LiveSteamer
Member
Some have only a single gun, perhaps a .22LR. Some have many large gun safes chocked full of guns of various types and calibers. I imagine that most are somewhere in between. Each has different plans for what they intend to do in a SHTF event. Some want to bug out to the woods and live off the land. Others have identified a remote retreat where they plan to wait it out. A large segment of those who have prepared for the unknown plan to shelter in place, after all that is most likely where the preps and arsenal are located. My plan A is to shelter in place. However, I may have to vacate my home and shelter due to external events such as damage or potential damage to premises because of wildfires, floods, tornadoes, attacking mobs, chemical attacks, etc. My plan B is if something forces me out of my shelter I will leave by my pick up truck. I have prepared a Bug Out Bag or BOB. It contains gear, water, and food to sustain life for a "few days". Anything beyond that will have to be worked out on the fly. Thankfully, I live in a semi rural area in the central Texas Hill Country. I believe in general that watching what is happening in urban areas around me will give me an idea of what is happening and what will be coming my way in the future.
What about firearms? Sheltering in place gives tremendous advantages. You have access to your entire battery of weapons, ammunition cache, and for many, reloading equipment and components for resupply. The question becomes how many firearms, what types and calibers, and how much ammo can you carry if you have to leave your shelter.
Let's look at what you expect from your firearms in a bug out senerio. Primary is protection of yourself, your family, and your group. Secondary, perhaps is harvesting wildlife for food. Ideally you would like to have different weapons for different jobs. Handguns for close distance jobs like personal protection and threats like snakes. Rifles for longer distances whether the targets be human or wildlife.
What to take with you? I subscribe to handguns and rifles of a single caliber, .357 Magnum. Revolvers for close work, concealable and a round that can do the job. Rifles for longer distances. Sticking to a single caliber greatly simplifies logistics.
I suggest a .357 Magnum revolver for each adult and each young person who has been properly trained in their use. Revolvers are famous for reliability and simple use, pull the trigger and they go bang. It is much easier to collect spent cases from a revolver than a semi automatic which flings empty fired cases into the weeds. The empty cases can be easily reloaded in the field, more on that later. If you feel you must have a semi automatic handgun, the Desert Eagle and Coonan are produced in .357 Magnum.
What about rifles? I propose a bolt action rifle with a scope chambered in .357 Magnum for longer distance shots whether sniping or hunting. For more rapid fire at distant or mid ranges I propose a lever action in .357 Magnum.
Lets look at the .357 Magnum cartridge. Developed in 1934 by Elmer Keith, Phillip Sharpe, and Douglas Wesson. Based on the existing .38 Special cartridge, the .357 Magnum is the same straight rimmed case, only slightly longer allowing more powder for increased performance. The .357 Magnum is known for its terminal ballistics in hunting and defense. It was the go to gun for police forces during the 1950's and 1960's. With bullet weights ranging from 125 grains to 158 grains the cartridge archives velocities from 1,200 to 1,600 fps, energy from 400 to 700 foot pounds, and penetration from 9 to 15 inches, depending on how they are loaded. Deer are commonly taken each year at moderate distances with the .357 Magnum.
It is common knowledge that the lighter .38 Special cartridge can be fired in guns chambered for .357 Magnum, but not vice versa. This is helpful in a couple of ways. One, .38 Special ammunition is cheaper to purchase than .357 Magnum and has less recoil so may be a good regime for training. Second, because of the lighter recoil, firing .38 Special may be a good option for youth, the elderly, and anyone who because of physical limitations or infirmities cannot handle the stronger recoil of the. 357 Magnum. Firearms chambered in. 357 Magnum that have had .38 Special fired in them should be fully cleaned before. 357 Magnum is fired in them. This is because the shorter. 38 Special cartridge leaves space in the. 357 Magnum chamber that can be fouled.
Because the .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges are both rimmed straight cases, they are some of the easiest to reload. Reloading becomes extremely important when it becomes difficult to obtain manufactured ammunition, such as in times of unrest. Reloading can be done with equipment ranging from simple and inexpensive to complex automatic and expensive equipment. If able to stay in your home base with whatever reloading equipment and supplies you have, reloading is a great way of resupply. However, if you have to bug out and are on the run, you need a small, practical method of reloading.
