End of the world question

[RRocket]

I live in visual sight of not one, but TWO nuclear power plants. So I've always had a very well stocked "Go bag" just in case. I recall the mayhem and barbarism during natural disasters in the US. So my bag has shelter, emergency food, water purification, cooking,firestarter, etc etc

As pointed out, a firearm would likely be necessary. This one has always been a paradox of weight of ammo vs effectiveness. 10 boxes of 12g weighs over 25lbs for example.A .410 weighs half that. 5 00 pellets vs 8 in a 12g shell. Plus a .410 slug flies with the force of a 44 magnum. So it provides ample "oomph" for hunting or defense. You'd probably not find replacement ammo once your cache is depleted though.

A 10/22 is fantastic as Fob pointed out! Though I prefer the 22WMR. Almost no penalty in weight, but a massive upgrade in power. A pistol round (9mm) carbine or pistol round lever action rifle would also be very good. The ultimate one firearm solution would be rifle/shotgun combo. They come in 223/12g down to 22WMR/410 and they fold in half and fit in a backpack. I'd go with the smaller calibers due to weight and packability.

My preferred options would be different if I was staying put vs on the move. If you're in a remote area, stay put might be better. Otherwise, if you're near any sort of population you'd likely want to move....

[Johnnymac]

Yeah I have a lot of that stuff now.  I made a big list and have been adding things to the bug out bag for the last few months.  I think all I really have left is a really good map of the area, some more medical supplies, and some form of communication radio.  I went with the most cost effective stuff and mostly bought from Princess auto and Amazon.  I didn't skimp on the water purification, trama med bag, or rations.

Ron, I saw some videos of these shot gun sleeve (think a shot gun shell that you can put different ammo in the center to fire) that you slide into a single shot that allows you to shoot different ammo.  In the video it was a 20 gauge shot gun that he could use different sleeves to shoot 410 shells, .22, .308, 9mm, etc.  pretty neat but it would only be useful in single shot and I'm not sure what kind of accuracy you could expect.

I'm of the mind if I was to have an ammo cache I would want to store probably 2/3 of it at the country property and if we have to hike we would only carry a rifle each with a small amount of ammo.

[Fobroader]

A .410 slug does a decent amount of damage, and yes, the weight compared to 12 ga is massive. Since most people live in high density areas, getting the frick frack outta dodge is a great idea as yes, people turn into cavemen way quicker than you would think if they aren't getting food, water and heat.

[RRocket]

A .410 slug does a decent amount of damage

Yes it does! Right in between a 357 and 44 magnum. And if somehow you think you need "more", a Brenneke-type slug could be used instead.

And of course the 00 pellets travel at the same speed as a 12g (1200fps) but with a couple fewer pellets. I, for one, would not want five 9mm balls flying in my direction!!

If anyone thinks they're "under gunned" with a 410, it's likely a figment of their imagination.

[Fobroader]

Its like all these guys that think they need 5.56 for home protection. Trust me, a burglar does not want a hot, .22 lead injection and you won't go through the wall, through your neighbors wall, through their SUV and shatter their toilet. #4 buckshot has more balls, though smaller, than 00, has less kick and with the right ammo, will also dump all its energy into said crackhead, safely being contained in your own home.