What should I look for in a survival rifle?

[Y4112]

I don't currently own a gun but am looking to get a semi-auto rifle for hunting big game both during normal hunting seasons as well as being a weapon that one could bug out with or use for home defense if necessary.

I was thinking the 6.8 to 7.62 caliber range.
Portability and lightweight would be nice.
Versatility is really what I'm looking for here, not wanting to have to buy several different rifles for different purposes.

Although I am wondering if I may actually want two rifles, with the second being a small rifle around .22 that folds up and is lightweight for hunting small game. Although I am unsure if it would be something I wanted to rely on for much else.

[TXAZ]

Welcome.
I'd go rent the rifles at a range first and see how you like them before deciding on a specific caliber. Every caliber has pros and cons.
A .22 is easy to carry and shoot, and inexpensive and lightweight, but won't (in some cases is illegal) for game animals.

[Targa]

If you can swing it, I would go with your idea of two rifles. One a dedicated hunting rifle and the other for home defense/bug out. Although I am not a big fan of them, AR’s in 5.56/.223 are about as good as it gets IMO. They just bore me to tears...

[PlatinumCore16]

Welcome! I agree with 2 rifles. A .22 would make a great survival tool, especially as there are many makes of takedown and collapsible style .22s. As far as big game goes, how big are you looking? A semi-auto in anything from 6mm - 7.62mm would be fine for almost anything in NA, provided you have a proper bullet construction selected for your application. Some of those AR10s have gotten quite light.

Do you have a budget in mind?

[MarkCO]

If I had to go with two, I would get a decent 6.5CM bolt gun and a 9mm PCC.

Rationale. The 6.5CM will cover most aspects of big game hunting and plinking at the range and is a lower recoil and popular cartridge. Something in the Ruger American line can be had in the $400 range.

A 9mm PCC will allow you to shoot some competitions, which will get you needed practice and gun handling skills. Less cost and concussion than a .223 and a platform that is probably the easiest to shoot well for the widest array of people.

[ms6852]

If only one rifle I would choose a 22 magnum. Hits hard enough for self defense and great for hunting as well with well placed shots in the ear or just behind the ear. You can carry 500 rounds of bullets for the same weight that maybe 3 or 4 boxes of 20 count larger calibers weigh. My second firearm would be the Kel-Tec PMR 30 handgun. Lot of firepower with one caliber.

[Art Eatman]

For this website, "survival rifle" means civilian self-defense; typically, around one's home.

So, in general, semi-autos in the general arena of the AK/AR family.

For big game no larger than most whitetail deer, a .243 has always been sufficient for me. Larger mule deer, and elk? 7mm08 and up. My own preference is a bolt action, since they are quite accurate at (commonly) lesser expense.

For a person with little or no experience with rifles, I strongly recommend a .22 rimfire for the learning curve. It's the least-cost way to develop one's skill.

[Mobuck]

If ammo availability is considered, a 7.62x39 and a 22lr make a good SD/hunting combo. The 22lr is the king of "learning" and is cheap/easy to shoot. The 7.62x39 is a decent short range medium game round and works well for SD. Both rounds are economical and readily available.

[Metal god]

I've always been of the thought you get what's best over a large area of needs first . IMO that is a 22lr ( 10/22 ) and a 12ga shotgun . Those were my very first guns I owed 30yrs ago and still seem to be the go to combo . Right there is all your hunting and survival needs at a cost of one large caliber centerfire rifle . You later can branch out to specific needs when ever needed . You can switch out the shotgun for a lesser expensive Ruger American or Savage Axis bolt guns in 308 or 30-06 for about the same price . Ammo availability and price for any of those options should be good .

[Mobuck]

The problem with a 6.8 would be long term(beyond what you have on hand or can carry) ammo supply. If that's not your priority, the 6.8 is superior to the 7.62x39 as a game taker. I have both, have shot deer with both, and find the 6.8 a better choice.

[agtman]

For this website, "survival rifle" means civilian self-defense; typically, around one's home.

So, in general, semi-autos in the general arena of the AK/AR family.
* * *
For a person with little or no experience with rifles, I strongly recommend a .22 rimfire for the learning curve. It's the least-cost way to develop one's skill.

