12ga shotgun vs .22lr rifle?

[swampdragon]

SHTF question....

I've been kicking around this question for a while, and can't seem to decide.
Both guns have their good and bad points.
The main goal is something for SHTF small game hunting if it actually came to that.

The 12ga...

Mossberg 930.

Pro:
It makes a great home defense weapon.
Extra barrels in longer hunting configuration are readily available.
Huge selection of various types of shells for both hunting and defense.

Cons:
Cost of shotgun.
Cost of ammo.
Weight and bulk of ammo.
Hard on my bad shoulder.






Henry Survival .22lr

Pro:
Small and light weight
Collapsible (will fit inside a backpack)
Ammo is cheap and light weight.
Price of rifle is cheap.

Con:
Not much good as a defensive weapon.
I prefer dual-purpose firearms as much as possible.
Easier to miss a small animal with if it's moving and you are shaking from being really hungry.

[ready]

I don't know about that shotgun in particular but I had a Beretta SA shotgun and it was very ammo sensitive. It didn't like to cycle alot of the lighter recoiling loads. I ended up going back to old reliable pumps.

[chiak47]

I have a 18.5" Mossberg 835....Same thing as a 500 but mine can chamber 3.5" shells...

slugs and buck shot are expensive rounds (about $1 round)...BUT...I have a shitload of 12ga birdshot that I get for 100rds @ $20. Within 15 yards it's still effective to take off limbs seeing how I can tear 2x4's in half at that range with it.

.22lr=550 rounds @ about $20 or less...

[Paladin]

For SHTF small game how 'bout the Savage 24C; 20ga/22 O/U? It'll keep meat in the stew pot...

[swampdragon]

For SHTF small game how 'bout the Savage 24C; 20ga/22 O/U? It'll keep meat in the stew pot...

I thought about guns like that.
But then I also thought about being caught off guard while hunting during a SHTF scenario.
With either of the (2) guns I picked...I can still return a volley of rapid fire and run like hell.
Can really do that with single shot type guns.

[swampdragon]

I have a 18.5" Mossberg 835....Same thing as a 500 but mine can chamber 3.5" shells...

slugs and buck shot are expensive rounds (about $1 round)...BUT...I have a shitload of 12ga birdshot that I get for 100rds @ $20. Within 15 yards it's still effective to take off limbs seeing how I can tear 2x4's in half at that range with it.

.22lr=550 rounds @ about $20 or less...

How big of a price difference is there between 12ga and 20ga shells these days?
I've not priced either in a long time.
The 22 is certainly more cost effective all the way around.

[Paladin]

I agree...

Then make it the shotgun. You can take any critter in North America and defend yourself with it better than you can the 22. But I am hard pressed to see myself in a situation where I don't have a side arm.

[chiak47]

How big of a price difference is there between 12ga and 20ga shells these days?
I've not priced either in a long time.

It's funny that you ask that. I went to walmart one day and grabbed a box of birdshot like I always do. You see, whenever I walk into that store I make it a habit to spend $20 on "gear".
Anyways, I have .50 cal cans that I keep my birdshot in and when I went to dump the box I had just bought into a can I noticed the shells were smaller. I looked at the box and it said 20ga. I called walmart thinking there was a shot @ returning the 20ga for 12ga and they told me no returns on ammo...

Well you can't let a good crisis go to waste so that night I went to gander mountain and bought a single shot 20ga rossi for $80 bucks or so...

See I was so used to 12ga being in that same spot for years that I didn't even look at the gauge and it was the same price (around $20 for 100 rounds)

I don't shoot it much but my boys go to my grandparents to shoot pigeons (pest control) It's light and IMO it kicks harder than the 12ga.

[swampdragon]

It's funny that you ask that. I went to walmart one day and grabbed a box of birdshot like I always do. You see, whenever I walk into that store I make it a habit to spend $20 on "gear".
Anyways, I have .50 cal cans that I keep my birdshot in and when I went to dump the box I had just bought into a can I noticed the shells were smaller. I looked at the box and it said 20ga. I called walmart thinking there was a shot @ returning the 20ga for 12ga and they told me no returns on ammo...

Well you can't let a good crisis go to waste so that night I went to gander mountain and bought a single shot 20ga rossi for $80 bucks or so...

See I was so used to 12ga being in that same spot for years that I didn't even look at the gauge and it was the same price (around $20 for 100 rounds)

I don't shoot it much but my boys go to my grandparents to shoot pigeons (pest control) It's light and IMO it kicks harder than the 12ga.

So if they are basically the same price, then hell, I may as well go 12ga anyways then.

[justinsaneok]

hey swampy where you live?

[swampdragon]

I agree...

Then make it the shotgun. You can take any critter in North America and defend yourself with it better than you can the 22. But I am hard pressed to see myself in a situation where I don't have a side arm.

Yes. I have a sidearm too.
I just left that part out because I wanted opinions on the merits of the long-arms themselves for whatever it might be worth.

[swampdragon]

hey swampy where you live?

Right here......

[justinsaneok]

22 lr cause swampy doesnt have one

[swampdragon]

22 lr cause swampy doesnt have one

I don't have a 12ga either....lol

Oh, and my place is near the Kansas/Missouri border.

[NewbieAKguy]

What kind of small game is in your area? If mostly rabbits, squirrels, etc. I'd go for the .22lr for head shots to get every last bite of meat. But if your small game is mostly game birds, I'd go with shotgun. If you practice enough with the .22 you can get a bird on the fly or do head shots of them while on the ground. A 100rd value pack of bird loads and brick of .22s might be same, but that brick is 500 rds. Kinda like the 5.56 vs. 7.62 comparison in weight....you can carry a heck of a lot more .22s than 12 ga. Plus, I'd have to add a face full of high velocity .22s isn't something to wave off.

Heck, the .22 would be light enough (and cheap enough I would guess) that you could carry both while foraging.

[swampdragon]

What kind of small game is in your area? If mostly rabbits, squirrels, etc. I'd go for the .22lr for head shots to get every last bite of meat. But if your small game is mostly game birds, I'd go with shotgun. If you practice enough with the .22 you can get a bird on the fly or do head shots of them while on the ground. A 100rd value pack of bird loads and brick of .22s might be same, but that brick is 500 rds. Kinda like the 5.56 vs. 7.62 comparison in weight....you can carry a heck of a lot more .22s than 12 ga. Plus, I'd have to add a face full of high velocity .22s isn't something to wave off.

Heck, the .22 would be light enough (and cheap enough I would guess) that you could carry both while foraging.

Rabbits, squirrel, opossum, wild turkey, quail, ducks, geese, pheasant, deer, damn. The list is really long.

[NewbieAKguy]

Hmmmm. What about a .22lr pistol? You could scope it out too for longer shots. Dad put one on his S&W 41 (i think that's the model) and he can take head shots on squirrels pretty good.

[ready]

There's not much you can't take out with a well placed .22. Nice and quiet, too.

[chiak47]

Rabbits, squirrel, opossum, wild turkey, quail, ducks, geese, pheasant, deer, damn. The list is really long.

I'm glad to see that Christians did not make that list...

[justinsaneok]

Hmmmm. What about a .22lr pistol? You could scope it out too for longer shots. Dad put one on his S&W 41 (i think that's the model) and he can take head shots on squirrels pretty good.

barrel length of a pistol wont get you up to speed