Firearms At Your Homestead

Firearms are probably the most controversial subject when it comes to surviving. It is definitely the one subject everyone has an opinion on, and of course I have mine. I believe you should definitely have some in your homestead. be it for hunting or protection you need a couple good firearms. Many, many sites always talk about firearms such as the AR15 and other military style firearms, I personally am a simple man with simpler needs.
You have to take stock in what you need these firearms for, are you going to mainly hunt for your food or are you going to sit around waiting for some bad guy to come and try to rob you? Mostly I think you will be hunting with them. In that case you can narrow down your list by thousands. A good shotgun, a good 22 and a good rifle is all you need. For personal protection if you so choose you may want to look into a handgun also. I will not go into many specifics on which caliber is best and what firearm is best but you do want ones that are of normal caliber.
For a shotgun either a 12 or 20 gauge, mainly because ammo is easier to come by in good and bad times. With the 12 gauge you have the option of using buckshot for the protection aspect if you need it. What brand and if it is semi or bolt action or pump is all up to you and what you can afford and is available.
There are many good 22 calibers on the market right now and many people love the 10/22's that are out there. They have many options you can pic up to enhance them for weight and fire rates. I like the older model Marlins semi auto, they are small and lightweight and very accurate for hunting.
With a rifle there are So many choices here it is mind boggling. Again choose one with a caliber that is readily available. I say that as I own one that is not and my rounds cost $1 each, but that is my choice. The rifle is sentimental to me, it is a 7.7 that my father took of a dead jap in the pacific theater. If I had to go out and buy a new rifle today I probably would look toward the 30-06 or 30-30.
Handguns are like rifles, many, many calibers but if you need to buy one go with a 45 or 9mm. Ammo is easy to come by, almost all police and military carry one or the other. Don't get into the Dirty Harry syndrome and run out and get a 44 mag, it is just a waste of money for an all around handgun.
Last but not least, something we do need to think about if the conspiracy types are correct. Who knows you have these firearms? Many states just to buy a handgun you have to have a permit, and most states when you buy any firearm you have to register it. That means the government knows you have them. Always try and stay under the radar, there is no need for anyone but yourself to know what you have or are doing. When you buy ammo, always pay cash and don't buy a ton of it at once, it raises eyebrows. If you need to purchase a shotgun, rifle or whatever try and buy off a person, check it out, ask to fire it too. With the Internet you can read up on the model, see how it performs, see what others say about it. But just don't buy it because the price is good, make sure the weapon is good!