With but one quibble, I have to agree with Art on this one, especially that last part about including a decent .22 rifle in the 'survival' battery. Cheap practice for marksmanship development and a practical tool in its own right.

The quibble is, I'd include the 7.62/.308 M1 Garands and M1As among the semi-auto suggestions.

That said ...

What should I look for in a survival rifle?

Generally speaking, you want reliability first, and reasonable accuracy at practical distances second.

And for one do-it-all centerfire rifle caliber, I'd strongly recommend the commonly available .308/7.62 cartridge.

[COSteve]

Originally Posted by agtman

With but one quibble, I have to agree with Art on this one, especially that last part about including a decent .22 rifle in the 'survival' battery. Cheap practice for marksmanship development and a practical tool in its own right.

The quibble is, I'd include the 7.62/.308 M1 Garands and M1As among the semi-auto suggestions.

That said ...

Generally speaking, you want reliability first, and reasonable accuracy at practical distances second.

And for one do-it-all centerfire rifle caliber, I'd strongly recommend the commonly available .308/7.62 cartridge.

As I own M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, and an M1A, I agree that they should be on the list. However, there is one notable platform missing, a Ruger Mini-30.

I own the Mini-14 I use for general plinking and love the size, hold, and ruggedness of the rifle. In addition, I've shot the Mini-30 numerous times and think of it as a M1 Carbine sized platform on steroids. Shooting a 30 cal, 125grn bullet in the 2400-2600fps range puts it in the performance range of my 30-30.

Even though I have 2 AR-15s, when I go out into the Rockies 'woods walking' I take my Mini-14 over even my lightweight AR-15 carbine every time. As an 'irons gun', the Mini platform is a jewel as you can shoot from 0-200+yds very accurately. My 583 series Mini, with a few cheap tweaks and using my 62grn Hornady handloads is a 1 MOA shooter so it's plenty accurate for the OP's needs.

I use my Mini-14 to smack bowling pins at 200yds and that's with iron sights. The Mini-30, shooting decent ammo, is also a 1MOA platform and even out at 300yds, shooting at steel with iron sights is a blast. In fact, the only reason I don't own a Mini-30 is that I already have long guns in 30 Carbine, 30-30, 300 Savage, .308, and 30-06 so another 30 cal is not something I can justify to myself at this time.

It's small, compact, rugged, dependable, and pretty darn accurate if you use reasonably decent ammo. Speaking of ammo, the 7.62x39 rd is a compact rd about the length of a .223/5.56 but with much more punch. Great for HD and hunting out to medium range for up to large mule deer sized animals, it's a better choice than the clunky AK platform in my book.

[Dano4734]

22 there is ammo everywhere. Anything else not so much. A bugout you aren’t usually bringing full reloading and casting supplies

[keithdog]

If I could have only one rifle for survival it would be my 10/22. It's a tactical model with all polymer furniture. Some of that's unnecessary, but I do like having furniture that's inherently impervious to the elements. In my opinion, .22 is the most versatile round available in terms of survival. You can hunt small game without wasting meat and with decent shot placement (good scope) one could ostensibly bring down much larger game. And there's no reason it can't be useful in defense.
That said, every gun is a compromise. People on here disagree about all manner of things, but everyone will agree with that. If you want one or two guns, make certain they do what it is you need most and accept that you're going to face some serious limitations.
My go to two:
Ruger 10/22
AKM in 7.62x39
Solid choices in anyone's mind, though not the only valid ones.

[keithdog]

And depending on where you live, 9mm carbines make a great close quarters (suburb) gun.

[roscoe]

One gun for a non gun-owner? Pump shotgun. Versatile and simple.

[HiBC]

A gun is nothing but tool.

"I'm thinking about getting into tools.What is the best tool?"

Hunting? What are you going to hunt? What sort of terrain and cover? Etc.A 100 yd or less woods gun may be different than a 300yd mountain rifle.

Survival? What is it you intend to survive? A bush plane that stops flying? A home invasion? Back country travel? Does survival mean pot meat,or bears and lions?

