Woods Rifle

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Dynasty

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If you were to go deep into the woods alone or with a few buddies what would be a solid, do it all rifle? In the near future I will be going ATV and Jeep off road driving with a few friends in part of the woods where the nearest house is miles away. It would make me feel much safer knowing I have tool by my side that could potentially save my life. The threats of coyotes and smaller pests like possums and racoons as well as the drunk/drugged up two legged creatures. I have an SKS and I supposed it will work, but I'm just wondering what else people would choose in a situation similar to mine.
 
I always thought that remington 7600's or marlin 336's make excellent woods rifles.

I am sure some will recommend and AK, AR, Mini-14/Mini-30, and others like them, but with a 336 for $250 you should be fine.
 
My SKS or M1 carbine would work just fine. Or I could blow the dust off my Grandads old Win 94 in 3030 and put it into use.
 
I would take one of my 22 mags and a bunch of ammo. Or maybe even better would be my Marlin 357 and a selection of 38 and 357 mag ammo.

I'm not too worried about being attacked. I should be able to shoot game of all all sizes with a 38/357 combo. I do believe it would be just fine for defense also.
 
I also would go with a .30-30, mainly because those are the only centerfire rifles I have and secondly because lever guns don't need an occasion in my opinion.
 
An SKS will be a great gun to take with you.
I wish I still had my 20-round modified Paratrooper.

In general, I prefer rifles to shotguns, but this is one case where a $100 single-shot H&R or Rossi 20 or 12 gauge might be hard to beat. Throw a buttcuff on it, add a sling, and practice some.

Huh. Actually, you can get a Rossi 2 or 3-barrel combo very reasonably, too, and then choose whether you want rimfire, shotgun, or centerfire. Not bad choices, any of them. In the 3-gun, you get .22, 20 gauge, and either .243 or .44 magnum, all for about $300 new, in a fast-handling little package with synthetic furniture.

Another option, will be about the most practical reason I could see to buy a Sub-2000. You can carry it folded, with loaded mag, in a case on an ATV or in a truck. In an emergency, you can be GTG in less than 10 seconds: fold fore-end down, rack bolt, engage. You may be able to find one for as little as $300.

Another compact option for defense is another firearm I wouldn't typically suggest, but which would work fine for packable defense in/on an offroad vehicle: a pistol-gripped pump shotgun. You should be able to find one new for no more than $200, or you can buy a used one and just put a PG on it. Be sure you've got at least 26" overall length, though.

You don't want to look like a Mad Max reject, tooling around with a strung longarm on your ATV, and if you look like you're prepared to hunt, you may be in trouble with Dept o/ wildlife if it's not season. Keeping one of the low-observability options in a case on your ATV or out of sight in a Jeep may help keep you out of trouble, as well as get you out of trouble should you need it.

John
 
I don't view coyotes, racoons or possums as threats. Your SKS with a bunch of stripper clip loaded rounds should do just fine for the two legged varmints. The only thing I might add is a red dot sight.
 
"...threats of coyotes and smaller pests like possums and raccoons..." You have nothing to fear from any of those. Although Rocky will think nothing of helping himself to any food stuffs you leave outside. Including in a cooler. I've had 'em try to get into a tent while I was in it. Doughnuts, as I recall.
Pepe won't bother you either, if you don't bother him(shoot him(head shot only) immediately if you see him in the day time. Likely rabid. Seek out the CO's right away too). Neither will Yogi most of the time. Food, outside, is like bait for every wee beastie, though.
Your SKs with SP's will do fine. So will an 18 or 20 inch, 20 or 12 guage pump shotgun. Or an M1 Carbine using commercial SP's or HP's. No ball.
 
Your SKS should work fine. If you're looking for an excuse to buy another gun (and, who isn't), then a Marlin 336 or 1894C would also be good choices. You might also consider just taking a .22 (take your pick - 10/22, Model 60, CZ452, or whatever) to plink at stuff. Cheaper to shoot and useful for building your skills.

Or, another option is a 12ga or 20ga shotgun - probably a pump of some brand. My choice would be an 870, but other choices are also good.

