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Fieldcraft Do/did you trade F/C for

Gunfighter14e2

Hunter/trapper of Remora's
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 9, 2002
8,499
12,374
Lick skillet Alabama
eham.net
caliber reach?
A few of us where talking on the radio last night an it seems there are 3 different trains of thought.
(Taking can be in any form, traps, ect.)
The first is a 22lr will put all the meat you want/need on the table with critters from tree rats to larger than deer.
The second says you have to have at least a 223 - 243 for deer an up.
The last group says nothing smaller than 308 should be carried for things bigger than deer.

So the question is, what are your thoughts?
 
I think a lot would depend on if your hunting is true survival hunting as in your family is literally hungry and will starve if you don't bring home the meat.
Or if you are doing it more for fun and sport and if you don't get something, well no problem there is plenty of meat at the local grocery store.

When it comes to hunting most think about "ethical" hunting because for them hunting is a sport or some other thing where it's not a matter of life and death.
As such, they have the luxury of trying to be "humane" and kill animals with the least amount of suffering as possible.

Also how much walking / stalking / trailing effort do you want to put into it?
.22LR is going to mean getting much closer and being a lot better at aiming and if you miss a lot of walking.

The other side of course is if something two or four legged is aiming to take you out, what will make them stop before they have a chance to maul you?
 
Sure, a 22lr is taking down even the bigger critters if you can get close enough.

Personally, I can be happy just eating tree rats, rabbit and leafy shit for a very long time. So if I'm hungry enough to consider hunting anything deer and up in a shtf situation I'm bringing something bigger to increase my range as much as possible. The greater the range the greater the chances for success and food on the table is priority #1.

I don't understand 223... it makes as much noise as most hunting cartridges, but lacks the range and energy on target. Most 223 bullets aren't designed with hunting game in mind either. Maybe just because someone has a lot of it?
 
I can tell you from utmost certainty you can kill deer with a 22lr. Coming from a poor family we ate a lot of venison growing up. All of which was taking with a 22lr and short. I personally would prefer some thing a little bigger for a bug out type of situation. A little more reach is always nice if needed.
 
Laughing,...we had a night session planned for 3 weeks now. All of a sudden most pussyed up saying they were too tired to go. OK,... WFT,... all said their honey do lists were killing them. Not a problem, I'll just reverse your head of house hold names,...now. laughing,....
 
Hunting when the SHTF? Not me, I live in Wyoming and I will be eating beef backstraps. Why would anyone run to the mountains when the flatlands are full of slow elk?
 
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