Setup ideas for a long-term survival scenario
I opened the same topic over at GTA, but I got a lot of negativity about the proposed scenario. Even though I hoped the talk would be centered around the best setup for my goals. :angrymob:
Long-Term Survival?
Yeah… I expect at one point that @$%^ will hit the fan. And I live close to the mountains. For putting food on the table I plan to hunt small-medium game. I plan to buy a combo of two air guns for this purpose.
At the moment I am thinking of the AirForce Condor rifle with the TalonP pistol combo.
I won’t be using it for self-defence, so I am not interested in that.
I am looking for a setup that would give me a high chance to shoot 10,000 pellets over a period of 3-4 years.
What I hope to achieve with this topic, is a full setup of airguns, manual pumps, accessories and spare parts like:
1. AirForce Condor + AirForce TalonSS with these modifications and with these spare parts
2. Hill pump and spare_part_1 x 3, spare_part_2 x10, spare_part_3 x20
3. scope x and y
4. needed tools, oils, lubes etc.
So here are my requirements:
1. The most important one really. Reliability!
2. Easy to maintain. Even reliable things break. I want an air-rifle with spare parts, that I can learn to change myself with ease. Something with a modular design. I think something like the AirForce Condor would be a good choice.
3. Noise level. I will use it to hunt, so something loud would be a bad idea. But there’s also the fact that staying hidden from other people could also be a priority in a SHTF scenario.
4. 0.25 caliber
5. Weight. There’s a lot of stuff to carry up the mountain. And like I said I would like to carry a combo of two air guns and spare parts for both. And a lot of ammo! The weight of the rifle and pistol/second rifle is very important!
5. Power Maybe a deer crosses my path. Big bore could be an option? Maybe Evanix Tactical Sniper? But the ammo is too heavy, so there’s a big downside to that. Would the .25 be enough?
5. The pump. Not many scuba shops in the wilderness. The hand-pump is of critical importance as well. The same requirements of reliability, spare parts, ease of maintainance are important here. I am thinking of the Hill pump here.
6. The scope – something unbreakable. I doubt I can fix a scope. I would like a good quality scope that would allow me to hunt up to 100 meters max (for small game). A second scope, would be something cheaper but still good enough.
The only downside to the AirForce guns are the lack of multi-shot capability. For hunting it’s not a must-have. But for larger game, having the option to follow quickly with a second shot could make the difference.
Thanks!
All Replies
Am I missing something why did I just read 2 survival posts in the last few minutes …..
But maybe you should get a Springer no need for a pump
Or a rimfire and loads of ammunition
I have an RWS Model 48 springer in .22. It’ll shoot JSB 16 gr., Beeman Silver bear, FTS and Meisterkugeln pellets with good accuracy. The rifle is over 28 years old.
This springer demands a very light, consistent hold. Even then, getting 2-3 cm groups at 40m is kind of the norm. I’ve done better, but not consistently as pcps have proven more accurate. I’ve nailed hundreds of squirrels, also killed groundhogs and feral cats with it. The Model 48 is heavy, well-made and reliable. You’ll need special lubricating tools/oil for long-term maintenance.
I practiced outdoor survival and taught elements of it. For food, your better off knowing edible wild plants for many reasons. They are much less calorie intensive to collect. You need no special tools. Starches and plant oils are calorie rich and you’ll need vitamins. Sure, you can eat raw meat for Vitamin C, but the risks are there and you can easily get that from plant sources.
Snares are the cheapest, best way to get small game in a survival situation. You set the lines and can focus on other needs. Plus, they work at night.
Game will vanish if people are starving. You’ll need a better strategy than just hunting.
I’d go for everything with an underlever or side lever, fixed barrel. Break-barrel exception made for the Walther LGV.
Weihrauch HW 77/97; Air Arms TX 200, TX hunter or pro sport; Walther LGV or LGU; Diana 460 magnum or whichever of their side levers.
Just some examples, surely a non-exhaustive list.
After, there are some fine pro-tuners over in the UK for springers, guy’s called Tony Wall, from SFS, seems to know what he’s talking about.
Appears in some videos on VerminHuntersTV YouTube channel.
Cheers
I’m located in Europe, but I wouldn’t mind ordering from US either.
Thanks!
You live in Europe and you are on an American forum asking for the names of top of the line springers? And you wouldnt mind ordering from the US. Seems kinda funny.
weihrouch and rws are who i’d look into first. if you want quality, your going to pay for it. :3:
Could you give me some names for top of the line springers.
I’m located in Europe, but I wouldn’t mind ordering from US either.
Thanks!
Have a spare delrin breach. You can get them for about 30 dollars. The thread can easily go where the breech nob screws in as they get an absolute hammering. Once the thread goes you have a problem. So if you are serious about an Airforce gun as a survival tool, you will need a spare breech. In my opinion you would also need a spare hand pump or at least a spare of all the components and seals.
To be honest, a top of the range springer is a much better bet as a survival tool for you. The reason this forum is so well populated with people is because there is a lot involved in Airforce guns and in getting the most out of them. I don’t think anyone on here would argue with that.
Tony @ talon tunes, the banner at the top will redirect you.
Thanks for the suggestions guys.
So the plan is to get a custom condor and a decent springer. Spare parts for both, a Hill pump and a repair kit.
What’s the best person to contact for reliable custom condor? :4:
No, not indestructible. But they sell a rebuild kit. I left my Hill pump by a heat register to long and it corroded the lower check valve. I cleaned.it up and cleaned out crusted lube and used the parts kit to make sure.
Anything can fail especially if not kept in optimal conditions.
I would want repair parts AND an alternatine backup weapon or two with commmon replacement parts.
More than one secure place to stash essential items would be wise but no one can do it all.
I think the Airforce rifles would be a good choice, but I would only get one and the other would be a good quality springer for rabbits, squirrels, birds etc-the springer is self-contained so minimal repairs and maintenance and no pump needed. A .25 Condor SS will be quiet, light and powerful enough to drop medium sized game with decent shot placement. Properly tuned you should get 60 usable shots out of it at around 900+fps with Kings. It can also be taken apart and stashed easily if needed.
El Cid , If you really want a quiet weapon to do the task that you expect it to do with less cost and maintenance you should think about getting
a high power cross-bow with scope and what ever accessories and extra parts that you would need to help you to survive . It is a more logical
choice over a PCP air gun . A cross-bow was used very effectively for over two hundered years in war and survival in the past . Just think how
much better the design is today and how much better its’ over all effectiveness is .Hope this may be of some help .
FROM : THE BIRDMAN
I keep reading this forum and I think a Condor can be tweaked to perform the way I want it to.
Maybe one of the custom builders can help me out with spare parts too for the weak points. 🙂
What about the Hill pump? Is it indestructible as they say it is? Is it hard to do maintain it?
As far as the pumping goes, you might want to pump it back up every 10-15 shots, these big tanks are a pita to pump up to 3000 psi. For deer? Idk, I’ve heard of people taking whitail does with the Korean .25s to the brain. Not much past 50 yards though. If your going to stay at your house and just travel to the mountains for food, then I only see the need to take one gun at a time. Running around in the sticks is a hard way to make a living, even the best have to stop at some point and call it home. You really shouldn’t need that many spare parts for repairs and stuff, I’ve had one problem with my gun, and others hardly ever have any trouble with replacing parts.
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Why not just sharpen a stick in the fire…