This is where having a single caliber really shines. It means that the same equipment and supplies can supply ammunition for your entire battery of firearms. Let's look at such a system. I will make the following assumptions. Guns include two revolvers, a 2" barrel and a 4" barrel, a bolt action rifle with a scope, and a lever action rifle, all chambered in. 357 Magnum. You bug out with these four guns and 50 rounds of. 38 Special manufactured ammunition and 150 rounds of. 357 Magnum manufactured ammunition, a Lee Loader in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum caliber, one pound of Unique smokeless gunpowder, 1000 small pistol primers, and 1000 .38/.357 plated manufactured flatnosed bullets. An alternative to the manufactured bullets would be 22 pounds of lead and a .38 Special/.357 Magnum bullet mold. With this equipment and supplies you can reload 1000 fired cartridges in the field. The Lee Precision website states that a .38 Special Lee Loader can reload .38 Special and .357 Magnum, and a .357 Magnum Lee Loader can reload .357 Magnum and. 38 Special cartridges. So, either one will reload both calibers.
If you are not familiar with the Lee Loader, it is a small collection of tools sold by the Lee Precision company that provides the equipment needed to reload a single caliber, in this case two calibers. It is very inexpensive, very manual, and very slow. There are lots of videos on YouTube on using Lee Loaders.
What is the cost of such a setup to reload in the field. I won't address the cost of the firearms because of the many models available, new and used, ranging from a couple of hundred to over a thousand dollars each.
The following are current MSRP approximate prices and are currently available from sporting goods stores, eBay, or on line vendors. They do not include shipping or taxes.
Lead is available at local scrap yards and recycling sites.
One box .38 Special Ammunition $ 20
Three boxes .357 Magnum Ammunition @ $ 25 = $ 75
One Lee Loader, .38 Special or .357 Magnum $ 41
1000 Small Pistol Primers $ 35
One pound Unique Smokeless Gunpowder $ 30
1000 .38/.357 Plated Flat Nose Bullets $ 100
Alternatively, instead of purchasing bullets:
22 pounds of lead @ $ 0.45 per pound = $ 10
One .38/.357 two cavity bullet mold $ 25
One bottle Lee Alox Bullet Lube $ 7
With this setup you can reload 1000 .357 Magnum or 1400 .38 Special cartridges using the cases of the original manufactured ammunition you begin with. This can be done almost anywhere including sitting around a campfire in the woods. Using a soup can or almost any metal container you can cast the lead bullets over the campfire if you choose the cast bullet option. If casting bullets, you will need to lubricate them to prevent lead fouling in the barrel. Place cast bullets in almost any container, pour in a little Alox Lube, and shake.
What about firearms? Sheltering in place gives tremendous advantages. You have access to your entire battery of weapons, ammunition cache, and for many, reloading equipment and components for resupply. The question becomes how many firearms, what types and calibers, and how much ammo can you carry if you have to leave your shelter.
Let's look at what you expect from your firearms in a bug out senerio. Primary is protection of yourself, your family, and your group. Secondary, perhaps is harvesting wildlife for food. Ideally you would like to have different weapons for different jobs. Handguns for close distance jobs like personal protection and threats like snakes. Rifles for longer distances whether the targets be human or wildlife.
What to take with you? I subscribe to handguns and rifles of a single caliber, .357 Magnum. Revolvers for close work, concealable and a round that can do the job. Rifles for longer distances. Sticking to a single caliber greatly simplifies logistics.
I suggest a .357 Magnum revolver for each adult and each young person who has been properly trained in their use. Revolvers are famous for reliability and simple use, pull the trigger and they go bang. It is much easier to collect spent cases from a revolver than a semi automatic which flings empty fired cases into the weeds. The empty cases can be easily reloaded in the field, more on that later. If you feel you must have a semi automatic handgun, the Desert Eagle and Coonan are produced in .357 Magnum.
What about rifles? I propose a bolt action rifle with a scope chambered in .357 Magnum for longer distance shots whether sniping or hunting. For more rapid fire at distant or mid ranges I propose a lever action in .357 Magnum.
