Trekking rifle(s)/Long guns. Again. Savage 219 with .30WCF 26" Barrel.

There are few areas where carrying several pounds of water / shelter / warmth wouldn't have a much higher affect on minimizing dangerous outcomes. That's why people gravitate away from carrying full-size rifles "just in case" in my opinion.

If we're being totally honest, there are probably an order of magnitude more borderline outdoor situations where just a pistol's weight worth of water had a higher affect on outcome than a pistol. That's probably not the most popular idea in a gun forum.
 
People don't commonly go armed in the woods around here unless it's hunting season. We do have bears and wolves and assorted no gooders around where I summer camp. I might have a 357 revolver or .22 Mag revolver handy for critters that I shoot on occasion or along either a .22 mag or .22 LR rifle. I love exploring but these days I am much more likely to ride my Polaris RZR 4x4 than hike. I love fall hunting for grouse and Pheasants when of course I will carry a shotgun, or on occasion a .22 LR for squirrels. And anything handy when coons raid my garbage. I try not to bother the bears.
 
d2wing said:
People don't commonly go armed in the woods around here unless it's hunting season.
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That's probably true here, but I seldom see anyone on the State Land, unless it is hunting season. But no one "reacts". Only once I encountered a couple ladies with thier kids taking a walk, and another time when waiting near the road for my "extraction", a guy pulled up and parked to take his dog for a walk. Don't know what they were thinking, but did not seem to mind of find it unusual I was heavily armed.

I walk the dog around a 4-mile "loop" of the road I live on, often with a rifle slung on my back, and no one cares.
 
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I’m a little late to the party and appear to have somewhat of a different mindset on this, but here goes. My most used rifle these days is the base model Ruger PC Carbine 9mm that I have equipped with a Burris Fastfire III red dot sight and a Streamlight TLR1. It has replaced every rifle I use other than dedicated hunting rifles. With the Glock magazine adapter, I can carry 10 to 33 round magazines in the gun. It is an amazing 50+ yard plinker with reloads, but I keep it loaded with Buffalo Bore 147 grain +P hardcast flat points for everything else. It goes to the cabin every trip and spends a lot of time accompanying me on hikes and in the UTV. It also resides under the bed at home. I have perfect confidence that it can handle anything walking in the woods I frequent, which includes most big and/or toothy critters other than grizzly bears. (P.S. It would not be legal for hunting big or trophy game here, just for self-defense against them.) I don’t really hunt rabbits or squirrels, but I could easily switch ammo to any milder 9mm ammo if I wanted. I suppose you could load it with a 9mm shotshell, but I have not tried it.

Ruger-PC-Carbine.jpg

Before I had the Ruger, the Winchester 94 Trapper .30-30 was the one I kept handy. But, I don’t like the recoil when shooting it, and the trigger is terrible. The Ruger is the same length. The only downside to the Ruger is that it weighs 6.8 pounds unloaded. It probably could have been made lighter if the rifle had not come with the take-down feature that I don’t use (but some may like).

If I need a shotgun, I have a single shot Rossi 20 gauge (the one with the switchable .22 LR barrel) with the cheap plastic stock that goes for the walk or ride. It’s low tech and low cost but sees its share of outdoor time and takes some grouse.
 
LimaCharlie said:
My trekking rifle when there are rogue elephants in the area. Custom rifle built on a Mauser action in Weatherby 460 Magnum. It has a 30" barrel with an integral muzzle brake.
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460 Weatherby Magnum. That's crazy. But a good kind of crazy, or crazy in good way. !!! I'd be down with that, were there rogue elephants in my area. !!!
 
WYO said:
I’m a little late to the party and appear to have somewhat of a different mindset on this, but here goes.
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Different mindsets welcome. I could be happy with the Ruger 9mm carbine, I'd like to have one. 6.8#'s is not too bad. I'm curious about the 9mm shot-shells too, on the rare occasion when I take my Luger with me, I have some with me, but have never had a chance to try them out.
 
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I have bought enough lightweight trekking/hiking gear to allow me the carry of a capable weapon. I would typically carry either a 1911or a .45 Colt Blackhawk with HMS or equivalent Bear loads:

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Or often enough perhaps this Marlin 336 Texan .30-30:

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If the threat level is low enough then maybe this Super Single Six and probably with the .22WMR cylinder installed:

IMG-2230.jpg
 
A BlackHawk is certainly a capable weapon. !!! I like to pair my SBH .44 with a .22 rifle. Sometimes my El Patron .45 Colt if I'm trying to pinch every pound, but the extra weight of the SBH over the EL Patron is worth it considering the difference in power level. In your Ruger, the .45 can be loaded to match the .44 Mag, if desired. I'd be afraid to load my EL Patron hot, and wouldn't, although I have no idea what the strength limitation is on that pistol. I load a 250 grain bullet to just shy of 1000fps for field duty, but shoot it with 230 at only about 850-900fps. I did shoot it with the black powder load of 40 grains for a while, which duplicated the standard 9 grains of Unique load. (or visa-versa)

Any weight saved on gear is more food, water, or gun and ammo for sure. My search for lighter and more efficient gear is never ending. I go through my pack on a regular basis, deciding: "do I need that?" "do I need that much of that?" etc.

