since this site "suggested" this thread to me, I suppose I'll revive it and post in it, as old as it may be.
Of the guns I happen to own, I'd pick the M1A rifle in .308 as a dual-purpose deer hunting gun and the "big firepower" defensive weapon. The handgun would be my Springfield XD9- 5" which is small enough to carry, even concealed, but is a respectable weapon in its own right, good out to 50 yards or so.
This is assuming that I'll be "bugging in" and only leaving my property for, at most, a few hours at a time to hunt, trade, explore, etc.
If I'm going to have to hike / backpack for many days and hundreds of miles, scratch the 10-lb. .308 rifle.
I'd like to substitute a pencil-barreled AR carbine or rifle. Probably with a red dot non-magnifying sight (they're much lighter than a traditional scope). I'd want this AR to weigh about 6 lbs empty, and I'd only have maybe 3 mags with me: a 20-rounder in the gun, and two 30-round mags carried elsewhere.
Of the guns I happen to own, I'd pick the M1A rifle in .308 as a dual-purpose deer hunting gun and the "big firepower" defensive weapon. The handgun would be my Springfield XD9- 5" which is small enough to carry, even concealed, but is a respectable weapon in its own right, good out to 50 yards or so.
This is assuming that I'll be "bugging in" and only leaving my property for, at most, a few hours at a time to hunt, trade, explore, etc.
If I'm going to have to hike / backpack for many days and hundreds of miles, scratch the 10-lb. .308 rifle.
I'd like to substitute a pencil-barreled AR carbine or rifle. Probably with a red dot non-magnifying sight (they're much lighter than a traditional scope). I'd want this AR to weigh about 6 lbs empty, and I'd only have maybe 3 mags with me: a 20-rounder in the gun, and two 30-round mags carried elsewhere.