The Best Survival Gun for a Woman• By CL Hendricks

What is the best survival gun? As a woman, that is a question I’ve been asking of those who are more experience with both survival and guns. For myself I know I want something that is easy to handle, isn’t going to break my shoulder when I fire it and has affordable ammunition. Another criterion is that it has enough fire power to produce a kill shot.
After asking several people, plus weighing in my own experience, I’m come to the conclusion that there are actually several guns that every woman should have in a survival situation. However, if one is limited to only having one gun my choice is a .22 rifle.
Here’s what an acquaintance had to say about the .22: “Most bang for your buck is a 22 long rifle rimfire cartridge. There are many good 22 rifles for sale. I'd recommend a Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic carbine or rifle. You can't reload 22 rimfires so stock up a lifetime supply, they're cheap; $15/500 rounds or less on sale. A 22lr would be adequate for deer in a pinch, but certainly would not be my choice. For years the world record grizzly bear was taken by a young girl that crawled up on the bears back and shot it in the spine.”
From my own experience I know that a .22 will work for small game like squirrels and rabbits. I also know that my ex-husband brought down deer with just a .22 rifle using .22LR ammunition. He also took down an elk with one well-placed shot with the same rifle and ammo.
Since it is important that one feel comfortable with the gun one’s using, I believe the .22 will be the best choice for me. They are lighter weight. I’m already familiar with how they handle, having shot them in the past with a good degree of accuracy. Also as mentioned above, the ammunition is fairly cheap, especially when compared to other ammo.
Now, I just have to research the best make and model, although I already know that the one I want must NOT be a single shot. If I have to use it for self-defense from either four or two legged predators, I don’t want to have to stop and reload to get off a second shot. I definitely want a model that has some kind of magazine for loading with multiple bullets.
While I’ve been advised that stainless steel is better than blue, I know that if all I can get is blue that’s what I’ll get. I do think that a composite stock will be lighter weight than a wood stock.
Lastly, it is possible to purchase a good .22LR for under $200. Since that’s more my price range, that definitely makes it a good choice for me.
The same acquaintance mentioned earlier had this to add:
For self defense the #1 gun rule is: "Have a gun…any gun. If all you have is a 22 then use it.”
#2 rule is: “Use a gun of a small enough caliber that you can practice with it without fear of recoil or sound blast, therefore becoming good with it.”
Finally: “A .22 bullet in the eye socket beats a .44 in the wishbone every time.”
I’ve reached the conclusion that the best survival rifle for a woman, or at least this woman, is definitely a .22 rifle with a magazine and a composite stock. Now I just have to get it, and I plan on doing that before it gets even more difficult to purchase a gun.