RE: survival rifle
 

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up in NY, DEC actually has reported that attacks from wild cats is actually on the rise.... they target hikers.

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I'm in NY and the DEC is denying there are any big cats in the state, even though the number of possible sightings is increasing. So I doubt the DEC is reporting any big cat attacks.

I'm with the .22lr crowd, but I sure would try to bring my Marlin .44mag lever gun along.

RE: survival rifle
 

Caribou - What do they mean "wild cats?" Are they talking bobcat or lynx or what? I've seen three cougars/mountain lions in Texas and have friends that have seen some as well. The interesting thing was most of them were where you would LEAST expect them. Two were within a stone's throw of airports and two of the three were in country you wouldn't even call wooded.

I used to fly patrol and flew right over the top of the first cougar about 50 feet above his head. When I saw him I didn't think anything of it and told myself it was another coyote...which I saw all the time. But after I went over him the bells went off in my head and I realized the coloring was wrong and no coyote has that long broomhandle tail. A second later I realized what I had seen and I about tore the wings off the plane turning around for a second pass. But the cat had vanished...which baffled me as there wasn't much of any place to hide from an airplane except the ruins of and old collapsed house. A year later I flew over another one at same altitude out in the middle of nowhere and I knew immediately what he was. When I made my turn I kept my eyes on him all the time so he didn't give me the slip again. But before I got half around, he just vanished like a puff of smoke. I thought I was going crazy and I kept circling the area and a minute later there he was again.......and then 30 seconds later he vanishes again. We played this game for several minutes before I finally saw what he was doing to me. He never did try to run away as I expected. Didn't even really try to hide...as I expected. But each time I would get fairly close, he would just lie down in the grass and vanish. Blew my mind how he could turn it all on and off like that. A coyote would have run for 5 miles without stopping but no cat likes to run if he doesn't have to.

They are funny critters and if they've lost their fear of man, they can scare the daylights out of you. But they are not dumb.

People are amazed to find they are living among us in the southwest but they don't need to live by going on livestock killing sprees. In sheep and goat country there are enough animals die of natural causes and misadventure to keep a big cat pretty well fed and he never has to kill anything. Cats aren't big on eating carrion, but if it's fresh and they are a little hungry, they sure won't turn it down.

Anyway, sure there are some other guns I'd love to bring and have around. I can think of all sorts of things I'd like with me and will if it happens. But I suspect when the world gets that crazy, time and opportunity and mobility may limit what we can do.

Another salient point I've figured out about survival is a guy by himself doesn't stand much chance...not against the elements or anything. He's gotta sleep sometime. He can't be three places at once, doing three things at once. It was no accident ancient man lived in clans and formed tribes and communities. The rugged individualist who went it alone didn't last long before he got ate, hurt, sick or just worn out.

So this is another critical point about survival far more important than the "which gun" question, i.e. ask yourself WHO you're going to go surviving with? Wife and kids? Great.........but what can any of them do? How long will any of them last in the wild. REAL survival is going to take a group of like minded adults who know what they are doing or at least know enough to survive while they learn what they don't know.

Just how important this is was driven home to me years ago when I got some books and started studying Geronimo. According to Hollywood, all Geronimo did was ride around, raping and pillaging and living the good life by living off the land. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He spent most of his time being hunted like a dog and only survived as long as he did because the area where he operated was basically EMPTY. In fact, most of it still is. So he had very little real opposition. But the thing that really surprised me was the biggest problem Geronimo had during his career was with desertions. The vast majority of time he couldn't keep enough people with him to do much of anything but try to hide. Life was a lot easier on the reservation and everytime Geronimo would go back and talk a band of followers into going with him, it didn't take long at trying to live off the land and playing real survival before most of them turned around and went very happily back to the reservation. So if this is what the Apaches thought of survival, there should be a pretty serious lesson in there for all of us. None of us are near tough enough or smart enough or ready. Bring all the guns you want...but we're probably going to die with them pretty quick.[:-]

RE: survival rifle
 

Pav, what bloody gun would you buy? Your not keeping this a secret in case it does happen and your the only one standing are you? Your not secretly a .223 man and hoping through this thread you will convince everyone to stash 22LR and "out gun" them??:)

just curious

RE: survival rifle
 

In my previous post, I was trying to quote from a previous post by Badger Boy. He stated "up in NY, DEC actually has reported that attacks from wild cats is actually on the rise.... they target hikers.".

