Can one gun really do it all?
I guess the real question is…how do you define do-it-all?
If you define all as shooting deer, protecting the home, and being a weapon you can carry in the zombie apocalypse…then yes.
In fact, so much yes, we’ve found seven solid firearms you can use as do-it-all guns for various situations.
So, keep reading to find out which models we recommend!
THE QUICK LIST
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Best Do-It-All Shotgun
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Best Do-It-All AR-15
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Best for Ban States
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Best Intermediate Rifle
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Best Do-It-All AK
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Best Do-It-All Handgun
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Best Do-It-All Revolver
Table of Contents
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Why You Should Trust Us
Travis is a firearms instructor, prior Marine infantryman, and hunter out of Florida. He’s put in an extensive amount of time researching, analyzing, and testing various guns for Pew Pew Tactical and other publications.
Additionally, the PPT editorial team has a combined 30+ years of shooting experience that extends into concealed carry, hunting, competition, and law enforcement. We tested hundreds of products, to include long guns over the years.
Best Do-It-All Shotgun
1. Mossberg 500 Combo Field/Security
Mossberg 500 Combo Field/Security Pros & Cons
Pros
- Quick change barrels
- Legendary reliability
- Huge aftermarket
- Great value
Cons
- Magazine tube isn't easily extended
- Plastic trigger guard
A good shotgun might be the most versatile firearm on the market, and they certainly make fantastic do-it-all guns.
Different loads allow you to hunt different animals and defend yourself effectively.
In North America, a 12 gauge shotgun can hunt anything. Birdshot can be used to take birds, squirrels, and similar small game. Large birdshot loads can take ducks, geese, and turkeys. Buckshot and slugs can take medium and even some large game effectively.
For self-defense, buckshot and slugs function brilliantly to stop the threat.
A lot of shotgun models exist, but the Mossberg Combo Field/Security model of the 500 provides you with an extremely versatile shotgun.
We get an 18.5-inch barrel for self and home defense and a 28-inch vent rib barrel for traditional hunting tasks.
The Model 500 offers you a customizable platform that allows for adding a red dot, a light, and more with ease. It’s a very easy-to-use pump-action shotgun that offers 5 in the tube and a plus one in the chamber.
Pump-action shotguns can handle a wide variety of ammunition without issue, and the 500 series, in particular, uses the Opsol adapter to use mini shells. This takes the versatility of the gun over the top!
Plus, the Mossberg 500 is a basic shotgun that’s not banned in any state.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Best Do-It-All Rifles
2. Colt Enhanced Patrol Rifle
Colt Enhanced Patrol Rifle Pros & Cons
Pros
- Included iron sights
- Reliable
Cons
- Carbine-length gas system
- Standard A2 grip
Yep, Stoner’s favorite child makes the list.
There are lots and lots of different AR-15s out there, and you’d likely be served well with a wide variety of other options.
I suggest the Colt Enhanced Patrol Rifle (EPR) because it provides you with a high-quality, reliable rifle chock full of features at a great price point.
ARs give shooters a lightweight, easy-to-handle semi-automatic rifle chambered in a common cartridge that’s found everywhere.
The 5.56 provides a suitable amount of power for dealing with medium game like deer and hogs and a suitable fight-stopping cartridge. Plus, you can get magazines ranging from 5 to 100 rounds, depending on the locale.
It’s the most common platform available in the United States, and you can very easily accessorize the rifle.
Tossing an optic and light on takes no effort at all. The commonality makes finding spare parts, tools, and guidance on using the rifle very easy.
The Colt EPR offers an M-LOK rail, a set of MBUS Pro iron sights, BCM furniture, and weighs only 6.6 pounds.
It’s a great example of a modern AR-15 that won’t break the bank — accurate, easy to handle, and capable of a wide variety of roles.
Anyone can handle the AR-15 too.