Forum rules place "End of the world as we know it" and other societal collapse scenarios off limits.

The job you have to do helps select the tool.

A problem. No tool comes with skill sets. Buying a Fender Stratocaster won't make you a rock star.

Your first concern is developing the skills to punch holes in the right places.Marksmanship.

One obvious choice is a .22. It might be the Ruger 10-22 suggestion,I suppose.Or it might be an older,fill size bolt .22 that you can sling up and shoot like a hunting rifle. Become a marksman before you become a hunter or gunfighter.And,hunting rabbits,squirrels,etc is woods experience,fun,and fills the pot.

Another option might be some form of .223/5.56. Ammo is fairly reasonable and available. Its easy to shoot.Recoil won't cover up or create bad habits.
A lot of folks hunt game up to deer with them,and they will dofor 2 legged "survival". Which all might point toward some variety of AR-15.

The advice toward 308/7.62...Well, for some jobs,excellent tool.Its not what I would start you with,. But,Thats just me. Might make a great 3rd rifle.

[jmr40]

Semi-autos are either too heavy, or borderline powerful enough. My choice would be a bolt gun along the lines of the "scout" pattern. I'd add a handgun in 9mm for personal protection at close range.

I don't think it has to meet all of the technical scout rifle criteria. In fact I think this with a low powered 1-4X or 2-7x scope on it is a better "scout" rifle than the ones marketed as a Scout rifle. They come with a 3 round magazine, but 5, and 10 round mags are available.

https://ruger.com/products/americanR...ets/26974.html


Or the same rifle in 5.56/223. The round is adequate for deer size game if ammo is chosen carefully and they take inexpensive and common AR magazines.

https://ruger.com/products/americanR...ets/26965.html

[agtman]

Semi-autos are either too heavy, or borderline powerful enough. My choice would be a bolt gun along the lines of the "scout" pattern. I'd add a handgun in 9mm for personal protection at close range.

I don't think it has to meet all of the technical scout rifle criteria. In fact I think this with a low powered 1-4X or 2-7x scope on it is a better "scout" rifle than the ones marketed as a Scout rifle. They come with a 3 round magazine, but 5, and 10 round mags are available.
https://ruger.com/products/americanR...ets/26974.html

Actually, if the OP is considering a bolt gun, one chambered in .308 that's also compact and topped with a low-powered scope is an excellent suggestion.

I agree it doesn't have to be, technically, a full "Scout rifle" but a quick, light-weight, durable, carbine-length long gun is an extremely useful tool in the field.

[T. O'Heir]

"...22 there is ammo everywhere..." There won't be if bad things happen. Won't be any ammo. The advantage of .22 LR is the amount you can buy a store without any fuss. 1,000 rounds fits in 2 pockets.
Anyway, the very best survival long gun isn't a rifle. It's a shotgun. Preferably with rifle sights and a supply of bird shot, anti-personnel buck shot and slugs.
The whole "scout rifle" idea was one of Cooper's more stupid ideas.

[Y4112]

I have decided on getting a Ruger 10/22 Takedown with a Magpul backpacker stock for my .22. It should serve me well for small game and plinking, although it could be used for self defense in a pinch I wouldn't want to have to rely on it as my primary means for that. I also can't use it for big game.

So that brings me to continuing my consideration of what semiautomatic rifle to get.
It has to be semi auto to be viable for self defense, and it has to be large enough caliber to legally hunt big game. So 6mm-8mm.

I'd go rent the rifles at a range first and see how you like them before deciding on a specific caliber. Every caliber has pros and cons.

That's a great idea, but I'll have to look more into areas that may offer that. So far the only place I've seen that offers rentals has only handguns available for rent.

If you can swing it, I would go with your idea of two rifles. One a dedicated hunting rifle and the other for home defense/bug out. Although I am not a big fan of them, AR’s in 5.56/.223 are about as good as it gets IMO. They just bore me to tears...

