Preppers: Let’s Talk About Shotguns
Kevin Felts 12.13.17
Okay preppers, in the grand scheme of things, what role does the shotgun play in your preps? Some people may say the shotgun is a key part of their arsenal, while others may say the shotgun is rarely needed.
My grandfather kept a shotgun over the front door of his house for decades; my great grandfather had a Remington 1100 he always kept handy, while my dad has killed countless squirrels and several deer with his Remington shotgun. If I had to pick one firearm to use for the rest of my life, it would be my Montgomery Ward Western Field (Mossberg 500) my dad bought me around 1980 or 1981. In 1980, I was 12 years old.
Someone is going to say, “Kevin, when settlers only had one firearm, that firearm was a shotgun,” and that is true. The thing is, we do not have to settle for just one firearm.
Here on the farm, the shotgun is probably the least-used firearm. The Ruger 10/22 handles small game and pests in the chicken house, while the AR-15 handles larger pests. When it comes to deer hunting, there is the Marlin 336 and Remington model 700 in 280 / 7mm Express. The issue is, it takes three rifles to replace a shotgun — but a shotgun is no replacement for a rifle. A shotgun is not going to make one-inch groups at 100 yards.
While working around the farm what firearm do I bring for snakes? You guessed it, a shotgun.
In an urban setting or for home defense, the shotgun has an important place. For example, I would not want to be on the receiving end of 00 buckshot.
If preppers wanted to stockpile one firearm to hand out to friends and family members, used shotguns would be an ideal choice. Walk into any pawn shop or gun show and there should be a wide selection to pick from. I cannot think of a single firearm that will give more return for the money than a shotgun.
The honest truth is, nothing comes close to the versatility of the shotgun. Whether is it hunting small game or waterfowl, home defense, protection from dangerous game, or prepping, the shotgun rules.
