I agree with the simplicity angle. I own three guns, a 12 gauge pump shotgun, a 357 magnum revolver, and an AR-15. The only reason I went with an AR is because of my Army experience, it's the rifle I'm most familiar with as far as maintenance and servicing.
Good luck! LMFAO let me get you started. This guy has the holy trinity of self defense arms±. He has military training which goes beyond pointing and firing a gun, e.g., listening, stalking, hiding, patience, strategy, psychology, preparedness,... list goes on. So... His front door you kicked in, that was your warning to stay out. I'm not joking even a little when I say, his door was closed and locked for your protection, not his. If you're lucky he's a Marine or Navy Seal so your death will be relatively quick, painless, and you won't live long enough to even know it happened. Yippee-ki-yah, kids!@@spacecoyote6646
Upgrade the AR-15 from the standard 5.56 round to a 6mm ARC. You'll need a new barrel obviously, but also a new bolt carrier group and possibly magazines. Much more power and legal to hunt deer and larger game in all 50 states without very little extra recoil.. Probably the most accurate cartridge for the AR-15 platform and has excellent barrel life. An excellent all-around cartridge.
I grew up on a farm, and my dad had 3 guns, a winchester single shot 12 gauge similar to yours, a Revelation .22 bolt action rifle that held about 15 rounds in a tubular magazine under the barrel, and an HG 9 shot .22 revolver. These served all of our firearms needs, from hunting to pest control to slaughtering livestock. They would have served us well in self defense as well, if we had ever needed that.
Similar story here. Dad had a 12 gauge shotgun, just a basic model, don't remember the brand, and a Winchester .25-20 he got as a Christmas gift at work (that was back in the 50's). He gave the shotgun to a neighbor that hunted, but used the .25-20 for varmints until he finished the 2 boxes of ammo he'd gotten with the rifle. When he went to the sporting goods store to get more ammo the firearms fellow said if Dad promised to put that rifle away and keep it safe he'd _give_ him a Ruger .22. Dad's long gone but I've still got both those rifles.
My first gun was an old Iver Johnson 410 2& 3/4chamber I still have I have taken a lot of squirrels and rabbits with it more than I can count it also have taken doves with it and raccoons and barn rats
CCI has released a new .22 round called "Uppercut" which was designed for Pistols BUT runs close to 1500fps out of a Rifle, Mushrooms extremely well,... It actually runs 950fps & mushrooms out of a pistol.
For Me this is as simple as it gets. 1) Ruger 10/22. Will take a Deer all the way down to a Squirrel and 2) S&W .44 mag. Nothing on the America's it won't stop From a Coastal Grizzly and a Moose , Human beings. 100 rds of Buffalo Bore rounds and you can easily carry a couple of thousand rounds of .22lr. That alone would last you a decade to supplement your fishing and trapping.
Somebody needs to purchase the tooling and restart that company. I have a Handi Rifle in 45-70 and a "long Tom" 12 gauge just like yours there. But they made a lot of great chamberings in the rifles - you could match up with your revolver like .357 Mag and .44 Mag, etc. but many other calibers too. They really should have just upped the price a little if they needed more revenue to stay in business... I think they are sorely missed.
My only criteria for a single shot shottie is that it has a shell ejector (not an extractor). With an ejector you save valuable time loading in a self defense situation
For the wilderness I’d go with 1.) Remington 870 2.) any .22 I like my marlin and ruger 3.) ar15 5.56 upper and .300 blackout upper 4.) .357, .44, or 10 mm. But the Remington 870 will do the job of all of the other 3
Good pick. This followed by a rimfire rifle would be pretty much all you needed for most chores. Rimfire only because the ammo is so much cheaper and quieter.
I at 12 yo dropped a bull moose at 20 feet with a 12 ga. Double brl. shotgun. My trading mentor let me use one of his. We reloaded and made lead ball ammo or slugs. The moose was actually attacking me as it burst from brush, seeing me it charged. And no it was not moose season but back then we hunted 13 months a year.😊
That adapter also fits in the stock by removing the recoil pad .I put a price of cork in the bottom of it to keep from scratching it and raddleing around so much
I am 61 years old. Born & raised Outdoors here in Arkansas. I own many guns & rifles but my primary choice of weapon is a Single Barrel. I buy Henry single barrel guns for the sole purpose that they are made 💯 here in the USA 🇺🇸. I fill the freezers each season using them. I believe that the best choice for survival & homesteading is simplicity & the single barrel fits that need. As You stated, a good 22 is as important. Again Henry & Winchester gets the nod on that. I like the more vintage Winchester 22’s as they were also built here in the USA & the quality exceeds the junk being offered today. I like my 22’s being able to shoot all 3 sizes being short, long, & long rifle. Your message in this post is spot on. Thanks for recognizing & spreading the message of Single Barrels. I couldn’t agree more.