Ideally I'd like to find an AR in an intermediate caliber that can be both a hunting and defense weapon. Especially since, if I were to have to bug out, I wouldn't want to have to haul around two guns, but would want a general purpose gun for big game and defense. Although, at that point it's true there would be no legal restriction on using a 5.56 against big game, I honestly don't trust the 5.56 much as a round. Even the military right now is looking into upgrading to a larger caliber.

Welcome! I agree with 2 rifles. A .22 would make a great survival tool, especially as there are many makes of takedown and collapsible style .22s. As far as big game goes, how big are you looking? A semi-auto in anything from 6mm - 7.62mm would be fine for almost anything in NA, provided you have a proper bullet construction selected for your application. Some of those AR10s have gotten quite light.

Deer and Elk mostly. Although I wouldn't rule out the possibility of also hunting moose or big horn sheep if I had the opportunity.
I also want to be able to put down a bear quickly if I were faced with one that means to attack.

I am wondering if more solid, harder, heavier, penetrating ammo would be better for this role, regardless of what caliber I go with, because perhaps it won't be knocked off course by brush as easily, and it will have a better chance of going through the bones of big threats or game.

And then I'd use my .22 for hunting small game, when it's not big game season.

I'm not entirely sure what I'd do if I had to bug out though. Carrying both would be heavy and slow me down; but if I had to be in the wilderness for a while I'd probably be glad I had that .22 for quiet harvesting of small game. But if I build both my AR and .22 super light, it becomes more possible, but still not what you really want to be doing.

Do you have a budget in mind?

Cost is generally not an issue. I am not looking to spend unnecessary money if I don't have to, nor am I looking to trick out a gun in expensive upgrades merely to show off, but I also of am the mind that I'd rather buy a gun that is so well fitted to my needs and so high quality that I just don't ever feel the need to buy any others.
Now, I suppose there are some limits on cost. I can't afford a 100k full titanium AR. But, you know, if a $3900 MR762A1 is truly the best rifle to meet my needs, well, maybe it's worth the investment because it will probably last a lifetime and I'll never need anything else. Or maybe buying a more "affordable" MR556A1 at $2800 and then buying components to change it to 6.8 caliber?

I find the reliability and durability of the civilian HK416's to be so impressive that it's strongly in my consideration. It can handle the dirt in backpacking and hunting, and in a bugout or collapse scenario the game would need the least maintenance to keep going. I could even drop it in water or swim with it and it wouldn't be phased, firing as though nothing had happened.

The only reason I am probably not going to go that route is weight. I could build a lightweight AR15 that might be 6 pounds of less even if I converted it to 6.8 by using aftermarket parts. I don't know if there's a lot of lightweight components out there for the civilian version of the HK416 that would make it a reasonable weight.

Right now I'm looking at some options for building a lightweight AR15 in the 5-6 pound range, which could cost $2000 or more. I could potentially change out components to make it a 6.8 for hunting and then change it back to 5.56 if I wanted to, but I am not sure I would want to use the 5.56 for defense if I had the 6.8 option.

This is looking like the most likely option for me at this point merely because I don't really know of a lot of other options out there that are both lightweight, big enough caliber for big game, and good handling semi automatic rifles for defense scenarios.

If I had to go with two, I would get a decent 6.5CM bolt gun and a 9mm PCC.

Rationale. The 6.5CM will cover most aspects of big game hunting and plinking at the range and is a lower recoil and popular cartridge. Something in the Ruger American line can be had in the $400 range.

A 9mm PCC will allow you to shoot some competitions, which will get you needed practice and gun handling skills. Less cost and concussion than a .223 and a platform that is probably the easiest to shoot well for the widest array of people.

Those don't fit what I'm looking for. The rifle would have to be a semi auto to be a viable for self defense.
I also wouldn't want a pistol caliber rifle for defense applications, which is why I am looking more at AR style rifles that pack a good mix of range/power with lightness and compactness. Although that 9mm is lighter than a stock AR15 or AR10, if I put a lot of money into a custom AR I could end up with something that is both lighter and more powerful.

So, in general, semi-autos in the general arena of the AK/AR family.

Yes, that's kind of the conclusion I've been coming to. But there are innumerable numbers of assault style rifles, battle rifles, or semi auto hunting rifles that could all potentially fill this role - I need helping and ideas to help me figure out what I should be looking at in that area. I don't just want to go for the obvious two that are most popular, but I want to really consider a range of potential more obscure options that maybe would fit my requirements better.