I can teach a new shooter how to be relatively effective with an AR-15 in just a few hours. In a week, they can be incredibly competent. In a month, they can be capable of hitting targets at hundreds of yards, doing fast reloads, and effectively using the weapon quickly at close range.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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3. Henry Big Boy X Model .357 Magnum
Henry Big Boy X Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy to mount accessories
- Suppressor ready
Cons
- Sub optimal sling mounts
Another excellent rifle that’s a bit friendlier in ban states? A lever-action rifle.
Lever guns use a manual action and integral magazine. That makes them friendly in ban states but also handy and simple in general.
Manual actions are tough to jam up, and integral magazines mean the gun always has one on it.
And the Big Boy X Model from Henry brings some tacticality to the lever gun platform.
This includes fiber optic sights, a small rail for adding a light, polymer furniture, and you can easily add an optic.
The 357 model offers eight rounds, with seven in the tube and one in the pipe. That’s a potent and powerful caliber, and it’s in a rifle that’s very easy to control. .357 Magnum also allows you to safely cycle .38 Special, making practice ammo cheap.
Henry’s large loop lever makes it easy to cycle the action quickly and maintain control over the gun.
A side-loading gate gives you the shotgun-like ability to constantly top your ammunition off and keep the integral magazine loaded and ready to go. This caliber allows you to defend yourself and take game out to about a hundred yards.
It’s a very effective rifle that’s well-made and versatile. Plus, playing cowboy is always cool.
We reviewed the Henry Big Boy X, so be sure to check that out for more deets.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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What do you think of the Henry Big Boy X? Give it a rating below!
4. M1 Carbine
M1 Carbine Pros & Cons
Pros
- Lightweight
- Maneuverable
- Fun to shoot
Cons
- Expensive
- Ammo can be hard to find
My grandfather on my mom’s side was a massive fan of the old M1 Carbine. He swore by it, and it was his do-it-all rifle. He killed many a deer and hog with the ole M1 Carbine, kept it by the bed for home defense, and he’d likely turn to it if the world collapsed.
The .30 Carbine isn’t quite an intermediate rifle caliber and isn’t a pistol caliber. It’s best described as a light rifle round.
As a light rifle round, the range is limited, but it’s a solid-performing cartridge inside of 200 yards or so. Against deer, hogs, and human threats, it’s a decent round with a lot of oomph.
The M1 Carbine delivers a lightweight, handy, and accurate little gun for various purposes. It’s super easy to control and features light recoil for fast follow-up shots on multiple animals or self-defense purposes.
Gosh, this gun is also just fun to shoot!
Size and weight-wise, it’s light and short, especially with the old M1 Carbine folding stocks. It’s the OG of light and short rifles in U.S. service and predates the more traditional intermediate rifle a good bit.
Reliability depends largely on your magazines, don’t cheap out on your mags!
The big downsides will be the cost of the gun and the ammunition. Neither is affordable, and neither is all that common. Luckily, Inland still makes replicas if you can’t find an original.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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5. Palmetto State Armory AK-47 GF3
PSAK-47 GF3 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Relatively affordable
- Available in multiple variations
- Can handle a ton of abuse
- Mild recoil
Cons
- It's an AK
Good AKs can feel more challenging to find at an affordable price point.
I chose the PSAK-47 because it’s available and passed testing done by Rob Ski from the AK Operators Union. Plus, it’s relatively cheap and comes in a ton of different configurations.
The PSAK-47 GF3 provides you with one of the world’s most issued rifles.
AKs are guns that can take abuse and deal it out. The simplistic design might appeal to you more than the AR, and if so, I get it.
The 7.62x39mm round hits hard and dominates within 300 yards. Like the vaunted .30-30 cartridge, the 7.62×39 will quickly take down deer and hogs. As an intermediate caliber, it recoils softly and makes follow-up shots easy.
Its ammo is ridiculously cheap, or at least most of the time it is. AK magazines are widely available and come in nearly every capacity you could ever want.
It’s an affordable rifle platform that does pack a heck of a punch at close range.
