Camp gun: Shotgun or rifle?

[Captain O]

An M1 Carbine works wonders! 30 rounds of 85-grain (Underwood) Lehigh "tearyour@$$up" should handle most "campground confrontations" without much difficulty.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Elk hunting this weekend in the Gifford Pinchot, and almost every time I'm in a particular area of the GPNF, I see these 2 large white panel vans with no windows driven by two younger Hispanic guys. I see this pair of vans (sometimes there is a third) in this area all the time. Some other hunters I've talked to in the area about them seem to think they're related to a drug grow or something similar.... Maybe a camp AR is in my future.....

Nah, probably pickin Salal (plants) but ya never know with them folks...

 

[Alexx1401]

I would have my AR pistol.
And my 5.11 go bag with 8 extra mags.

I'm only afraid of the 2 legged evil

My fear of 2 legged threats has always FAR out weighed my fear of the 4 legged variety too. While some of the 4 legged can cause damage or even death, none of them seem to do it for sport or pleasure. Many of the 2 legged ones do. Probably never run across one out in the out and about. Does not mean I choose not to have something with me just in case.

 

[ArtBrownSr]

Err...

Do much camping?

Most folk do not carry a long gun of any kind at the ready.

Our camp guns of choice are FN 5.7 &/or Canik TP9SF. Always ready to go.

Second to that, most folk don't camp hauling a long gun with them wherever they are. Pistols, yup.

One of the Caniks also has a streamlight, with holster. 18rd magazine plus 2 spares. Plenty.

The FN? 20 rd magazine, plus a 30 or 2 20's spare. Also plenty, and weight is barely noticeable.

We're camping, not preparing to repel zombies. If we were preparing to repel zombies, we wouldn't be camping.

Long Guns camping? Maybe, but they're stowed/reasonable access. What are they? No ones business.

If they become unstowed, then we have a problem. And we're not camping, we're leaving.

Depends on where you camp and what is around you!!
I live in Alaska, Big Brown Bears abound up here, they've been seen in town at late as last week about 1 1/2 mile from my house in an upscale housing area!
I carry a long gun 30-06, AND a Rem. 870 with the Brenneke loads I've talked about in other threads
I think the OP was talking about two legged marauders though. That's fine IF i have the need to protect I will have the ways to protect from up close and personal, NOT MY PREFERENCE to at the edge of the campsite or wherever!

 

[Caveman Jim]

For those familiar with Paul Harrell - ask him why you need a long gun in camp. I am sure he is glad he had one when it was needed, and from the report I found about his incident I doubt a pistol would have had near the same effect.

As for me - I prefer a rifle to go with my pistol especially in camps within 100 miles of the city.

I have had some creepy experiences in campgrounds both official and not - a few of which I was unarmed at the time. Won't ever make that mistake again.

Besides, when Sasquatch and his alien pals try to rape or abduct you - do you want a pistol or a rifle handy? Or just a bottle of lube and a bucket of body glitter

Thanks pal, I'll never go camping in the woods again!!!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I like my Rugar 77 Hawkeye. 44 mag for a camp gun! Nice and light carbine and a well proven round for any threat up to and including Peterbuilts! I have only started camping the last 8 years and have seen some pretty crazy things wheher close to civilisation, or way, way out in B.F.E. peoples is stooooopid, growing all sorts of crap, fighting over mushrooms, poching, and squatting just like the Sity Kampers, and just flat crazy! I never go unarmed, especially with out a rifle handy!

 

[orygun]

Dogs - yes. I would carry because of strange or feral dogs.

@The Heretic , pardon my edit.

This right here. I've met some very shady characters out by our place, but dogs are one of my biggest concerns.
Pack animals warrant firearms.

 

[EPS]

I would have a hand gun on me probably 357 or 40 Cal or bigger if you wanted capacity probably have a AR in the truck 556 or 300 black out the rifle would be for if SHTF when I was camping the hand gun should be able to stop things like a bear or a bad guy witch ever one shows up and have it on me at all times

 

[Truenorth]

I do like the Mossberg 590 A1 for security at home but for a "camp gun" I'm partial to a .45 Colt lever gun personally.
Very quick to shoulder and shoot and accurate as far as my eyes can focus.
The +P 330 grain hardcast Buffalo Bore rounds will dispatch just about any critter found in the Americas.
220g solid lead cowboy loads are only .50 cents a round for general can plinking around camp.
Just an all around fun and useful gun. Anyone can shoot a .45 Colt lever gun without fear of a bruised shoulder or ego.

 

[DunRanull]

Really? Heck I feel considerably more comfortable around 'rednecks' than I do with some of the hollow eyed 20 somethings I have seen shooting 'modern sporting rifles' and giving me the 1000 yard stare as I drive by. Maybe its because I might BE one of the 'rednecks' you seem to be afraid of...

Heh, I hear that... One summer the wife and I were camping up a canon in the eastern foothills of the Rockies (forest Service land, not a campground per se). While we were there a small mob of Harley riders roared past and set up a small town up the road from us- still in site. We had a 3'x5' Confederate battle flag hanging and there was an obvious Feinstein's Fear an "AK47-style" rifle hanging off a tree limb within easy reach.. This "stand off" continued for a couple days (three day weekend) and no one said anything, we just sorta looked at each other.. Finally after they had packed and were leaving, their leader or spokesman came over and wanted to talk.. turned out that these folks were a gainfully employed group of people, some of them "professionals"- MDs, lawyers, teachers.. It turned out that some of them were as leery of us as we were of them- the Battle Flag and the AK had them wondering if we would murder them in their sleep! LOL... Im just a long-haired redneck (to look at) and don't mean harm to anyone that isnt threatening or endangering ME or mine...
So, while we might have had some good chat and stuff, we turned each other off by judging LOOKS, and it seems Im as prejudiced as anyone when it comes judging books by their covers... Lesson noted and learned...

 

[DunRanull]

Nah, probably pickin Salal (plants) but ya never know with them folks...

Nah better safe than sorry. An AR or AK and a sidearm would be the way to go, and don't let them get the drop on you.. people as you know, get killed over this caca..

 

[DunRanull]

What worries me in the great outdoors is not red necks, its the drug zombies. Many mobile meth operations end up setting up way out of the way trying to avoid the public. For this reason I ALWAYS have a long gun with me. No one sees it but it is there.

Yessir, you are exactly right about the meth heads and pot growers. People can get mighty alarmed and upset when their livelihood is threatened, not to mention the City Boys who bank-rolled and set up their operations. Rip-offs/attempted do occur, sometimes with fatal results... Got a snootful of that in southern Missouri, where sometimes the better number of a small community's population is in the know. Lotta problems with St Louis and Kansas City criminals setting up shop in the Ozarks, suborning local law enforcement...

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

When I go truck camping I bring an Ar. I gave it a paint job that lets it blend in with all of the other gear so it is not noticeable...not that it really matters as I am usually out in the middle of nowhere. My dogs will be a better form of protection anyways.

 

[DunRanull]

When I go truck camping I bring an Ar. I gave it a paint job that lets it blend in with all of the other gear so it is not noticeable...not that it really matters as I am usually out in the middle of nowhere. My dogs will be a better form of protection anyways.

Dogs: Early warning system. Rifle-toting "crazy person".. armed back-up for the dogs