Best all purpose survival/hunting rifle???

[CelticKnight]

Hi to all on AO.
I am still researching this question, and am finding it extremely difficult to settle on one all purpose rifle and calibre. I am a disabled Veteran who has to give up hunting for health reasons, and want to trade or sell my Tikka M695, 300 WM, with Leupold VX6, 4-16 X50,mm, CDS, for one rifle to keep in the gun cabinet (just in case).
I want to know what the best all around survival/hunting/defensive rifle to invest in would be.
Would it be the newest Ruger MK II, GSR, 308 Win?
Would it be the Savage or Steyr GSR in 308 Win?
Ar 15'; M 14'; AK 47; M1A; M4 ?
Is there a hidden secret I have not discovered yet?
Factors considered:
Compatibility for Nato rounds.
Hunting knock down power.
Cleaning/maintenance in the field.
Bold action vs semi-auto considered
Both iron sights and scope mounted.
Durability, performance ratings.
Access to spare parts and ammunition.
Non restricted is always best bet.
I appreciate all your well researched, valid, and helpful input.
Please no debates just facts.
The best...all factors considered???
Cheers,
Celtic Knight

[elkdump]

The one you have with you after your plane crashes in the tundra or when you find you just survived a nuclear blast,,,

All others are just idle speculation

[Boogerfart]

Given your criteria I'd say a bolt action of your choice, iron sights and scope, chambered in .308win.

[HighlandHeart]

For the price of some of those semi-auto rifles you could pick up a decent bolt action .308 Win and still have money left over for a pump action 12 gauge, a .22 and a dog. Bolt guns are more affordable, more reliable, easier to clean and maintain, and less likely to be put on the prohibited list by the government because some bureaucrat in Ottawa thinks they are "too scary looking" for us to own. Ruger 10/22, Remington 870, and Remington bolt-action .308 are decent and popular and will be easiest to find parts for.

[fish_e_o]

break action, short barrel, and iron sights.

less to go wrong

[Okotokian]

edited

[CanuckShooter]

22lr good all round.....

[CMichaud]

Originally Posted by HighlandHeart

Ruger 10/22, Remington 870, and Remington bolt-action .308 are decent and popular and will be easiest to find parts for.

Agreed - these are the best bets although I would say any bolt 308 vs only Remy's

The other option to explore might be an over under like a Savage Model 24 in 30-30/12 or Baikal 308/12.

I would still round out with a 10/22 though

[KGB]

I would go with AK but it is prohibited here. That's why I have an SKS. Reliable, cheap, good knocking power and has a bayonet as a bonus! Lol!

[amosfella]

The crossman hunting airguns. All you need is metal that will mold to be fired. Jim Shockey had a pic on facebook where he killed a big woodland buffalo with one.

No powder, no primers, no casings...

[JonBoy]

A .223 Remington offers a relatively light-weight package with decent knockdown power. It's small enough for small game / varmints but can also kill a larger animal if you hit it in the right place (no problem). Also matches very closely to a 5.56 NATO round (you can shoot .223 in a 5.56 but not vice versa, I believe) so perhaps a NATO 5.56 is the real answer.

.22LR would also be a great round but lacks the "punch" for longer shots or bigger animals. If I was dropped off in the wilderness with just one gun, I'd probably take this due to the light weight, amount of ammo you can carry (very low weight) and relatively good accuracy. You can shoot "food" easily with something like this, though it lacks the knockdown power of "real" hunting rifles for truly big game.

The airgun idea is pretty neat - just not sure that the effective distance is good enough for an "all around" gun. The idea of only needing metal to mold new bullets is great, but we're not talking about zombie apocalypse so I think I'd go with a traditional rifle...

[TROLLER]

Browning lever action 308 with open sites.

Enough power to take down anything and easy to shoulder with the shorter barrel. Very accurate as well. Easy to site in up to 100 yards no problem.

[mich]

gsr in 308

[fish_e_o]

Originally Posted by TROLLER

Browning lever action 308 with open sites.

Enough power to take down anything and easy to shoulder with the shorter barrel. Very accurate as well. Easy to site in up to 100 yards no problem.

with an action that gunsmiths even dread working on.

although mine has been perfectly reliable

[curtz]

If I had to keep only one of my guns, it would be my Mossberg 30-30.

[Major Sack]

Without question I'd choose an SKS. Cheap ammo is plentiful,it's about as rugged as anything out there, easy to strip down and clean, and spare parts are a simple as buying another sub-$200 SKS.

[Red Bullets]

A nice triple barrel single shot in a combination of calibers would make a good survival gun. Nice and simple to maintain and breakdown.

Long ago I had an over and under single shot 12 gauge with a 22 L,LR,S on top. It was versatile.

This pic of a triple barrel is a nice configuration. This one is 12 gauge and 30/06. Not mine. Just an example from the net.

[Battle Rat]

308 bolt gun like a Ruger Scout would do just about all that needs to be done.
Don't discount the versatility of a 12 gauge pump as well.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by CelticKnight

Best all purpose survival/hunting rifle??? . . .

Just to be clear, it ^ ain't a 'rifle' ... it's a 12ga shotgun, in the action of your choice.

Mac

[Yaha Tinda]

Although not a very glamorous choice, the Ruger 96/44 is a practical choice for a defense, survival and hunting rifle. Compact,fast and light weight with open sights and scope mounts. Heavy reloads are useful for close range defense, capable out to 100 meters or so and also shoots a shotshell for close range pest/game. The Ruger 77/44 in stainless would be a bit of an upscale choice at nearly double the cost though. The former is what I usually pack for backcountry mid winter solo excursions.

[Johnny G1]

Savage 24 in 22x20 or 30calx20 gu. would be the ticket, if you can find one????

[Dale S]

The Winchester 94 in the 30-30 calibre. A design that has lasted over a hundred years. Must be something right about them.

[Redneck 7]

I'd say a 12 gauge with a case of different shot sizes and slugs for your knock down power. Hunt the smallest squirrel to the biggest moose if you wanted. Versatile with folding stocks and shorter barrels. Can't go wrong with a 12 gauge.

[mulie4x4]

Lee Enfield, been around forever and field tested under the most extreme conditions.

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by CelticKnight

Hi to all on AO.
...
Please no debates just facts...

I think you've come to the wrong place

[bearclawman]

12 gauge for me

[Knownonscents]

Probably my gun site scout in 308.
10 round mags
Iron sites
Ler scope added with quick detach.

But at the end of the day. Anything that accurately goes boom and that you have ammo for

[HoytCRX32]

Why not just keep one of your guns? Seems to me a .300 WM will help you a) survive and b) hunt. If you are not going to be hunting anymore you shouldn't need tons of ammo (NATO really???) unless you're expecting WW3

[fordtruckin]

I'd say a lever gun in 30/30, .357 mag or .44 mag or .35 rem, probably a Marlin 336 for the rifle or a Henry for the pistol cartridges. BUT having your aforementioned specs, I'd say why not the Canadian Rangers new rifle a Tikka CTR? if not that then the Ruger GSR in either .308 or .223?

[Tscoot]

Model 700 Remington in .308. Dependable, simple, good power without unbearable recoil.