Factors that would guide my choice would be: how much space do you have (enough for a rifle or just a handgun), do you really expect to run into nasty critters of the 2/4 legged variety (most places don't have these; some do), are there new shooters coming who you want to introduce to firearms (reason to take a .22 of some kind), how rough a trip is this going to be (cheap gun vs. nice gun; plastic stock vs. wood), etc.
 
Last edited:
JShirley wrote:

You don't want to look like a Mad Max reject, tooling around with a strung longarm on your ATV, and if you look like you're prepared to hunt, you may be in trouble with Dept o/ wildlife if it's not season. Keeping one of the low-observability options in a case on your ATV or out of sight in a Jeep may help keep you out of trouble, as well as get you out of trouble should you need it.
Click to expand...


Wise words, which I agree with.

Location, political flavor, legal (interpretations) and other factors need to be applied to wherever one is going to be out in Jeeps, ATVs, Trail bikes, and even out hiking, camping , and even a plain old bicycle out on the property where a cabin is.


I and mine have our proven choices, but our locale and flavors differ from others around the country.

We do consider everything, including areas where dopers might be, watching the perimeter and property with the aftermath of Tornadoes and other disasters, and how far down the road a prison or detention center is.

With the various events Mother Nature has dished out across the country, I would investigate and see what areas are like, before I headed out.
Just being respectful of those, that have been through events if you will.
 
Check your game laws esp. if this is public land. Around here possession of a longarm on public land this time of year might be construed as hunting out of season. I think we are limited to 22 handguns with barrels 6 inches or less.

Unless the likelihood of encountering a rabid meth-head opossum or hord of zombie drug growers is truly high, why would an SKS or 30-30 be a better option than a 38/357 revolver and 1911? If I knew I was going to be on a 4-wheeler over hill and countyside it seems like the smaller size of a hangun would be more user friendly.

Let us know what you decide.

Best

S-
 
for the purpose and place of your intended use, the sks is fine. if you just want a new gun, i would seriously look at a marlin 1895 in 45-70, marlin 336 in 35 rem or 30-30.

i reccomend 45-70 because around here, woods = bears and wolves (and bears should be left alone if possible, but you'll want to shoot wolves on sight).
 
Possums and coyotes aren't a threat, both are way too small to take out a grown man.

I wouldn't carry an SKS because of how you'll be percieved by anyone you meet in the woods. If you have to carry a longgun, I'd recommend a shotgun with an 18" barrel. Have a buttcuff with a few extra slugs, keep the tube stuffed with buckshot (which should work great for any 4 or 2 legged pests).

A wood stocked shotgun with a leather buttcuff and no magazine extension is about as low key and practical as you can get. If I were out in the woods with friends or family and I saw a young man with an SKS, I'd be much more nervous than if I saw a young man with a basic shotgun.
 
the key here is what are you comfortable with? as long as it has as much power as, say a 30-30 or more, AND it is reliable, AND you are confortable shooting it. that is the right rifle for you. unless you live in alaska or canada where you might encounter a BIG BEAR. for the most part, anything that is a predator that is smaller than a bear can easily be killed by a 30-30. the rest is just personal preferance. if you have a black rifle and you want to be cool, take it! it just may take a couple of rounds to stop any predator instead of one. i am not saying that a 30-30 is the ultimate killing cartridge, but it is fairly potent little round. now, if you were actually hunting, that would be a different story, depending on what you were hunting, and how long of a distance. but for personal protection,anything with as much power as a 30-30 (or more) will be fine.
 
with ammo prices the way they are,bolt gun cant beat a mosin nagant m44 or m38 , sks for semi auto, marlin or glenfield model 30 lever, me it would be a m44 7.62x54. good luck
 
12ga. There isn't a thing on this continent(NA) that a 12GA cant take. Keep it loaded with 8 rds (needs an extended mag) with every other round 00 shot or rifled slug. Needs to be a pump so I can choose what gets shot if I don't want to waste a slug. It's also good out to about 100y with the slugs, which is realistically as far as you are going to need to shoot in a wooded area.
 
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