what to carry

[Talon]

Well this thought really keeps me up at night,exactly what to carry if we hit the shtf scenario.I have two 12 gauge greener gp's.I picked the greener as it's as tough as nails (not to mention it has a touch of zulu about it).
I also have a 20 gauge and my crossbow.
All of them could be classed as my primary carry due to the weight of them.
I love the crossbow as it's comparitively silent and the ability to craft my own ammo is very important.
I like the 20 gauge as i can carry more ammunition in 20 as i can for the 12 and it's just as effective. 12 gauge though is extremely common in the uk,so the chances of comming across a restock supply is much higher for the 12 compared to the 20.

So my question is what is the best to carry,i have a van but i plan on bugging in as im basically in the sticks and i feel it would be safer to stay put and see how things progress.
If i did have to bug out on foot though i could only carry 1 primary distance weapon as i would have food/water and other essentials,im an amateur prepper so im interested in the opinions of people with more experience on which to carry as i really can't decide on the best option.

[Wolfiesmith]

What do you see as the primary function of your chosen weapon? is it self defence or is it a hunting tool? If you prize stealth and anonymity and intend to hunt you may be best off with the crossbow. If it's for self defence and you're prepared to take the hit on noise then the shotgun would be better. If you intend to use traps and other methods for hunting then again I'd take the shotgun. It very much depends on how you intend to operate and what you decide the main function of the weapon is.

[NorthernRaider]

The lightest and most concealable would be my choice, EG if I had the option of owning a shotgun it probably would be something like a stagecoach gun, twin barrels no more than 16 inches long, But of course i dont have that luxury so my compound bow would have to fill in the gap. When I did have a SGC oddly enough it was a .410 mossberg pump gun I inevitably carried cos it was so light and handy, it never became a chore to lump about, I detect a similar feeling from you about your 20 G.

Lightweight X bows have a role to play but I dont know if its as a " primary" weapon because of its bulk and rate of fire, an SG or Compound bow can get off a few rounds quickly why MAY give you time to run away ( my first option when there is violent conflict happening). X bows for hunting large game or as BOL heavy artilary I can defo understand.

All my experience was as a rifleman in a light unit so weight and portability was paramount. From your list my primary would be the 20 g I guess .

[Highlander]

I don't have any experience with shotguns,.. so I don't know the ins and out of each gun,... but if you are bugging in,.. but you felt that you may be forced out, I think I would keep my preferred gun with me, and take it if I needed to leave,...and if I felt that I may need to leave in the near future, I would stash the other gun somewhere along your route of expected travel, if you have a bug out location in mind then stash it or close to that,.... it would be a pity to lose either of the guns

The cross bow, could be taken in the van too,.. its a very valuable piece of gear

[Talon]

Thank's for the reply guys.It's a tough one for me as my primary goal is to bed in and use the supplies i have at hand.The major problem for me would be two legged kind of trouble.If i have to resort to gathering meat trapping would be my main objective (the least expenditure of energy is my current thinking).
I do tend to sway toward the 20 gauge,it's a cut down cooey single shot.I bought it to get my girlfriend into shooting,and though it's been chopped down to 24 and 1/2 inch barrel it actually patterns very well at 40 yards considering it's a cylinder bore,it's also very light.The possible lack of replenishing ammunition is my biggest concern,something i dont even consider with the x bow as i've made extensive experiment's with home made wooden bolts and home made string's.I'm pretty well stocked for 1 month,it's the longer term that worries me.The shotgun i feel is a bigger deterent,but is restricted to ammunition storage and portability.The crossbow is basically a one shot weapon but has the capeability of much easier ammunition replacement if i run out of bolts.I have no intention of going gung ho as i think stealth is a major adavantage,but if it does come down to me having to protect my own i would like to end any possible escalation a.s.a.p

[bigpaul]

probably my primary weapon would be my air rifle, but if being quiet because of strangers around i would take my longbow instead.

[Luci_ferson]

its a good point about what to take and what to leave behind if your bugin plan gos pear shaped for any reason.
weight will obviously be the biggest factor depending on distance you plan on traveling.
I think its time my son did a bit of physical training. all his x box playing has left him in physical state where he struggles with a carrier bag with a loaf of bread in and a few tins.
he cant carry 5lb of potatoes. at 14 thats pretty disgusting.
I think he will be getting a good quality rucksack for easter.

[I-K-E]

at 14 I was happy moving big sacks of spuds around, three case of beer etc and I was a small skinny kid but I grew up in a grocers off licence my parents owned

[Skean Dhude]

You say you could carry them all.

I'd go for a 12g and the Xbow.

Most people recognise a 12g and are more scared of it than any Xbow. There is a fear factor in the Xbow but not as much as a shotgun.

If you could only carry one make it the shotgun. After things start to settle down the Xbow can always be retrieved.

[NorthernRaider]

I'm having to adapt and lighten my BOBs and EDC bags since I so stupidly wrecked my back with that crossbow last february, I need to lose about a quarter or the total weight i guess to stop my back siezing up after a couple of miles. My bow only weighs about 2.5 pound or so, thats half the weight of my air rifle or a crossbow, but its offset by the bulk of the extra arrows compared to a tin of pellets.