A proven man-stopper, it will work wonders in a survival scenario where you need a simple, reliable, and easy-to-use rifle.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Best Do-It-All Handguns
6. Glock G20
Glock 20 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Reliable
- Accurate
- Customizable
Cons
- Mediocre trigger
- Blockier ergonomics
When we get into the do-it-all guns, you are often best served by long guns when you think home defense, hunting, and survival.
But what happens when we introduce concealed carry into the equation? Well, some handguns tend to do it all and do it all well.
The Glock G20 offers a very modern pistol design chambered in the stout and capable 10mm cartridge.
As far as cartridges go for automatic pistols, the 10mm maintains the most versatility. It can be loaded quite hot and powerful enough to kill a bear in a pinch.
That said, I wouldn’t hunt bear with a 10mm. But I would hunt deer, hogs, coyotes, and similar-sized game confidently.
Self-defense loads make it plenty controllable and still retain its potency as a man-stopper. The Glock G20 offers 15 rounds of 10mm — impressive when you consider the power of the 10mm.
Glock makes the AR-15 of pistols in terms of aftermarket accessories.
It’s easy to accessorize, easy to find magazines for, and heck, you can even add a brace to improve its overall range and stability. Plus, spare parts are easy to find, and the Glock is remarkably simple.
Yes, it’s a big gun, and carrying it concealed will take a quality holster, belt, and some imagination. I’d stick to an appendix holster to conceal it, or you might need a bigger cover garment if you’re a smaller person.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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7. Smith & Wesson Model 60
Smith & Wesson Model 60 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Relatively easy to conceal
- Lots of load versatility
Cons
- Short sight radius
- Limited range
On the other side of the technology spectrum sits the Smith & Wesson Model 60 revolver. This .357 Magnum revolver brings plenty of power for taking down deer, hogs, etc.
Admittedly, this gun’s 3-inch barrel and short sight radius don’t give you the most range, and you will have a skills gap to overcome.
The ability to cock the hammer into single action will certainly help with accuracy, but skills pay the bills. That’s the good thing about a do-it-all gun; you have plenty of time to learn it!
This gun is a bit of an odd bird as a J-frame revolver that offers you five shots of .357 Magnum. Most J-frames fall into the snub nose category, but the Model 60 stands out.
A little extra barrel makes those magnum loads easier to control and much more comfortable to shoot.
The slightly smaller size will make this do-it-all gun easier to conceal than the Glock G20, at the cost of ammunition capacity, barrel length, and accessorizing.
.357 Magnum offers plenty of versatile load selections that allow you to pick softer recoiling options for self-defense and harder-hitting loads for hunting.
Outside of just the velocity and speed, projectile types matter, and plenty of .357 Magnum projectiles exist for different purposes.
Plus, you can always use .38 Special in the gun to reduce cost when training and practicing. Another bonus is that .38 Special offers lower recoil self-defense loads.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Why A Do It All Gun
There are lots of reasons to consider a do-it-all gun. One of the biggest reasons comes down to budget.
Some gun owners aren’t into the hobby, sports, or collecting aspect, seeing firearms as a utilitarian tool.
Why buy a dozen different guns to accomplish various tasks if one gun can do it all?
Having one firearm for multiple roles allows you to become extremely proficient with one tool.
Proficiency is valuable, and that goes beyond just being able to shoot it well. You can focus on learning the weapon inside and out — including how to repair it, customize it, and use it for multiple roles.
From a prepping or survival perspective, having one firearm is practical. If forced to move on foot, you can’t carry a dozen firearms on you.
Having one gun that can do it all can be extremely valuable.
Final Thoughts
For many of us gun nerds, choosing one gun to do it all is tough.
We have so many loves, and we often make excuses to buy new guns. However, if you just need one gun that can do it all, so to speak, the above firearms will get it done.
What’s your do-it-all rifle, shotgun, or handgun? Let me know below! Want some more suggestions for our fave weapons and gear? Check out our top recs in our Editor’s Picks.