For big game no larger than most whitetail deer, a .243 has always been sufficient for me.

I don't doubt it's sufficient to kill a deer with a 5.56 (I've seen some claim .22 can do it with proper shot placement), but it's not actually legal here to hunt deer with a round that small.
So I'm trying to have a gun I can use for legal hunting seasons, and not just something I'd hunt with in a bug out scenario.

If ammo availability is considered, a 7.62x39 and a 22lr make a good SD/hunting combo. The 22lr is the king of "learning" and is cheap/easy to shoot. The 7.62x39 is a decent short range medium game round and works well for SD. Both rounds are economical and readily available.

I am still strongly considering that. It has more stopping power and range.
It has more penetration power again bigger game and stability through dense brush. All good things to have when hunting, but it also adds weight...
And there's a reason the military doesn't use it anymore. It's difficult to get follow up shots, which are not a concern often with hunting, but can be life or death in a defense situation.
Now, maybe that varies depending on the gun, but I tend to assume the 6.5 or 6.8 is a little more well rounded as something that can still reach out and bring down big game but also doesn't kick around so much with rapid fire that I will be disadvantaged in a potential gunfight by not being able to make quick and accurate follow up shots.
Or course the 5.6 is the king of quick and accurate follow up shots, having such little recoil, but I think you give up too much power to achieve that.

[Y4112]

I've always been of the thought you get what's best over a large area of needs first . IMO that is a 22lr ( 10/22 ) and a 12ga shotgun . Those were my very first guns I owed 30yrs ago and still seem to be the go to combo . Right there is all your hunting and survival needs at a cost of one large caliber centerfire rifle . You later can branch out to specific needs when ever needed . You can switch out the shotgun for a lesser expensive Ruger American or Savage Axis bolt guns in 308 or 30-06 for about the same price . Ammo availability and price for any of those options should be good .

A shotgun was on my list to get.... however, I have a hard time seeing what I'd use it for aside from being purely a hunter's utility gun.

I can imagine myself going out to hunt with a shotgun and packing slugs, buckshot, and birdshot with me - so that way I can take down a wide variety of potential game using only one gun.

However, there's almost no personal defense situations where I could see myself wanting to use a shotgun over a good AR. Especially if it's a pump shotgun. Yes, it's a fine weapon for home defense against a single intruder, but if I'm on the move and need to engage in a wider array of circumstances in a bug out situation then a shotgun probably won't cut it. If I wasn't worried about having to defend myself from other people then I could see how a shotgun might be the best all around survival weapon for hunting a wide variety of game.

Although the .22 is probably superior for long term because your ammo will last a lot longer. No need to waste an entire shot shell against a single rabbit.

When it comes to looking at shotguns though, I feel kind of lost about what direction to go in, probably because I don't have a clear idea of how it fits into my needs. A good AR and .22 probably covers all my needs well enough. Although if I only had to carry one gun out into the woods a shotgun could be best.

Unfortunately shotguns are heavy, and I haven't found any good backpacking or takedown options yet. I don't really care if it's semi auto or pump as long as it's not a single shot or double shot. I want something with more ammo, but most backpacking/survival shotguns seem to be based around being single shot.

I could save weight by getting one without a stock, but I am unsure how that would impact accuracy and control.

The problem with a 6.8 would be long term(beyond what you have on hand or can carry) ammo supply. If that's not your priority, the 6.8 is superior to the 7.62x39 as a game taker. I have both, have shot deer with both, and find the 6.8 a better choice.

That was a concern I had, the availability of ammo.
However, if I were using a gun that had the capability to be chambered for both, by swapping out some parts, then that could solve that problem. Use 6.8 as my preferred, but swap out parts to 5.56 if I run out of ammo for it.
However, that would probably be a bug-in scenario than a bug-out scenario. Although, I would plan on the potential for either happening.

Can you tell me more about why you consider 6.8 to be superior to 7.62.

Generally speaking, you want reliability first, and reasonable accuracy at practical distances second.

