Comments

Episode-2454- Choosing the 6 Basic Guns that Cover 99% of What Anyone Needs — 12 Comments

  1. 7.62×39 is the modern .30-30.

    Bersa 22s and the old Beretta 22s are the best semi-auto rimfires available.

    There’s zero reason for .308 or .30-06 in Texas.  Too much gun for game here.  .270 is too much too for everything but elk.

    Shotguns are only needed for birds aflight.  Far from ideal for every other use.

    PCCs are great training tools and a better option in most scenarios than shotguns, with sole exception of previously mentioned birds aflight.

    .243 win is a great rifle and ideal for all game in Texas, but 6.5 creedmoor performs nearly identically to heavy .243 loads and gives longer barrel life. Past 300 yards, 6.5 creedmoor is ballistically superior (including energy) to .308 Win too.

    • Six points, impressive as I find them all absolutely wrong except for the final one. Getting 5 of 6 that wrong is impressive.

  2. The Heritage Rough Rider is a great little gun.  No recoil, come in 4” and 6”. Barrels plus you can get .22 magnum cylinder so you can shoot both .22LR and .22 Magnum.

    The M&P .22 handgun is actually built by Walther just FYI it feels the same when shooting but the internals are pretty much the same as the Walther.

  3. With this being the 75th anniversary of D Day, 21 C-47s and DC-3s converged on England and then made the trip across the channel, even dropping paratroopers:

    https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/june/06/reflections-from-normandy?utm_source=epilot&utm_medium=email

     

    Also, here’s a podcast with one of the original C-47 pilots from that day:

     

    http://aopahangartalk.libsyn.com/episode-71-wwii-d-day-pilot-dave-hamilton

    Also, anyone close enough to Reading PA can check out MAAM’s WW2 Weekend Airshow this weekend. You can even catch a ride in a C-47.

  4. Good episode & advise. If you can get six at a time that pretty much covers the majority of needs.

    When someone asks me about buying firearms I tell them to approach it the same general way you tell people to approach prepping.

    Start with what are you most likely to need it for. Might be self-defense, might be deer hunting, might be getting rid of wild hogs.  Do you have something for that already? If not, what can you get that will do the job (can you afford it, feed it, legally use it)?

    Move on to your next most likely use.

    If someone truly has no idea what to get, and no one to shoot with, here’s what I tell them:

    Get a Ruger 10/22 with a second magazine & sling. Get a brick of decent quality ammo. Then attend an Appleseed event. They’ll get quality instruction on basic marksmanship in a low stress environment, as well as some interesting American History to boot.

  5. Great episode Jack.  I can definitely see some of your tendencies/preferences (and I agree with most!).  I can boil this down to and even simpler equation:

    #1 Everyone needs the handgun of your choice.  Get a Glock, Springfield XD, or S&W M&P in the caliber of your choice – 9, 40, or 45.  Or a 4″ .357 by Taurus or Smith (depending on budget). You are now all set for – Home defense, hunting sidearm, conceal carry, bug out or whatever.  Don’t even worry about the grip.  Just go PRACTICE with it.  When you are ready for IDPA we’ll worry about the point-feel.  when you are ready for conceal carry, they all have compact and sub compact versions.

    #2 Get a Mossberg 500 or a Remington 870.  Get a field/security combo with an 18″ HD barrel and a 26″ field barrel (with the chokes!).   You are now good to go for home defense, hunting small game, medium game, deer (with rifled slugs) or anything on the wing.  Bonus – trap and skeet.  When you are ready to become a serious skeet.  Go cheap and get a Maverick 88.  I suggest a Mossberg 535 with Turkey barrel, field barrel and the four chokes that comes with (ready for Turkey or HD at 22″ on the short barrel.)

    Before anyone gets ANY other gun – how about we get those two down.  Then IF they actually go hunt, get their CC, or see a coyote we’ll see what happens.

    #3 Rifle – ok…not problem: Are you primarily interested in hunting or the zombie apocalypse?  Do you live in most of America or Rockies/Montana/ Alaska etc?

    Hunting / Most of America – go get a Savage Axis, or Ruger America already-scoped combo in 308/30-06.

    Hunting / Big Sky Wilderness – go get a Savage Axis, or Ruger America already-scoped combo in 308/30-06.

    Zombies / Most of America – go get an AR or an AK, whatever you like stylistically

    Zombies / Big Sky Wilderness  –  go get an AR or an AK, whatever you like stylistically

    AFTER you have actually gone hunting for a deer or two with the rifle, or a hog or coyote with your AR/AK, then let’s talk about your next gun.

    #4. Then go get a .22.  Get a rifle if you shoot a lot of rifle or a pistol if you do a lot of that.  Ruger 10/22 in Rifle, or Ruger MKwhatever if pistol.

    Now we have 4 guns, can go do anything we want to do.  All set for the apocalypse or a casual day at the range, or in the woods.  People make this way too hard, when they don’t even have a gun.  Go get it and go shoot and hunt whatever.  I see musicians do this crap all the time.  They are outfitting themselves for a major world tour, and can’t play Smoke on the Water.  Caller has an 1100 that can kill anything he’ll be hunting at any range that matters!!!! Hasn’t said he’s ever been hunting or seen a coyote etc!!!! How about we get started with 3 of those 4 before we move on to even 5 or 6!!!!

  6. What’s your opinion on the mossberg maverick 88 12 guage pump? It seems to be a budget version of the mossberg 500.  You can get the field and security combo at academy for $219. Comes with 18.5 and 28 inch barrels.  95% of the reviews I’ve read said it works flawlessly, but wondered what your opinion is.

  7. My only criticism is why it even exists as a model number. The 88 is really just a plane Jane Mossberg 500, you can swap almost every part back and forth (except the trigger group). So the Mossberg 500 is a tried and true pump gun. I find the Remington 870 a nicer gun in the field for hunting but for home defense they are about equivalent in my view.

  8. CZ’s are one of the most under rated rimfires (and centerifres) out there!  I owned a few and still have a couple in the collection.  One always makes out on range trips.  The 452 models seem to be cheap on the secondary market because the 455 (switch barrel) guns are the newest and greatest.  All of the ones I’ve had shoot very well even with bulk junk, and astoundingly with match grade fodder.  They also have some of the best wood I’ve seen on factory guns.

    I would buy a CZ over Savage and Ruger any day when looking at bolt action rimfires

  9. Great list and episode. FYI to the OP – it is a federal crime to capture, injure, or kill grackles.