My more heavier combination, which is probably my most efficient combo as far as having both protection from the beasts, but maximum small game getting ability would be the .44Mag pistol paired with my old "Hawthorn Warrior" bolt action .22LR rifle. (actually a Mossberg) It is 6.7 pounds, not bad but much heavier than my other .22 rifles. But, it's one of my few scoped rifles, (period correct little .22 scope, came with the gun) holds sixteen rounds, and is so dang accurate it must be shot to be believed. Seriously. Not kidding. As a bonus, with the CCI Quiet, it's report is about the same as a powerful air rifle. That rifle could live off the land for a long time.

My other .22's are very accurate, but that rifle with it's extra weight, and the long barrel putting some weight up front, is more easy to shoot accurately. I dearly love my Little Badger, but it is hard to hold steady. My other two old "boy's rifles" are somewhere in between.

So, decisions decisions.

I would like to have a .22Magnum pistol. If they made a super-light load in .22Mag, like the .22LR "Quiet" I'd be hard pressed not to get one. ! I know that there are some, or "a" reduced load out there, but I think it's hard to find...not popular with the .22 Mag fans. And probably not reduced as much as I would like. ?!!?
 
Well if subsistence hunting is the real need a .410 single shot, this feller has been with me a long time on many a trek especially when I was a preteen and teen:

IMG-2198.jpg

I would not consider it a defensive weapon but still no critter, on four legs or two, would want a face full of #4 shot or buck.
 
Truth! And ammo is light, but effective. I believe one can fire .44-40/.44WCF through a 410, does not spin the bullet of course, but at very close range it would hurt. And of course one could stack several balls of appropriate size in a 410 hull, which would also leave a mark. But paired with a powerful enough pistol, I think a 410 would feed a guy pretty good, without the bulk and weight of the bigger gauges.

I've been thinking of getting a 410 insert for 20 gauge, to use in both my singleshot 219 20gauge, or my 24-V .30-30 over 20 double gun. Speaking of that gun, the 24V, paired with a .22 pistol I think it is pretty much my king of the live-off-the-land "kits" or "outfits".
DSC07520.JPG
 
A CZ527 in 7.62x39 is my walking around rifle choice. While it wouldn't be my first choice for hunting larger game, I feel confident it could hunt up to deer size. It's definitely overkill for small game like squirrel or rabbit.

The detachable mags allow a quick reload if needed for self defense against people. It would be underpowered for bear, but it's better than nothing.

I think you have to have a rifle setup for where you are. The CZ works well for wooded areas or wooded mountains where I am, but I'd want a little more range for open plains or desert, even if it adds a bit more weight.
 
IlikeSA said:
I think you have to have a rifle setup for where you are. The CZ works well for wooded areas or wooded mountains where I am, but I'd want a little more range for open plains or desert, even if it adds a bit more weight.
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Exactly, the "trekking", or "walking around rifle" is "location dependent" for sure. Another reason to not over-define it, like a Scout Rifle.

Is the CZ a bolt rifle? If so, one can duplicate .30WCF ballistics with the Rooskie cartridge. Certainly deer, and plenty of people have killed Elk with the thutty-thutty. At close range, a .30-30 or 7.62X39mm with a heavy bullet will penetrate a bear's skull for sure. Just have to remain cool and place the shot. Easy for me to say! And don't forget that the small case makes for great accurate sub-loads for small game.

It's always good to have protection against the two-legged animals, but that is more in the realm of the scout rifle, and I kind of look to the sidearm for that, so I'm good with single shots and even muzzle-loaders. But, never a bad idea.

A little extra weight is good, or okay if there's a reason for it. For me, I like a long gun to be at least lighter than 7.5 pounds, and more in the sub-seven range even better. But that also depends on the size and strength and conditioning of the person. Someone at 220 pounds and six-foot-two or three (and in good shape) will carry more weight than my six foot and 155 pounds, with the same amount of fatigue at the end of the day.
 
3Crows said:
Well if subsistence hunting is the real need a .410 single shot, this feller has been with me a long time on many a trek especially when I was a preteen and teen:
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That sure do look like a 219!
 
Ugly Sauce said:
That sure do look like a 219!
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Central Arms, I think they were a catalog company or something like that. Whatever it is, it is a nice old .410 single. It comes from my grandfather. But I have had it my whole life. Built in the days when even cheap stuff was nice.
 
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I'd bet my bippy that's a 219. I bet the break-open lever is smooth on the other side. eh?
 
Ugly Sauce said:
I'd bet my bippy that's a 219. I bet the break-open lever is smooth on the other side. eh?
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I think it was actually made by Stevens. It is similar to a double barrel .410 Stevens I have somewheres about. The Central Arms shotgun has an external hammer, I did not think a 219 had a hammer?
 
3Crows said:
I think it was actually made by Stevens. It is similar to a double barrel .410 Stevens I have somewheres about. The Central Arms shotgun has an external hammer, I did not think a 219 had a hammer?
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DUH! That's right. No, the 219 don't have no stinking hammer. Well, the break open latch, stock, all that is a dead ringer. Dang, some cross-breeding going on there. Didn't Savage buy Stevens? Wasn't there a "Savage-Stevens" at one time?
 
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