That would seem to put the HK416 variants at the top of the list then. I was watching someone test different guns on youtube. A high end AR15 failed after firing about 850 rounds in full auto without stopping, whereas the HK416 went through 2500 rounds before they gave up and said it didn't fail (although it stopped being able to get through a full magazine without constant stoppages, it still technically worked).

If only I could find parts to get the MR762A1 weight down to a more reasonable level (10 pounds is way too heavy), I'd probably be sold.

As I own M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, and an M1A, I agree that they should be on the list. However, there is one notable platform missing, a Ruger Mini-30.

I own the Mini-14 I use for general plinking and love the size, hold, and ruggedness of the rifle. In addition, I've shot the Mini-30 numerous times and think of it as a M1 Carbine sized platform on steroids. Shooting a 30 cal, 125grn bullet in the 2400-2600fps range puts it in the performance range of my 30-30.

Even though I have 2 AR-15s, when I go out into the Rockies 'woods walking' I take my Mini-14 over even my lightweight AR-15 carbine every time. As an 'irons gun', the Mini platform is a jewel as you can shoot from 0-200+yds very accurately. My 583 series Mini, with a few cheap tweaks and using my 62grn Hornady handloads is a 1 MOA shooter so it's plenty accurate for the OP's needs.

I use my Mini-14 to smack bowling pins at 200yds and that's with iron sights. The Mini-30, shooting decent ammo, is also a 1MOA platform and even out at 300yds, shooting at steel with iron sights is a blast. In fact, the only reason I don't own a Mini-30 is that I already have long guns in 30 Carbine, 30-30, 300 Savage, .308, and 30-06 so another 30 cal is not something I can justify to myself at this time.

It's small, compact, rugged, dependable, and pretty darn accurate if you use reasonably decent ammo. Speaking of ammo, the 7.62x39 rd is a compact rd about the length of a .223/5.56 but with much more punch. Great for HD and hunting out to medium range for up to large mule deer sized animals, it's a better choice than the clunky AK platform in my book.

The Ruger Mini 30 actually looks quite nice. The fact that it's a more compact bullet is, I think, a good thing. It's not too bad in terms of weight, although I'm curious to see what kind of aftermarket options can bring that weight down even further.

I'm going to add that to my list of potential guns and do some more research on it.

I would, of course, love to have an M1 Garand or M1 Carbine from a war history collection standpoint - but I can't really justify spending money right now a collection piece, especially when I'm paying a premium for it. I could get a modern gun that probably does a better job than those and be half the cost. For instance, having a box magazine on the Ruger mini 30 instead of the stripper clips on the Garand.
In a situation where I'm not just hunting, but actually in self defense, I want the gun that's going to be the best in class. I don't want to sacrifice functionality or add weight just because I gave it to the cool factor of wanting to own a Garand. Since I'm only planning to get one, I want to make sure the one I get is the most capable for my money.

And depending on where you live, 9mm carbines make a great close quarters (suburb) gun.

Small rounds may be competent in close quarters, but they also have their own unique vulnerabilities in a suburb/urban environment - There is ample cover for enemies to fire at you from behind, but the 9mm won't penetrate it well compared with an AR.

Plus, not all city fights are guaranteed to happen at close quarters. If you're trying to travel out of the city, or from one part to another, you have to be concerned about the potential for medium distance threats.

A 9mm is also of greatly reduced value once you get out of the city into the wilderness and can't take down big game well, if at all.

One gun for a non gun-owner? Pump shotgun. Versatile and simple.

Despite not owning guns, I'm not someone who doesn't know how to shoot, nor am I someone who doesn't plan to practice and develop my skills to get better. So there's no need to get a crutch of a simple weapon. Instead I have specific criteria I'm looking to fulfill.

A gun is nothing but tool.

"I'm thinking about getting into tools.What is the best tool?"

