Is the SKS sufficient enough for rural survival?

[desertgunner]

Let me toot my horn, fellas:
No matter what the personal quality of voters is out there, the quantity that can be drawn to vote makes it to get a result. I find it absolutely despiccable that tombstone votes still seem to be possible in this great country, with all the digital gizmos available to COUNT THOSE OUT, on either party's side.....How far down the ranks does the curruption go in Government oversight ( or INDEPENDENT Voting Overseers )? I rest my case.....

As to the Doomsday comments on here, yes, a lone wolf is not going to make it!! Right!!!
But what if your neighbors think that the Govenrnment will take care of them in case of a Doomsday and you just cannot get them to pull their head out of their ar..., though trying for years??????
Let me tell you, right now I am taking them on one at a time, trying to get them interested in shooting out there in the desert, for the fun of hitting cans with a .22LR as preparation for cleaning up the squirrel plague, which we have here. Made sense for 3 guys already.....steady drop holes the stone.

There is not very much more I can do, people are slow here because of the height above sealevel and the heat in summer and fall. And with an unemployment rate over 20% , who would be able to buy a .22 Semi with a 2 year Unemployment Check running out soon.

My 3 newbies are now checking the Pennysaver for yardsales and checking the local independant gunshop for consignments, to buy special ammo like 7.62x39 or 7.62x54r we have to drive 30 miles to get an acceptable deal. We will probably have a WALMART coming up in 3 years, but until then, ammo purchase is organized with comparing feedback from the net etc. We buy for 5 people and pay the buyer upon delivery, works fine. Fill the shopping list and get you money back. Neighborly!!

[kermit]

why not buy ammo from cope's or aim surplus or others? they carry 7.62X39 And 7.62X54r. i had 880 7.62X54r delivered to my house for $145.93 - it came in 2 spam cans in cardboard box from cope's.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Long term total collapse is not survivable in the long run for the older, already weakened , or unskilled . Most people over 45 are on some sort of meds, or have possible medical conditions, good luck without the medical establishment. Endurance is a game for the young, surviving malnourishment, extreme cold or heat, fighting off physical violence, most of us older f***'s will be gone in the first few months if that long. At best we can hope to prepare for a Katrina like disaster, major earthquakes, volcanoes, nuclear disasters , floods, or partial government collapse, limited civil disorder. Most people can't feed themselves, and make no effort to keep supplies on hand, we are talking numbers in the tens of millions here, they will spread out from every major population center in hoards. How the hell you plan to survive that? Hide in the high mountains? Eating what, and then once winter sets in for how long? These will not be mindless zombies, they will be thinking human beings with weapons, possible military skills, hardened criminals, starving and willing to do whatever they must to get food including slaughtering you and your family to get it, or to make you food once it's degenerated to that level. It's pointless to worry about stockpiling years worth of food, even if you had fifty people, or a hundred, if you live anywhere near a population center you will be overrun eventually, you will not be able to turn your home into a bunker. Stockpile ammo, that is something that could see governmental regulation, or the drying up of surplus, and ammo keeps better than food. Just keep in mind that you are doing it so you can have plinking ammo in the future, or be able to turn a profit selling it at a later date to people who didn't stockpile when I told them too.
All you can do is support the least vomitus political candidate, and get down on your knees and pray that the worst never comes to pass. It may be fun to watch on TV, but the apocalypse is not something you ever want to have to deal with in reality.

[websterz]

Long term total collapse is not survivable in the long run for the older, already weakened , or unskilled . Most people over 45 are on some sort of meds, or have possible medical conditions, good luck without the medical establishment. Endurance is a game for the young, surviving malnourishment, extreme cold or heat, fighting off physical violence, most of us older f***'s will be gone in the first few months if that long. At best we can hope to prepare for a Katrina like disaster, major earthquakes, volcanoes, nuclear disasters , floods, or partial government collapse, limited civil disorder. Most people can't feed themselves, and make no effort to keep supplies on hand, we are talking numbers in the tens of millions here, they will spread out from every major population center in hoards. How the hell you plan to survive that? Hide in the high mountains? Eating what, and then once winter sets in for how long? These will not be mindless zombies, they will be thinking human beings with weapons, possible military skills, hardened criminals, starving and willing to do whatever they must to get food including slaughtering you and your family to get it, or to make you food once it's degenerated to that level. It's pointless to worry about stockpiling years worth of food, even if you had fifty people, or a hundred, if you live anywhere near a population center you will be overrun eventually, you will not be able to turn your home into a bunker. Stockpile ammo, that is something that could see governmental regulation, or the drying up of surplus, and ammo keeps better than food. Just keep in mind that you are doing it so you can have plinking ammo in the future, or be able to turn a profit selling it at a later date to people who didn't stockpile when I told them too.
All you can do is support the least vomitus political candidate, and get down on your knees and pray that the worst never comes to pass. It may be fun to watch on TV, but the apocalypse is not something you ever want to have to deal with in reality.