I was born and raised in the Ozark mountain, somethings he said I liked and and agree with some things I did not agree with it, but that’s just me you can take the game with a22 if you know how to shoot
I would suggest looking at the Rossi lever action .22 rifles. I have one that I take with me in my tractor when I am bushogging or when I just take a walk in the woods. It shoots shorts, longs and long rifles. It's never jammed on me.
h&r my first 12 gauge single. when "hunting" was fun. 15 years old hunting pheasant, rabbit, squirrel, dove. thanks for the video. keep em coming. I subbed to your channel. as I continued to watch , I saw the adapters...... I have never heard such a thing. im gonna find some. thank you
Several companies make a .22/410 combo gun and I've always considered it the gun you could survive with, if you could only have one. Yeah, I know they're only single shots but still...
big advantage is that the ammo is lite.If you had to get and go its the .22. Four 500 round boxes can fit in your back pack.I do have a .17 caliber air rife,spring activated,4 power scope.Its deadly on small game out to 50yds and you can carry (alot!) of ammo
Great idea on the adapters. Knew they were out there for AR's but never thought about shotguns. Guess I'm gonna buy my own Christmas present ! Thanks for the info.
Single shot shotgun is great for everything except self protection against armed criminals. No second shot, no chance vs well armed criminals who might number more than a few
Shoot I can pop a shell off have the action open shell in the sky and new shell loaded and shot before the ejected shell hit the ground. Grew up with single shots and still my favorite. Not ideal in a situation like that but you can make it work
When I was a kid, we hunted gators with a Dbl barrel 12 ga. and man, you can reload them FAST especially with your buddy carrying shells and loading. We'd take turns shooting/loading and when we were in tune, a second or 2 max. was all it'd take before another shot would come off. NOT ideal by any means, but sometimes, not by choice, you have to improvise or work together to make it work out the way you want
I would go with a Savage model 24 with a 30-30 (or .308) over a 12 gauge and two caliber inserts: .22LR and .357! These calibers cover anything you might need to shot! Twelve gauge shotguns are great but you can carry 500 rounds of .22LR in your pocket but only around 20-30 12 gauge shells in that pocket. The .357 would be the same caliber as my handgun and right beside my Savage! Too bad no one makes (that I know of) a revolver that fires .357 and .22LR, perfect sidearm IMHO! The combination of 12 gauge and 30-30 will quickly give you that (potentially life-saving) second shot if you piss off the wrong bear or person!
I got a nomad single shot 12 gauge great gun I luv her, I want to start hunting this year and will be using her the most honestly. Like the man said easy to use and clean also very versatile with adapters 👍🏾
I have a Stevens 20 gauge single shot that’s about 120 years old. It’s beat up but in perfect working order and very accurate. I am also fortunate enough to own 3 Handi Rifle actions that I bought over the years, plus this was back during the barrel exchange program. This gives me multiple calibers from 22 hornet to 45-70 Buffalo Classic and I paid less than a grand spread out over the years. Over time I even managed to find some really cool stocks, scope mounts etc. These are all fine rifles. Changing calibers takes less than a minute..an I should always be able to find ammo for one or two.
Good stuff, my first gun was a New England Firearms single shot 410. Literally have killed everything from birds to deer with that old gun. When I turned 15 my uncle gave me an H&R topper 58 just like that, no tellin how much I've put in the freezer with that thing. Great guns for sure and hold a very special place in my heart, I've got a handful of adapters for mine now to allow me to fire 12, 20, 410, 45 colt, 40 s&w, 38 special, 9mm, and 22lr. Not all the most accurate but could work in a pinch if it's all you had and couldnt find certain ammo for your gun.
Love those Ol' Toppers too, always thought the ones with a spare rifle or shotgun barrel were a great idea too! Where does one buy chamber adapters for a reasonable price?? Thanks, Blsgs, gg
I have a Winchester 37A and I have barrel inserts for it in .22, .38/.357, and 30-30. I also have a 20ga tube for it. I had a buddy install a front and rear sight which really helps with the rifled inserts. I wouldn’t guess as to the number of squirrels, rabbits, grouse, turkeys and four deer taken with this over 50 years. You’re very right in saying a single shot shotgun is the one to have. It has put food on my table and would absolutely be my choice as a survival weapon.
I AGREE with you about a 12ga single shot shotgun is the MOST versatile weapon (tool) you could have when the GOING GETS TOUGH. I bought a New England Arms single shot with rifle sights so it would be even better when using SLUGS and the adapters to different calibers. 😁👍
I agree the 22 mag can kill large game for survival at 100 yds with head shots! The 12 ga. is the best up close defensive weapon with buckshot and slug combo.