When you think from a minimalist backpacking perspective, or a military perspective, finding versatile tools that can fill most of your needs is more important than finding the right tool for a specific job. So there are times when versatility legitimately matters more than having the "best" tool for a job. That's why soldiers learn to fight with general purpose weapons that are meant to cover the biggest range of circumstances they will face, because they don't have the luxury of knowing what they will face and bringing just the right gun from their collection to fulfill that on any given day. The same principle applies to backpacking, survival, or defense situations, where you need to cover the widest range needs with one gun.

If I was only looking for a very specific rifle for a very specific job then I wouldn't need much help trying to analyze all the options.

Hunting? What are you going to hunt?

In normal circumstances, Deer, Elk, Grouse, Peasant, Turkey. Sheep and Moose if I could.

What sort of terrain and cover? Etc.A 100 yd or less woods gun may be different than a 300yd mountain rifle.

Potentially both considering where I live.

Survival? What is it you intend to survive? A bush plane that stops flying? A home invasion? Back country travel? Does survival mean pot meat,or bears and lions?

Versatility again.
-Bear/Cougar/Wolf attack.
-Being able to hunt game to survive on in a backpacking or camping out scenario (although I know there are limits to how much versatility you can get out of one gun, so both big and small game aint going to happen from the same gun - unless it's a shotgun, but then I sacrifice a lot of personal defense capability to achieve that. However, it is still something to consider as part of the analysis)
-Home invasion.
-Civil unrest of some kind. It doesn't have to even be "end of the world", but dangerous situations that are more than just a run of the mill home invasion. Although a home invasion can be expected to be dealt with using nothing more a pistol, or at most a shotgun, there are plenty of potential scenarios of civil unrest where that wouldn't be enough. One example being during the LA riots when the Koreans were forced to defend their property using semi automatic rifles because the police either couldn't or wouldn't do anything to help them.

Your first concern is developing the skills to punch holes in the right places.Marksmanship.

One obvious choice is a .22.

Don't assume that just because I don't own a rifle yet that I don't already have marksmanship skills and need to start at the bottom of the rung with a .22 as a trainer. I know from experience that I shoot quite well.

Another option might be some form of .223/5.56. Ammo is fairly reasonable and available. Its easy to shoot.Recoil won't cover up or create bad habits.
A lot of folks hunt game up to deer with them,and they will dofor 2 legged "survival". Which all might point toward some variety of AR-15.

Not a large enough caliber to be legal for hunting deer here.

[HiBC]

OK. Well, as far as I know,that Holy Grail rifle has been sought for a long time,and one that delivers it all does not exist.
Compromise will be required.
I disagree with Mt O'Heir that Jeff Cooper's scout rifle idea was stupid. I've built a couple of rifles borrowing from the scout rifle concept. Light weight,308 (or so)power,the scout scope is fast,you point like a shotgun and there is a reticle. Coopers scout is about being low key but capable.A lone guy will probably lose a high volume firefight.You won't carry 200 rds of 308.

It will hunt to 200+ yds. But,not so good for multiple home invaders. Overkill for grouse.
Our military chooses the M-4 for an "allaround",but they aren't concerned about minimum hunting caliber.

The DPMS LR308 L is a 7.9 lb "AR-10" clone. I don't know if there are a lot of lighter 308 semi autos. That plus a scope and ammo is more than I need to carry hunting.A 3 shot bolt gun is plenty of firepower and most anything can be done with a 4X on a 308.

Any 7.62x39 is not much of an elk rifle or 200 yd + hunting rifle.

A light weight bolt .308 carbine and something like a Glock20 in 10 mm might work.

You don't get a socket set,a 4 way screwdriver,combination wrenches and a BFH Chevy wrench in a leatherman tool, or a little bitty cute 49mpg car that will pull a 5th wheel trailer.

List priorities and make choices. I can't do that for you.

A decent 300 yd elk rifle is not a great home defense weapon.
A "Lightweight bugout gun" makes me think of folks who through hike the Continental Divide Trail...cut the handle off the toothbrush types.30 lbs is a lot of bugout.

I hunt by the rules and respect private property...but hunting is different than "survival" I might eat mutton,angus,dog,or burro if its truly about surviving,and a 22 would get it done.I'd be happy to have a game warden save my life even if it meant a citation.