36 Leave a Reply
Okay, and where is the SA SOCOM 16? I mean, come on, 308 win (billions of rounds everywhere), semiautomatic, accurate (for a mag fed semiauto), and indestructible (try butt stroking some one with an M4). I mean I had the M14 in the Marines; mud, blood, beer, sand, rock, and piss and it kept firing. It may be on the heavy side, but it is a tank. And when the SHTF there will AR-15/clones laying everywhere if you need them. The 150 fmj @ 2700 fps will stop almost any unarmored vehicle. Bring it on!
The Mossberg 500 link to PSA says "$19.99" and takes you to a .45 magazine page
Thanks for the heads up there...checking what happened!
Meh. I've got a Remington 870 express 4+1 12-ga. There's an 18-in. Turkish-made Carlson barrel with rifle sights and variable Remchokes installed on it, and a 4-shot side-saddle shell carrier on the receiver. There's also a a Mossberg-mfr. 18-1/2" cylinder bore barrel and a 24 or 26" barrel with Remchokes for birdhunting. Full set of chokes.
Ruger stainless Speed Six with a 2-3/4" barrel 6-shot .357 with a Tyler T-grip. Those two, plus, say, a 9mm can do it all, IMO.
After reading this, it confirmed I do already have a cpl do it all guns. Have a ruger Blackhawk convertible with a 6 1/2 inch barrel. Yes, maybe a bit harder to conceal, BUT, Comes with a 9mm cylinder and a 38/357 cylinder. And it does very well with either.
Then there is the Wrangler with a 22lr and 22WMR cylinder. 5 1/2 inch barrel. A bit easier to conceal, but also can be good for home defense at times and small game.
Then also have a rock island VR60 semi auto 12 gauge. Can get larger mags for it as well. But like the 9/10 round one have. Good slug gun, plus changeable chokes for bird/small game or home defense.
So this leads me to adding a lever action 357 to with it. More uses for the same ammo, and the rifle would give good longer range.
i love my m1 carbine but ammo may be a little hard to find. my choice is lever action in 357 and a s&w 686 6 inch for power and ammo compatablity
Only round and weapon missing and your Knowledge is Spot on
22 Rifle and of course 1000, rounds for each weapon .
Survival, EOTWAWKI
We the People who can ARM a few who can be trusted will be a GOD SENT !
AMMO Will be a Currency, and in my humble opinion
22, will be as valuable as Gold
ALL ROUNDS will become currency
But the price to trade may cost you food on your table
Or protection
22 Round IS A OK For defense , Israel army has developed i into a sniper round
Pew pew very good conversation to be had
best home defense is 20-12 ga. PUMP. the pump action alerts even the dumbest as to what they will be facing. Use birdshot, at home defense range it is one lump of lead. and if in the room being judged by 12 you were not out to kill, you kept it around for 'pest' control. Buckshot can be deadly through two or more normal home walls.
Best do all rifle IMHO is the Scout Rifle in 308 Winchester with a high quality 3X12 scope. I prefer my Styer but my Ruger Gunsite Scout costs less and was readily available. Leupold scope on a Geisle custom removable mount.
Ruger Scout has iron sights and Mauser claw extractor. No way one should settle for the Remington spring clip extractor.
Leupold has quick release mounts QRW2 rings. Just added to my Ruger Scout with the Leupold VX-FREEDOM 1.5-4X28 IER SCOUT on the Picatinny rail
Oh, GREAT.
Now I want the Henry.
As a retired law enforcement officer and proficient with a handgun. If I could only have one firearm it would be a Ruger SP101 stainless 4.2 barrel 357 magnum. This firearm is durable and accurate. The ammunition in 38 special/357 mag. is readily available and is proven to be effective for self defense and hunting. The SP101 has good concealment inside the waist band.
10mm is hard to find now, imagine trying to find it in an apocalypse.
Same with .30 carbine.
If you reload and have a place to store components, .38/.357 or similar combo makes sense.
My list:
1. Reliable pump shotgun;
2. AR15 in .223/5.56;
3. .22LR in either target pistol or rifle, bolt, lever or pump. These actions are more reliable when using a variety of ammo.
4. .22 cal pellet gun.