Lets look at the .357 Magnum cartridge. Developed in 1934 by Elmer Keith, Phillip Sharpe, and Douglas Wesson. Based on the existing .38 Special cartridge, the .357 Magnum is the same straight rimmed case, only slightly longer allowing more powder for increased performance. The .357 Magnum is known for its terminal ballistics in hunting and defense. It was the go to gun for police forces during the 1950's and 1960's. With bullet weights ranging from 125 grains to 158 grains the cartridge archives velocities from 1,200 to 1,600 fps, energy from 400 to 700 foot pounds, and penetration from 9 to 15 inches, depending on how they are loaded. Deer are commonly taken each year at moderate distances with the .357 Magnum.
It is common knowledge that the lighter .38 Special cartridge can be fired in guns chambered for .357 Magnum, but not vice versa. This is helpful in a couple of ways. One, .38 Special ammunition is cheaper to purchase than .357 Magnum and has less recoil so may be a good regime for training. Second, because of the lighter recoil, firing .38 Special may be a good option for youth, the elderly, and anyone who because of physical limitations or infirmities cannot handle the stronger recoil of the. 357 Magnum. Firearms chambered in. 357 Magnum that have had .38 Special fired in them should be fully cleaned before. 357 Magnum is fired in them. This is because the shorter. 38 Special cartridge leaves space in the. 357 Magnum chamber that can be fouled.
Because the .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges are both rimmed straight cases, they are some of the easiest to reload. Reloading becomes extremely important when it becomes difficult to obtain manufactured ammunition, such as in times of unrest. Reloading can be done with equipment ranging from simple and inexpensive to complex automatic and expensive equipment. If able to stay in your home base with whatever reloading equipment and supplies you have, reloading is a great way of resupply. However, if you have to bug out and are on the run, you need a small, practical method of reloading.
This is where having a single caliber really shines. It means that the same equipment and supplies can supply ammunition for your entire battery of firearms. Let's look at such a system. I will make the following assumptions. Guns include two revolvers, a 2" barrel and a 4" barrel, a bolt action rifle with a scope, and a lever action rifle, all chambered in. 357 Magnum. You bug out with these four guns and 50 rounds of. 38 Special manufactured ammunition and 150 rounds of. 357 Magnum manufactured ammunition, a Lee Loader in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum caliber, one pound of Unique smokeless gunpowder, 1000 small pistol primers, and 1000 .38/.357 plated manufactured flatnosed bullets. An alternative to the manufactured bullets would be 22 pounds of lead and a .38 Special/.357 Magnum bullet mold. With this equipment and supplies you can reload 1000 fired cartridges in the field. The Lee Precision website states that a .38 Special Lee Loader can reload .38 Special and .357 Magnum, and a .357 Magnum Lee Loader can reload .357 Magnum and. 38 Special cartridges. So, either one will reload both calibers.
If you are not familiar with the Lee Loader, it is a small collection of tools sold by the Lee Precision company that provides the equipment needed to reload a single caliber, in this case two calibers. It is very inexpensive, very manual, and very slow. There are lots of videos on YouTube on using Lee Loaders.
What is the cost of such a setup to reload in the field. I won't address the cost of the firearms because of the many models available, new and used, ranging from a couple of hundred to over a thousand dollars each.
The following are current MSRP approximate prices and are currently available from sporting goods stores, eBay, or on line vendors. They do not include shipping or taxes.
Lead is available at local scrap yards and recycling sites.
One box .38 Special Ammunition $ 20
Three boxes .357 Magnum Ammunition @ $ 25 = $ 75
One Lee Loader, .38 Special or .357 Magnum $ 41
1000 Small Pistol Primers $ 35
One pound Unique Smokeless Gunpowder $ 30
1000 .38/.357 Plated Flat Nose Bullets $ 100
Alternatively, instead of purchasing bullets:
22 pounds of lead @ $ 0.45 per pound = $ 10
One .38/.357 two cavity bullet mold $ 25
One bottle Lee Alox Bullet Lube $ 7
With this setup you can reload 1000 .357 Magnum or 1400 .38 Special cartridges using the cases of the original manufactured ammunition you begin with. This can be done almost anywhere including sitting around a campfire in the woods. Using a soup can or almost any metal container you can cast the lead bullets over the campfire if you choose the cast bullet option. If casting bullets, you will need to lubricate them to prevent lead fouling in the barrel. Place cast bullets in almost any container, pour in a little Alox Lube, and shake.