So what you are saying is that 2 years after the collapse I am NOT going to be a well-fed, over-sexed warlord sitting atop a huge cache of arms and supplies, protecting a bevy of VERY grateful scantily clad 18 year old virgin cheerleaders from the dangers of a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Damn you...

[Junk Yard Dog]

The odds are highly against it. A simple infection could take you out without modern meds and care in that time, but people will probably do for you before that.

[desertgunner]

Well said, JYD,

however, "They" are already here and performing the first step of Home Town Invasion:
Families and singles from the coast have been coming to live up here, as the cost of living is a lot cheaper here than there. They are spending their unemployment and SS money here, bringing other goodies like crime etc, too. The burglaries have doubled in 2 years and thieves are caught everyday in our Walmart not far away.

If and when the s... hits the fan, all of us better be on the roof, watching our perimeter Our major issue up here is water, then food, then power, all subjects that one can prepare for. Violence can only be answered one way
There will not be much time to get started......up here there are only 3 roads in and out. If these are blocked strategically right, there are no supplies in, and nobody out.

So the with the Virgin Compound is not so far fetched at all
My 30 clips for the SKS are loaded and rest in a watertight sealed can right now, the next 2 spam cans are on their way to join those already there......plus enough water and food for the whole family and some friends.

May it never happen! Pray

[howiebearse]

you would be hard pressed to beat any Military rifle or carbine for a survival weapon. It proved itself all over the globe . The cartridge is really a good choice for under 300meters as that is whats it is designed for. It took down many a fighter in Vietnam Africa and in Yugoslavia's war not to mention Afghanistan. The ammo is convenient to carry in its stripper clips and with a little training you can load and reload quickly using the clips. You do not need to waste time with a scope the sights are quick enough and under 300 meters they will do the trick. You could reload some of the ammo with commercial hunting bullets if you wanted a better kill on medium game (deer) The sks carbine is easy to clean and very dependable.

[Sirex]

I would not have any reservations about using my SKS as a SHTF rifle.

[Ironnewt]

The round is more than adequate and with some practice you will get the "muscle memory" needed to handle it in most situations. the only modification I would do is a slip on butt stock or a replacement that extends the length of pull as I find the standard stock too short. I'd look into getting a .22 as well as a well placed shot will put food on the table with small game and put larger game (deer) down if a second shot is need on a wounded but collapsed animal.

[bunkysdad]

Being unemployed doesn't mean you have to sell off everything only to have 1 firearm, but I am not sure that was implied in the original post. I would definitely trust the SKS, whether Russian or Yugo would make me little difference. I have both and love them both. The added weight of the Yugo just makes the gun feel rock solid to me. My preference for the Russian is more a personal thing based on nostalgia and appearance, which would mean nothing in the terrible conditions everyone is talking about. The Russian 30 caliber short is a great round, easy to store, pack, load, and I would have rounds stored in fmj, hollow point, and soft point. Then I would have the 22 rifle as suggested, and a 12 ga shotgun too. These 3 minimum, but also the Mosin. There again ammo is easy to store when it is readily available in sealed cans. Knives, bows, or crossbows are also on the list. The thought of financial disaster, losing everything, and facing the apocolypse are normal thoughts when the income is suddenly threatened or taken away. I tell you what I would surely do. I would stay way clear of all bears!

[Junk Yard Dog]

The SKS is a good all around utility firearm, but if it's the end of days, I mean the end, then I am going out with an M1 Garand in my hands, an American weapon.

[Genetically Swiss]

Is an SKS enough? In short, yes. But like anything else, it depends on the operator, their situation and a host of variables that could easily change the calculus. Having said that, situations could arise which would preclude ANY firearm being enough. I would place a higher value on traditional skills than I would having a rifle. As an example, could said individual start a fire with flint and steel? Can you build a lean-to, can you shoot a bow? Where is your nearest natural potable water source? Do you have a knife and can you properly gut and skin an animal? Etc...ad nauseum.

GS

[desdem12]

Is the yakima river considered potable? I would have to filter it i think

[Junk Yard Dog]

You think you would have to filter it ????????

[desdem12]

It is a dirty crap infested river where it runs into the columbia. Up further it is a nice river. Not sure but i think you would need an industrial filter for it where i live.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Oh, that kind of river, sounds like you would be drinking raw sewage , better collect rain water, all it will have is fallout.

[Genetically Swiss]

Is the yakima river considered potable? I would have to filter it i think

Dude, you would have to drink while it was still boiling! I was thinking somewhere up on free flowing part of the reach on the Columbia.

GS

[Junk Yard Dog]

[Genetically Swiss]

Hey, all the residual radionuclides kill all the germ & bugs...

GS

[Bareassmeagain]

The average person who is not law enforcement, or military, and will not be facing a hoard of zombies can get by just fine with a good .22 rifle. An SKS should be just fine.

we have quite a bear and coyote population here so a .22 is not good enough and for bear the 7.62x39 is a joke also but my main option is an SKS.

Ill bet if you plug 10 quick X39 in that Bear he wont thik its a joke