Just my $00.02 worth
This was an interesting article and it left me with several questions…
Questions—
Is there a specific 9mm ammo load for the Glock 17 that could harvest mid sized (deer, hog, etc) game? If so, then one of those using that particular ammo would also be another viable ‘do it all handgun’ option.
Can you take big game (elk, moose, bear, etc) with a hot load and/or conversion in a 9mn, 10mm or 45 (ie 460 Rowland, 45 Super, 400 Corbon, hot 9mm conversion like a 9x25, 9mm Dillon precision, etc.)?
The Lever guns market has changed a lot in 20 years- 20 years ago there were 30-30 Marlin 336s and Winchester 94s in every gun and sporting goods store you walked into. Where did those rifle models and the 30-30s go to? There’s no way any Henry rifle is better than those two classic designs. I like 30-30s and am sad to see them diminish in popularity, I hope they make a comeback. That Marlin 336 is one solid rifle that used to literally be for sale everywhere 20 years ago.
Lots of good ideas. I grew up on a ranch, started my military adventures in Viet Nam and pretty much wrapped them up in the middle east. Along the way, I made "stops" in other continents. I became quite a fan of the .45 acp, but don't feel it would be great for all purposes. I don't really have a lot of respect for the .30 carbine for combat, but it would probably work well for small game and maybe home defense. Trained with the late, great Louis Awerbuck on shotgun. Amazing tools! It will pretty much take anything you want it to out to 125 meters. Drawbacks - well, yes. They are big, heavy and the ammo is the same way. It takes a bit of training to be proficient with the 12 ga. AK 47. Hmm. A good AK with quality ammo is a formidable device. Very versatile and effective to a surprising range. Is there junk out there? Yes. Be picky. 10mm and .357 both kind of fall into the same use category. Love the 10mm for it's power and, in the G20, ammo availability. Used one for doing entries for years. I suppose that there are some good carbines out there in 10mm, but what I have encountered (HK in particular) are quite pricey! The .357 is of course generally found in revolvers - now, I love wheelguns, but if my butt is gonna be on the line, I want more ammo! I do have a nice little Winchester carbine in .44 mag, but have not found a good deal on a .357 lever gun. Besides - I have a .44! Yeah, ammo is not as easy availability/price wise and .44 spl is even worse, but it is what I have! I would not feel poorly armed with a .357 carbine, tho.
I hate to say it, because I have spent a lot of time looking at the wrong end of them, but probably the AK 47 is a good all around choice. Easy to maintain, good parts availability, affordable, ammo is plentiful (you want to be certain you have good stuff, find some that works well in your firearm and buy a Bunch!) - same for any gun, really. The power is about the same as a .30-30 Win, which at least at one time, had taken far more deer than any other cartridge. Now, I don't live on the plains - so my choices are going to be a bit different than someone who does. I will say, the AK is not my favorite, but looking at it objectively, it certainly fills the bill!
A. Baker
I agree that no weapon is a do it all, but the .357 rifle paired up with a. 357 revolver is pretty darn close. With a scope and good ammo you can bag a medium size deer up to 150 yards and only need one caliber ammo for hunting and for a defense situation, and no magazine to deal with. This is in par with old west mentality of the .45lc.
Why so many .357 magnums? Do you really consider that a hunting round? I’m sure if you have the deer within 15 yards you could take it with a head shot but seriously? Btw, it is illegal in some states to hunt deer with a 5.56/.223 because it is under powered and in many cases the deer will run off wounded and die after suffering a while. I do agree with the mossberg shotgun. The AK is NOT accurate to 300 yards! It will kill a deer at that distance but it would have to be one lucky shot. M1 Carbine? If you can hit a deer at 100 yards and kill it with iron sites, you’re Sgt York. G20 will take down a black bear at close range and a deer farther out but not much further than 50 yards or so with a perfect shot. Are these companies trying to get you to push their products and you come up with this dumb catch all article to incorporate all of them? All of you together have 30 years of shooting experience? Is that just like 1 person and his teenage son or 6-8 of you? What a bizarre article.
