Why not the .243?

[Lloyd Smale]

by the way manyrock in case you didnt notice most of that post wasnt directed toward you personaly

[SHOOTALL]

If stats are being reviewed ( google them)I have read that police hit one in 7 , gang members and such with little training less hits for shots expended and target shooters /hunters especially those who compete in shooting sports get a hit in every 5-6  shots . Those who take personal defense classes that mimic real life situations get still better results. Ok what does this say really ? Well it seems that those who take personal defense serious enough to train and pratice do better. Why ? Mind set , better use of cover , earlier awareness of attacks , better praticed in the use of the weapon they carry , more alert to escape routes and more conscious as to shots fired with regard to taking high % shots not spraying and praying. The cops , some are very good others are not same as solders so depending which one you look at the real stats can be very different.
So if you can control yourself the AR would be a good choice or better yet the M1-A ( personal opinion ) it would meet more situations with more options . The bolt gun would most likely be less likely to break , so it would seem a nice AR-10 in 243 would be a nice companion in bad times as long as the ammo lasted .
Now to say civilians don't face danger and get the experience police or military get is not true. There are places in America that is as dangerous as some battle zones , the number of people killed in the US and in certain cities rival or exceed the body count from both Afghanistan and Iraq . Real Americans live in these places and survive often with out weapons sometimes with weapons taking on the riff raft. There are places where I live that fits this bill , I work in some of them I have had to take cover several times to avoid gun fire ( bullets hitting around us ) twice it was full auto fire ! Once a bullet hit my windshield.
My thought is we will see more of our cities fall into these type places as the economy goes deeper in debt.
I would offer that any weapon you have or depend on may need to breech a block or brick wall to stop the fireing you are taking if you live in an urban setting. Remember in most likely hood you won't have backup . What you have is what you got. I know a 308 will do this better than a 223 ( most times a 308 will knock out a block(s) with 3 shots . I don't know if a 243 will do this , I would check it out  .

[Swampman]

We'll split your gear.  You won't be needing it.

Implying you'll be able to stand off the hordes? Do you plan on spending a lot of ammo shooting at game? Range time in the future?


Criminy Swampy, if you load all the guns I see you post you won't be needing to reload weapons for years, let alone brass.


 It may be Pollyanna thinking but I just don't see the wholesale gun fighting Armageddon in the future.  A riot here and there, and very likely there not here. I look at it as a benefit of living in the frozen fly over country, tends to keep the rif raf out. If that is the case I'll be set for ammo far past my dirt nap. 


 A few well armed attackers with a book of matches and a quart of gasoline will pretty much defeat my defenses if they desire. Unless you are posting from a decommissioned missile silo it isn't likely you will fare much better.

I plan on avoiding everyone else.  I won't be needing defenses.

[Dixie Dude]

The reason I suggested military calibers, is right now, you can buy cases of military ball ammo cheaper than you can reload.  This allows for lots of practice or having enough ammo for long term problems.  FMJ ammo will penetrate better than cup & core if that is needed.  The further out you live, the less likely you will have the need for a high capacity semi-auto, IMHO.  If you know your neighbors, and all have gardens and such, or farm animals.  Having a group plan in case some of the rif-raf gets out of the cities looking for food, would help.  In a SHTF situation, it usually isn't as bad as it could be nor will it be maybe just one isolated city.  I need to read what happened in Argentina when their economy colapsed.  Africa and the middle east, whole different ballgame. 

[blind ear]

Dixie Dude, so you know of anything written on the Argentine coalapse? I never heard much about any civil conflict or anything else for that matter. ear

[Dixie Dude]

I remember back when it happened, there were lots of riots, power got cut off for days or weeks, because the power workers weren't getting paid, banks shut down.  I think we ended up taking over their banks, and dollars were used for awhile to stabilise their economy.  We are so big, no one will bail us out.  Also, we have more diversity of races here, and riots could get ugly here.  I work for a utility company and if I wasn't getting paid, I would go home to protect my family and stuff.  Could come to that here.  Anyways, back to the subject.  That is why I choose military calibers as the primary defensive weapons, cheap, fmj ammo.  I have other calibers I primarilly hunt with like a 30-06, a 35 Whelen, a 44 mag, and a 45-70.  But if one can only afford one gun with a stash of ammo, military calibers IMHO should be the way to go.

[Lloyd Smale]

  come on swampy. You know with your magetic personality youll be fighting off the people that want to visit.

We'll split your gear.  You won't be needing it.

Implying you'll be able to stand off the hordes? Do you plan on spending a lot of ammo shooting at game? Range time in the future?


Criminy Swampy, if you load all the guns I see you post you won't be needing to reload weapons for years, let alone brass.


 It may be Pollyanna thinking but I just don't see the wholesale gun fighting Armageddon in the future.  A riot here and there, and very likely there not here. I look at it as a benefit of living in the frozen fly over country, tends to keep the rif raf out. If that is the case I'll be set for ammo far past my dirt nap. 


 A few well armed attackers with a book of matches and a quart of gasoline will pretty much defeat my defenses if they desire. Unless you are posting from a decommissioned missile silo it isn't likely you will fare much better.

I plan on avoiding everyone else.  I won't be needing defenses.

[chefjeff]

"the deal" is, it's not a military cartridge.I have a M70 that hits a dime, but it ain't in the bunker.