Advice on what to buy next

[u/OrangeWinston1]

It’s 4 years I have my PAL. I hunt, go to the range and I shoot clay pigeons. I currently have 3 guns
-1970 Browning BAR 30-06 Belgium
-1990’s Winchester 1300 XTR 12Gauge
-Savage 64F 22LR
I just replenished my gun fund (~2000$)and I’d like to buy a new to me firearm. I’d like a to start a collection but a lot of interesting guns are now banned. I was thinking on a Ruger 10/22 takedown because it’s cool and perfect for a SHTF situation. I have decided to come here and ask what you guys and girls think would be a good addition. Maybe I’m missing something. All suggestions are valid. Thank you in advance

[u/NorthwindX7]

The bar really covers hunting for me, it's what I upgraded to instead of a bolt for brush hunting and spooky stories. Depending on how accurate your bar is, an accurate bolt for extended plains hunting and precision shooting might peak your interest.

A lever action in .357 is neat. Shoots cheaper .38 special for plinking and can get bear loads in .357.

Sks's and other moderate center fire cartridges will be recommended. I'll play devil's advocate for those, they are generally inaccurate, and hunting wise underpowered. Sks if shot with the common corrosive ammunition gets lame pretty quick having to strip down all the parts to make sure it doesn't rust after every trip ends up with me not even taking it out.

Other center fires- banned or not, they arn't that great for anything other than plinking or yote hunting. Too small for big game, too big to cheaply shoot over a .22lr. Thats my 2 cents anyways.

[u/Accomplished_Ruin396 → u/NorthwindX7]

Man, I was fully prepared to write a paragraph arguing with you because this triggered me at first, but… I hate to admit you’re right.

I’ve got semis in pretty much every caliber (.223, 7.62x39, .308, 30-06, etc.), and almost all of them are safe queens or strictly hunting guns now. The novelty wore off, especially with the SKS, cleaning after every range trip gets tedious real fast.

Swapping over to precision bolt guns brought back way more actual fun to range days than dumping mags into 3 MOA groups ever did.

[u/Whispersfine → u/Accomplished_Ruin396]

I think the only semi you need is the one for shtf situation. Other than that, the novelty wears off fairly quickly

[u/NorthwindX7 → u/Whispersfine]

That was my view until I really got into solo hunting deep in the bush. Turns out shit can get spooky real quick.

[u/Iokua_CDN → u/NorthwindX7]

Honestly, that's why I'm considering a semi auto hunting gun.  That and when the bans first came out, I was so mad at the reasoning of "No one needs a semi auto to hunt"  when all I can think about is reasons to have a semi auto.  Hurt hand? Have to shoot with your non dominant hand? Getting attacked by fast predators  and need more than one quick shot? (Feral dogs are legit an issue in many areas, more than wolves or cougars or anything else)  getting attacked by a big animal like a moose or bear and need more firepower?  Like I can think of so many reasons to have a semi auto rifle for hunting.

[u/NorthwindX7 → u/Iokua_CDN]

Hell dude even a buck. The thing I'm hunting scared the shit out of me. I was sneaking along grunt tubing on a game trail real slow it was extremely quiet. After a good few long long minutes of doing this I had a buck snort weeze so loud it freaked me out. I couldn't see it, it was probably 30ft in the bush. I clicked the safety off and realized that if it did charge me, I would only get one shot off and if I missed I'm getting gored.

Never heard it again, never heard it leave, sat for another half hour on the trail and left.

It was a coworkers grizzly story that was the last straw for me after all the others I heard. Buddy in swan hills Alberta was mauled by a sow grizzly. Only survived because he mag dumped his illegally carried 1911 while bow hunting. You can read the story for yourself but the pictures he showed me were brutal.

[u/NorthwindX7 → u/NorthwindX7]

https://edmontonsun.com/2012/09/19/alberta-hunter-expected-to-recover-after-grizzly-bear-attack-bruin-found-dead

[u/Iokua_CDN → u/NorthwindX7]

Damn I didn't think about that.  I look at deers like that's just a hunting target, but I wouldn't want to get kicked or trampled by one either

[u/EnvironmentalFox7532 → u/Iokua_CDN]

I’ve seen it happen and no you don’t. Deer can and will mess you up. Bucks get stupid in the rut. I’ve had 2 little spike horns come at me through the years working in the bush. And literally fended them off with sticks. They lost interest fast unlike a bear or moose but both were something I wouldn’t want to repeat having the choice.

I’ve even been treed by moose a few times in my younger days when bird hunting. One when I was 15 and I was in that spruce tree for hours till way after dark. Got home and my mother asked why I was home so late. Then she asked if we had to go process a moose lol. Would have been the case if I had something other than a 410 with me or slugs 😜🤣

Other time was when I was working forestry in my early 20s. Didn’t have a gun and it was 200 yards to my truck. Moose kept me in that tree 3 hours.

[u/NorthwindX7 → u/EnvironmentalFox7532]

Yeah turns out nature is hella spooky. When I got into hunting of course you start talking to friends and coworkers about it, everyone seems to have a story of things not going too great or being really lucky in a bad situation.

An accurate semi auto is a way to hedge your bets when that shitty time inevitably comes.

[u/EnvironmentalFox7532 → u/NorthwindX7]

Been in the bush all my life. I was taught young, when I was 9 or 10 my old man took me out and after wandering all morning said to close my eyes, spun me around and to count to 100. He told me to meet him at the truck. One of the first tests. When I was 11 or 12 he even took me out and would leave me out for the night alone, he was never more than a couple hundred yards away, but it taught me to be self reliant in the bush.

But I still have times when I get that feeling. Usually when I do it’s due to cats around. I’ve had 4 cougar encounters through the years where I’ve come close enough to stare them down, and more times where I just knew they were around. Been charged by grizzlies countless times through the years. Including multiple incidents with cubs involved. Only ever had to spray one that was defending a moose kill that I didn’t see until too late.

Never use to pack anything but spray, a large knife and my axe when working. But now that I’m near 50 I’m not taking chances. I don’t move as fast, and definitely can’t fight like a 20 year old if I had to anymore.

Biggest thing I’ve found through the years with predators is that if you sense something isn’t right, like your being watched or something else. Trust me trust your gut. Might just be that I’ve developed a sixth sense through the years, even for game like deer, but if it doesn’t feel right it’s probably trouble. Interesting thing for me atleast is my senses have been able to tune in to the point I can tell what a threat is long before I even see it. I can sense if there’s a bear around 95% of the time, and it’s a different feeling than cougar, wolves, or wolverines.