Why you laying down girl?
You describe the M1 as lightweight! I can tell you that after marching tours (disciplinary marching in a quadrangle at a military academy) for a few hours, that thing ain't that light! Great article.
Can one gun do it all?
Probably.
Can one gun do it all well?
No.
A swiss army knife can do lots of things, but none of them as good a tool made for the particular job at hand.
But if you only had one tool ...
The author makes some good recommendations IMO.
I agree. There is no "Best At Everything" Gun. Every Gun has a place where it shines, bit in other areas, their mediocre at best, poor at worst.
I dislike articles like this because I don't agree with the "One Size Fits All" Society we've become.
Good arcticle! You mentioned the M1, but didn’t mention Springfield makes a mondern version in .308 and Ruger makes a ‘mini’ Version (Mini 14 and Mini 30).
Lots of strange choices a couple are ok
Ruger American Ranch Rifle in .223 (5.56 NATO) should at least be considered.
This gun can take AR mags, easy breakdown for cleaning, and bolt action reliability, especially when considering living off the land apocalypse-style.
Also has a threaded barrel and pic rail for whatever devices you want.
Great for hunting, range fun, and I'd even consider self-defense.
ABOUT THE RED DOT: People seem to fail to realise that a red dot has to be practised with- at least until you reach a certain level of proficiency. Luckily almost all this practice can be done at home with dry fire. The minimum level is that the pistol must be raised to point of aim without ANY searching for the dot. You'll know that you have 'mastered the dot' when you can bring the pistol to point of aim with your eyes closed- and when you open your eyes you immediately see the dot. If when you open your eyes you do not see the dot, then your muscle memory is still not sufficent. Obviously before you fine tune to the excercise of closing your eyes - you must first master bringing up the pistol to point of aim and seeing the dot immediatley with your eyes open.... Practice practice practice.....
Once you can confidently bring up the pistol to point of aim and see the dot with no delay whatsoever, you will realise the red dot is way, way faster and way, way more accurate that irons. The only thing that beats a red dot is a laser (in a building or low light)- because you don't even need to bring the pistol up to eye level........
I personally got a classical ak 47 and a glock(army surplus)
thank you for the interesting comprisons. i happen to have both the AR7 and Sub2k. love them. easy to clean and as you mentioned, sooo light and fits in my 3 day survival pack perfectly . because its so light( sub 2k), i have tested carrying it with 4 30 rd mags in my 3 day survival pack and it was still comfortable to carry( total of approx 30 lbs with a 1.5 liter bladder )for a 2 mile hike.
Thanks for this interesting and thoughtful review. The standout for me was the Henry Big Boy X. I really like the multiple use nature of the rifle. It will be a good compliment to my current collection and extend my hunting and predator control needs. I have a Henry 22 Golden Boy and have enjoyed shooting it with my family over the years. Lever actions are efficient and versatile.
I think the perfect combination is the Henery and a wheel gun in .357.
My combination is the Henry Big Boy and Ruger SP101 (or my LCR/LCRx) in .327 Federal Magnum.
I practice weekly with two Ruger 9mm pistols, a bolt action Lee Enfield .303 calibre, an AR-15 .223 and on occasion a .22 henry lever action.
Pistols are fired with one hand only, either hand; practice entails grabbing from the dresser and slow firing for 15 rounds each then fast firing another 15 rounds of each Ruger.
I practice for defense only, pistols at 5 yards indoors and rifles at 25 yards outdoors
I have measured every part of my house and yard.
I rely on lasers at night, intruders don't wait on red dots to be aligned nor do they wait for two handed isosceles/ weaver stances to be set up.
Having had two break ins gave me a great picture of overall response time and actions.
I always hit the 8" X 11" paper target, many times dead center. But all in the meat as some say.
.22lr, .45ACP. 12ga Shotgun. I have taken deer with all three.
What distance was the deer when you used the .22lr?
60 yard head shot
What was the .45? A carbine or a handgun? How far was it?
3" baby 1911, at 600, on a hoof