I broke mine, I shot one too many 3.5 magnums. I thought it was fun to shoot clays like that for some reason so the barrel was hot. The front stock screw sleeve broke off the barrel and it pretty much just fell apart after the round went off. But we can mark that down as abuse instead of failure.
Good pick and good explanations. Well done! Very similar to my picks & reasons. "Chazel" brand adapters in the U.S. State of Georgia are the ones that I have. They make various calibers & gauges. From .22 rimfire up to .45-70 Govt. cartridges. My 12-gauge single-shot shotgun is a long-barreled Winchester model 37.
Oh , BTW that H&R with the multiple caliber tunes is a nice choice. I'm not a fan of single shots BUT they do have a way of making you a better shooter as you don't have any room for Era
My favorite Shotgun is my Rossi Coach Gun. I have a 357 rifled insert for one barrel. And the whole thing brakes down to a nice compact package for storing.
Actually by my surprise marlin baught out HnR. For a long time i couldnt find one till i walked in a pawn shop and finally found one. I use to see them everywhere for around $100 to $175. This one that looks like a HnR but it said marlin on the but stock Anyway they are the most usefull tool for wilderness survival. I baught 3 adapters for mine. 1 in 45 acp and 1 in 357 mag and the other in 9mm. Which i have plenty of ammo for all 3.
Well presented logic and conclusion. Gave me something to think about. I probably don't have enough versatility in my ammo stockpile for 12 gauge. Seems I have both ends of the shot spectrum (#8's and 00) but not enough in the middle. Thanks for the thought provokers.
I still have my first shotgun given to me by my grandpa 49 years ago. Harrington and Richardson 410 shotgun. Shot my first rabbit with it . Great memories!
1, .22 rimfire , for reasons that are self explanatory 2, 12 gauge , for all the reasons you mention 3, .308 , there is a reason it's the most popular center-fire , if you want one
Just get a double barrel shotgun with a 22lr adapter, that 2 guns in one. You can get adapters also in 9mm 45, 10mm, etc. so that's even more guns in one...3rd weapon, a crossbow or air-rifle would be best for the stealthy hunting.
I have hunted with a shotgun and the only thing i can find wrong with the famous 12 gage is if you shoot small game and its a from the hip shot you wont have much left yo eat it the game is too close. I can say this from experience as my brother in law was using a 20 gage and when we retrieved the squirrel there was not much left of it. So if you must use a 12 for small game for food be sure your shots are good at distance.
Ive got a 12 gauge benelli M1 super 90. Its been an amazing hunting weapon for a number of years. I added a pistol grib and a +6 round tube extension to make it a very formidable self defense weapon too.
My buddes bought H&R 20 ga in 1971 for $70. I got a Coast to Coast 12 ga. slide gun. We hunted everything. But in a few years we all went and got 12 ga. Reminton 1100's. That's still my go to. One screw to remove the barrel. I have mulitple barrels. Thanks for a good video.
Hard to argue that a 12 ga. Shotgun is the most versatile gun to have if you can only grab one. Those adapters are pretty cool too , never seen em before. Personally I would grab my trusty Remington 870 pump, have had it for 40 + years and it’s never malfunctioned once. If I was gonna grab an adapter and some other secondary ammo I’d probably just grab my Ruger .22 Single Six revolver and strap that on my belt. Good stuff Kirk.
A 12 or 20 gauge will do the trick. The 12 gauge is a 72 caliber equivalent and the 20 gauge is a 61 caliber equivalent. Both will take small game with bird shot and both will take large game like deer, hog and bear. Both will also be formidable self defense options loaded with cut shells, buck shot and slugs. As for a single shot? No thanks, I’ll take a Mossberg 500 in pump action. When I can I like to follow the “two is one and one is none” principle. In other words have a backup for parts. When I was a child on the farm in the old country and that was some time ago we loaded pump actions with five rounds and one in the tube. The first two in the magazine were slugs, the third and fourth buck shot and the fifth was number six bird shot as was the one in the pipe. The thinking was when your in the field hunting and a bird or rabbit presented itself you had two shot. If a wolf came close the bird shot would do it, but if it was further out you can quickly cycle the bird shot out and hit him with buck shot. This was also true for dear, hog and bear. And being in bear country having a couple slugs loaded up wasn’t a bad idea. Is it perfect? nope it is not, but I got to see some old timers take multiple game from the same gun on the same hunt and so for me a pump action shotgun is ideal. So depending on the jurisdiction you hunt in this way of loading might not be legal and not advised. But in a SHTF situation I don’t think that will matter much. Thanks for the nice vid and keep up the good work.
