of airguns and real guns and food etc etc. If shtf so bad I have to bug out id likely go with whats on my back as I flee the scene. So listen if you need a reason to justify an airgun purchase to your wife and showing her all these people who agree that to keep your family safe you do indeed need a certain type of airgun then we are here for you. The only springers that will keep you alive are the tx200 and the hw97. The only 2 pcp airguns that will feed you are the FX crown and edgun layla, the only co2 is the hammerli the only multipump is vintage sheridan bluestreak in 20 cal. There you go the only airguns on earth guaranteed to feed the kids during apocolypse and if your wife even pretends to care about the saftey of the family she will buy the hunter of the family all of them. Put in this way how could she disagree? 

 

[Suburban-preparedness]

I keep a break barrel 22 in my truck to go with my get home bag. I frequently work hundreds of miles from home. If a situation was to come up that meant I had to walk home to get to my family I can drop 1000 rounds in a cargo pocket and be able to feed myself over the month it would take to hike home. In that type of situation I still have my concealed weapon for defense, but the air rifle makes more sense for collecting food, quite, and easy to carry more ammo than you need.

 

[Nomadic Pirate 66]

A PCP is a phenomenal weapon for long term survival, I can tell of a score of reasons why.

I would chose a .30 cal

 

[Deleted member 38071]

Most folks will drop what they're eating when faced with a firearm. The reality of SHTF.

 

[beerthief]

IMHO shtf means on the run , moving every few days or just having time to grab your to go bag , sure at first you pack everything you can carry but in the end it is just your to go bag light weight . Are you going to carry 1000 pellets ,2000 ? what do they weight 2000 .22 are a lot lighter than .30 

brings up a lot of questions about PB's and reloading 

Brings to mind all the old movies about wagon trains heading west and the trail of discarded things 

 

[OldSpook]

QUICK MA! FETCH MUH BB GUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nomadic Pirate 66]

IMHO shtf means on the run , moving every few days or just having time to grab your to go bag , sure at first you pack everything you can carry but in the end it is just your to go bag light weight . Are you going to carry 1000 pellets ,2000 ? what do they weight 2000 .22 are a lot lighter than .30 

brings up a lot of questions about PB's and reloading 

Brings to mind all the old movies about wagon trains heading west and the trail of discarded things

Well, not necessarily .......it could also mean leave your residence with your truck full of your choice of stuff for a predetermined location ( I know I have one ) where you might have a spring, some fishing and hunting grounds around and it's conducive for easy defend and spot possible approaching 2 leggers, I know in my truck amongst other selected stuff I would have a couple .30 cal PCPs and a couple hand pumps,.....for long term survival PCPs would be fantastic for many reasons.



If I was on the run it would be my .22 lr and as much ammo as I could carry......no airgun for sure, no way.

 

[Vincent10]

For a survival kit I would choose a multi-pump rifle or pistol for small game. They are self contained, can be made quiet, and have adjustable power. They are usually lightweight and easy for anyone to shoot accurately. The pump mechanism can also be padded so it won't make much noise to charge it. For hunting they can be left charged for awhile until needed and are easier on scopes than spring piston rifles.

An accurate spring piston rifle is a close second. I have a couple of older ones from the 80s with leather seals that perform well. They are capable, but a drawback is they are not as quiet even with a moderator. They can also be hold sensitive. Since they are self contained I think they're a good choice for some. 

If I need to harvest a larger animal without alerting anyone to my location I'm using a bow if I don't have a silenced firearm. 

 

[theLBC]

while air supply is certainly a concern, in a truly desperate situation, if i were to have to rely on an air rifle (assuming i don't have anything else) i would want a semi-auto. i am saying this with the idea that at some point i could encounter a threat that is not easily put down with one well placed shot.