Hunting & Defense. Which Tools Are Best?
My .22 caliber BRNO Rifle.
Some people will disagree with what I am going to say
here, so it is up to you the reader to use common sense & decide for
yourself, based on what I say here, which is the best tool/s for hunting &
defence.
Many people recommend the modern firearm for long term
wilderness living/survival, & if they were just recommending this firearm
for defence only, I would agree. What I disagree with is the fact that if a
modern firearm is used for both defence & hunting, you will have to carry a
lot of ammunition with you. When this ammunition runs out, you are left with a
club.
The .22 is a reasonable choice for defence, but in a fire
fight you can go through a lot of ammo unless you only choose targets that you
stand a reasonable chance of hitting. Even then, you will need a lot of ammo.
Modern firearms on the whole are reliable, but they can malfunction. I have had
a rifle fail due to cold weather, the firing pin was sticking in the bolt.
Another .22 had a duff firing pin & it had to be replaced. I could not replace
this firing pin in a wilderness situation.
The .22 LR has it’s limitations in hunting. It is very
good for small game such as rabbits, geese, ducks etc & a good shot will
bring down a goat. Anything tougher or larger than this, shot with a .22 LR,
may get away wounded. So what I am saying is, I recommend that if you are
travelling with a companion or in a group, someone should be carrying a modern
firearm, but keep it for defence purposes only.
Once the caliber of a breech-loader goes over .22, then
the weight also increases, & there is a limit to how much weight you can
carry in ammo without compromising your survival supplies in other areas.
Water, food, & medical supplies should NEVER be compromised by carrying
large amounts of ammo. With a muzzle-loading arm this is not such a problem,
because (A) you can retrieve spent lead from shot game & easily remould it,
& (B) gunpowder (black powder) is not as heavy as lead (or modern
cartridges) & you can carry a lot of it in gunpowder wallets without
compromising other survival supplies.
My .32 caliber flintlock muzzle-loading rifle with double set triggers. This rifle has more killing power than the .22 rimfire.
Hunting.
For hunting in a long term wilderness living/survival
situation I think the primitive/traditional bow & arrows or the flintlock
muzzle-loading firearm are superior tools. The compound bow is not a good
option in my opinion because (A) there are too many bits to go wrong, & (B)
it requires special arrows & bow string, neither of which can be replaced
in a primitive situation. Whilst I think the bow is an excellent choice for
hunting providing you are skilled in archery, they are a poor back-up for
defence against firearms.
The flintlock muzzle-loading gun or rifle is an excellent
tool to use for hunting, & it is a reasonable back-up for defence against
other firearms. It is a little slower to load than a breech-loading firearm, but
is still a viable option. Ideally if you are a member of a group, there would
be modern firearms, muzzle-loaders & bows in the group. This would be the
case in the group I belong to. BUT, if I was travelling alone, & could only
carry one tool (breech-loader, muzzle-loader or bow), my choice is the flintlock
muzzle-loader.
Advantages of a Flintlock Muzzle-loader.
1)
Ammo is less expensive than a modern equivalent caliber firearm.
2) The smoothbore is very versatile, being able
to digest round ball, bird shot, & buckshot, or any combination of two of
these (can also use minies).
3) The fusil is lighter to carry than a modern
equivalent sized gun.
4) You can vary the load if needs be.
5) The smoothbore will digest other projectiles
besides lead.
6) Lead can be retrieved from downed game &
remoulded with a simple mould & lead ladle. This means that you can carry
less lead, & more of the lighter gunpowder.
7) You can make your own gunpowder.
8) You can use the lock to make fire without the
need for gunpowder.
9) You can use gunpowder for gunpowder tinder
fire lighting if needs be.
10)
IF the lock should malfunction
(these are very robust & it is not likely) you can easily repair it if you
are carrying a few spare springs & a few simple tools.
11) If you do not have any spare parts & the
lock malfunctions, you can easily convert it to a tinderlock or matchlock &
continue using it.
12)
You do not need a reloader, brass shells, caps, or primers. The latter
have been known to break down in damp conditions or if they are stored for too
long.
13)
Wadding for ball or shot is
available from natural plant materials or homemade leather or rawhide.
14)
Less chance of being affected by future ammunition control legislation.
15)
Gunpowder is easily obtainable providing you have a muzzle-loader
registered in your name regardless of caliber (only NSW is looking at this
legislation at present).
16)
A .32 caliber flintlock rifle is more powerful than a .22 rimfire, less
expensive to feed, more accurate over a greater distance, able to take small
& medium sized game, & other than not being able to use shot (unless it
is smoothbore), it has all the attributes of the other flintlocks.
17)
Damage from a .62 caliber-.75 caliber pistol or long arm is in the
extreme. Wounded prey is unlikely to escape.
18)
By using buck & ball you are
unlikely to miss your target. This load is capable of taking out more than one
target.
19)
There is less kick-back to a
muzzle-loading gun.
20)
Antique Flintlock muzzle-loading
guns do not require a license, registration, or a permit to purchase in NSW
Australia.
My .62 caliber flintlock muzzle-loader fusil.
My .70 caliber flintlock smoothbore muzzle-loading pistol. I carry this for self defense, but it can also be used for hunting if needs be.