I just bought a Stevens single-shot and it's in a 12 gauge. And mine has a screw in choke and you can get clear up to the full to or the modified or cylinder
Good choice. Since the H&R is no longer manufactured, I found that Savage made one, the Savage Stevens Model 301. It has an ejector rather than an extractor and it's very simple. I also have some Short Lane Adapters for several different calibers and gauges. It is a very versatile weapon.
Good video. But I only payed 200 dollars for my Maverick 88 Security pump. This is 7+1 power and reliability and it has a tactical light mounted on a steal rail. I can't think of a better shotgun for the money or one that is more versatile. Mossberg is solid.
There is 12 gauge ammo suitable to harvest ANY bird or animal found on the North American continent ... including the biggest bear. It's easily found and the prices are still VERY good. I could go on for DAYS about the virtues of the 12 gauge shotgun. The Colt was NOT the "gun that tamed the West". It was the shotgun.
I would probably say there were more lever guns floating around the old west than shot guns....... don't get me wrong... there were a ton of shotguns floating around..., but a lot of people were toting lever guns..... the Winchester tamed the West.....and has since taken more large game in North America than anything else.
I whole heartedly agree with you, the do it all at the farm as well easily maintained, have a break 20 my daughter abused, turned into a rust stick, when I got it back a few years later ( after being stored in a laundry room) cleaned as best I could, oiled up the extractor, a very fun gun at skeet range with the grandkids 😊
My favorite all purpose gun is my 20 gauge modified h&r with a sling and a shell holder on the butt stock. It’s short light and able to take out anything in front of it. I leave a slug in it for home defense and keep 3 6 shot shells and one extra slug on the holder for my trips out.
My View: A Semi-auto or pump action is a much better choice than your very nice single shot....Modern 12 gauges have shorter barrels and Have the most important part for all purposes/ CHOKE TUBES... Long barrels are not as handy as a 20 " barrel on a pump or semi-auto....use slugs for a one projectile round...Thank you for your informative video.
Well, when I first saw the title of your video, my first thoughts were a .22 rifle or a .357 magnum revolver. But it's mighty hard to argue against the versatilty of a scattergun. Nice choice.
When i look back at 2020, the most rounds on the shelf were the odd ones, 44 mag, 357, 9x18 etc. Ive had a hell of a time finding common ones. Now if you're gonna have to break into peoples houses looking for ammo than yeah its the common calibers youll find.
I agree. Although i have other guns for specific game, i keep a 12 single shot where i can get it quickly and load with whatever size shell i need. I use it for predators that raid my chickens or threaten other livestock. I normally use birdshot for close work near the house or barn, but have high brass goose loads for longer ranges. I even keep slugs handy since ive had a bear come to my porch.
i thought the 3 inch could also fire the 2.5 inch shells also. i have a double barrel coach gun and single shot like yours. sold my 590 a1 and all ars long ago. went old school with revolvers and rifles. works for me.
A good single shot will last forever. I’m slightly prefer 20 gauge to 12, since the guns are a little smaller and quicker handling, and 20 gauge uses less shot and powder. Either or is a great choice
In response to Mr. Springers' remark about lack of firepower, a break action w/ auto. ejector is pretty fast to reload! A buttstock ammo cuff keeps extra ammo handy! Another option is one of the bolt-action repeater shotguns! An older Savage 24, .22 LR or Mag./over 20 gauge 3" is also a great choice, IF you can find one! God Bless, Merry Christmas Everyone! gg
I keep a single shot shotgun and my folding stock AR in my SUV. They both serve a roll and don't take up any room at all. If you get hard up for ammo with the shotgun, you can use the single shot shotgun as a muzzle loader with an adapter and some black powder gear. Dave Canterburry at the Pathfinders vlog covers doing this very well.
Thanks for the video, what happens if you need more than one round? You have to reload and by that time it may be too late? Great video, I’m leaning more towards a pump action to compensate my shooting skills. Never knew about the adapters you mentioned.
Problem with a 12ga is that rounds are large and heavy. If you are in a remote cabin that requires some a few miles of walking, stocking up on ammo would become old real fast.
2 3/4" & 3" shells. Read the barrel. I agree with your observations, except full choke is a bad idea. Open choke out to 25 yrds. Modified out to 40 yrds. Full choke ruins meat most of the time. Sturdy and reliable. Good call. I carried one in Alaska for years. It fed and protected my family well.
I have an H&R single shot 20ga with a scope, rifled barrel. It's a beast, simple & accurate. Only drawback is the weight- but when out of ammo, will still make a good club!
Same! It’s my first firearm and probably still the most versatile. Mine is a 20 gauge NEF Pardner. 18th birthday present i got in 1998. I actually got the 8 inch rifled adapter insert/plug adapter thingy for .38 special.
I had a 410 years ago in this configuration. I have since learned more about it's versatility. Now I know these things, I agree with you 100% that If I could only have one gun, that shotgun in 12 G would be my pick !