[n4aof]

There is a lot of good advice in their thread -- along with some total BS -- but nearly all of it is just a matter of opinion and mostly based on too little information.

Let me start by saying that hunting, home defense and bugout survival are three totally different activities. There could be quite a bit of overlap in what you want in a gun for each of those but if you expect to accomplish all three with one rifle you will have to make a lot of compromises. We can point out some of those compromises but only you can evaluate how much to compromise in any area and given your lack of experience I am 100% confident that your decisions will change over time.

For hunting the first decisions you need to make are WHAT and WHERE, then you should probably also think about HOW.

WHAT is primarily a decision about which animal(s) you want to hunt. Probably the most common in the US would be some sort of deer -- but larger and smaller game animals are also possibilities, as are predators and other nuisance non-game animals. There is a world of difference between hunting squirrels or whitetail deer or moose or bear. And, of course, hunting could mean any of various game birds like quail, pheasant, duck, or geese.

WHERE starts with the state because state hunting regulations will limit your choices of caliber. Once you know the state regulations about hunting whatever it is you plan to hunt, then WHERE mostly means the kind of terrain, such as open woods, grassland, dense brush, mountains, etc. The terrain and the animal itself will largely determine the distance at which you would get a shot (your skill would then determine if you can realistically take that shot).

Depending on WHAT and WHERE you may have some choices about HOW you will hunt. Will you be sitting in a tree stand or a blind, will you be stalking your game cross-country, will you be in a fixed position watching or calling the game, will you have to climb a steep rocky slope, etc., etc.

And those are just the starting points for just hunting.

Home Defense is in some ways simpler and in other ways much more complex. Again WHAT, WHERE, and HOW are your starting points.

WHAT applies first to the threat. WHAT are you defending your home against. Are you planning to defend against a mob of looters during a riot? Against a squad sent by a rival drug cartel looking to steal your stash? Against a professional burglar? Against an amateur burglar (very different subject)? Against your drunk neighbor who came to the wrong house?

WHAT also applies to what (who!) you are defending. Remember, you are only defending people, not stuff! Are you defending just yourself? Your family? Are there other adults in the home? Can they help with the defense? Are there small children? Are children old enough to be taught what to do in different kinds of emergencies?

WHERE again starts with the state (and often the city or county). Laws are different in every state. Don't settle for the BS you will find in online forums -- check your state and local laws yourself, and get professional advice on any parts that aren't clear. The only source of information that is typically worse than the advice you would get online would be any advice you might get from police officers. If you want serious advice about a law, ask a lawyer. You need to be familiar with your state laws (and any local ones) about guns, about defense, and about use of force in general. You also want to be aware of the attitudes of state and local authorities concerning the use of force otherwise you might find yourself charged with a crime even though your actions were within the law. There is quite a bit of good material available from organizations like USCCA and US Law Shield. Self-defense insurance coverage is also a good idea if you think you might ever actually defend yourself with a weapon.

The next part of WHERE is the specific place you are defending -- your home. Is it an apartment or condominium with neighbors six inches away on the other side of a wall? A townhouse? A house in the suburbs? A rural home out in the country where police response is likely to be 15 minutes or more and backup might be an hour? Single story, split level, two or more stories? Is there a basement? Is it a walkout? What kind of construction? How close are the neighbors? Which directions? Remember you are responsible for every round you fire -- from the muzzle until it eventually comes to a stop somewhere, not just where you were aiming.

HOW is about tactics. Tactics ought to be driven by the factors already mentioned, but in reality tactics are too often driven by personal attitudes and machismo. HOW are you going to defend yourself, your family, and perhaps any guests? Can you get everyone together in one place? Is there a place in the house where you can defend against intruders without endangering your family? Do you have the nerve to stay in a defensible position and wait while your house is robbed or are you one of those hero-wannabes who needs to grab his gun and go hunt down the intruders?

Bugout gun?? THAT's where this starts to get REALLY complicated!

[Art Eatman]

One reason we don't do SHTF here is that there are way too many possible scenarios. Way too many different ideas about one's situation and how to deal with it. Plus, there are many other websites which focus on SHTF.

A similar but lesser problem on civilian home defense within local laws.