Here in NY in recent years, there have been a number of UNCONFIRMED cougar sighting. The DEC conciders cougars EXTINCT in NY. So I found his statement about the DEC reporting cat attacks a slight exaggeration.

As someone who has studied wildlife ecology, I know how adaptable critters can be. I personally wouldn't be that surprised if a cougar popped up here in NY. But the big question would be where it came from, since no neighboring states or provinces have cougar populations. It would likely be an escapee from someone's collection.

Along the survivalist theme; I bet quite a few here would enjoy reading about a fellow named Dick Proenneke. He homesteaded alone in Alaska for 30 years from about 1967-1997. He is well known for his accomplishments and documented much of how he lived. I encourage you all to read his journals and watch his films. He was a very talented indiividual and we can all learn something from him.
http://www.dickproenneke.com/

RE: survival rifle
 

My link got censored. Well, the gentleman's name is Richard. Hope this is enough of a clue. :D

RE: survival rifle
 

:D No, Star, I like a .223 and think it's a great cartridge but I don't currently even own one. I believe the pretext of this thread stated ONE gun. And under than scenario, it's gotta be the .22 LR for the reasons stated. But even if we were allowed six guns in this thread, the .22 LR will always be the main one. If you want to visualize a situation where one can "escape the madness" with several guns and enough ammo to be worth the trouble, that's another matter. And in that view, a bolt action .223 would be a great choice because it's very accurate, effective and once again the ammo is pretty small and light compared to other stuff. I say BOLT action because the AR/Mini breed of firearms can't touch them for accuracy...and accuracy will be more important than rate of fire, i.e. spray and pray.

Anyone who wants to become a real survivalist must first get this Hollywood notion out of their head that "survival" is all about glorious firefights. This is movie BS. We should notice that lions and tiger and the like NEVER press their attacks to the death with opponents. They either make a quick kill or they back off to try another day. I always wondered why...since they are obviously tougher and stronger. The answer is that in real survival, getting wounded is usually a death sentence. And so it will be for us if we want to try and turn survival into a contest of gunfights. You may kill your opponent but if he wounds you...you'll die as well. So...you don't play that game.

I figure the smart survivalist will be the invisible man who devotes his time to avoiding people rather than confronting them.

What other guns would I take with me? First I would grab my Ruger .22 auto pistol, then my .45 ACP and .41 Magnum. Finally, I'd take my 270 for the long range heavy lifting stuff. The .22 pistol and 45 ACP are great self-defense guns. The .41 Mag is a potent hunting tool out to 100 yds that you could strap on and take with you when you go out on other duties and need both hands free to do other things like gather firewood etc. But with the .41 along you are portected from man or beast and can take it out and drop most game if an opportunity arises.

But as always I stress, guns are fairly far down on the list of things to take with you.

What medicines must you have?
What tools must you have?
How about fishing gear?
Clothing and bedding?
Cooking and cleaning items?
Needles and thread?
Fire starters?
Compass?
Signal mirrors?
Tarp and rain gear?
Rope, twine or shoelaces?
Food stuffs and how to keep the rats from eating it first?

On and on the list must go.

Sadly an old duffer like me likely won't have the option of running for the hills. I'll just have to stay put and fight off the gathering hoard. But it has crossed my mind that when city utilities fail, I've got no way to heat or cook anything...and no water to drink and no place to go get it.

Serious survival will be everyone's worst nightmare. Reality is not a weekend in the woods painting our faces and play acting.[8D]