I don't disagree with anything you've said, but may I modify your last sentence a bit?  If objectionable to you, please feel free to respond/comment:

A well sorted 10-22 with good 25 round mags still beats a pointy stick, but it is just not reliable enough (mechanically and in stopping power) to be a serious consideration when dealing with dangerous predators of any kind.   My additions in bold.

I have had scant problems with 10-22s except in that they need their receiver/action cleaned-up a bit more often than some folks believe, which is to say, never.

I was shooting an Appleseed with a brand-new, sighted-in 10-22, and due to my ignorance, I had failed to clean it before the match, having shot umpteen hundreds of rounds through it during training.  Sure enough, on the final, make-or-break stage of the shoot, the 10-22 had some failure to feed problems, and to that I ascribe my failure to clean the action.   I had to deal with multiple failure-to-feed issues, and only my available pre-loaded mags allowed my successful completion of that stage.

Read this last VERY well, as it is instructive.

Fortunately I had previously trained for exactly such problems, and I had multiple magazines on-hand sufficient to overcome the problem, and to complete the course-of-fire, and the Match.

My previous experience in DCM-sponsored matches was [I]highly[/] instructive in this instance.  I knew that anything could go wrong--and might do so--so I had a back-up plan.

Submitted for consideration

Not one objectionable thing in what you said.
I agree wholeheartedly. I have had very bad luck with semi-automatic .22lr rifles and pistols. In fact, the only reliable .22lr rifle I ever shot, was an open bolt, full auto Beretta that looked a bit like an M1 Carbine. The only reliable pistol I ever shot was a chinese copy of a buckmark.
Every 10-22 I've owned needed constant tweaking and maintenance to keep it running. Once you got the cleaning routine down and had decent magazines, it was generally good to go. Not on the same level as say a FAL, AR or AK, but still good. Marlin 60's seemed to be more reliable to me.
Good thing you were able to finish your match. I know it had to be frustrating!

The best rifle in a real SHTF scenario is probably always going to be .22 LR.   I  think .22 ammo would be the new currency  if ever got really bad.

Not nearly as much a problem for me (with prior-planning) as some other folks who neglected such.  I remember one guy who kept on trying, and whom I believe ought[/i] to have shot onto Appleseed standard, but who obviously had some difficulties with his rifle, and maybe some personal confidence issues during the latter parts of his shooting.  I believe he lost confidence in his rifle, and so lost confidence in himself.  He didn't make the "cut'" but I don't know, for certain, what his problems were  One will see this sort of thing in any sort of Timed, Competitive match.

Now, I am no genius.  Nor some Great Shot.  I had already seen this sort of mistake many times before, in previous Match shooting.

I KNEW, for a certainty, that I could make the cut, due to LOTS previous practice, and so mechanical problems (my fault) were easily overcome, with previously-planned measures.  I had complete personal confidence in my personal capabilities, and my firearm, for that task.

The difference between me and the guy who "just-missed" qualifying is, IMHO, both practice, and the personal confidence that such practice induces.  I doubt whether he had enough practice to be both sure of himself, and his firearm.  There were sure enough PLENTY of people who did not come anywhere near close enough to qualifying on the first day, and that is despite the very good attention given to them by the Range instructors.  Most of those people did not show up on second day, although they paid for it.

Personally, I felt really bad for this guy, as the Admins of the Appleseed shoot bent over backwards o allow him to qualify.  One could see he was sweating it, and maybe his trying too-hard was a problem.

One thing I did notice is that most newbie shooters would orient their shooting mat (if they had one) at straight on to the firing line/targets.  Me, being somewhat experienced, oriented my shooting mat at about 45 deg.  The Instructors left me alone, and suggested that other shooters  lay their mats in like manner.

Perfect practice makes for perfect results.  Practice only comes from Practice.

Sorry about the Italics.  Tried to edit, but it's late at night for me, and maybe the italics are worth it, for some.

No worries about the italics.
Yup, if you run your gear and you practice, problems can generally be overcome on the line - unless you have a catastrophic failure.

1 rifle for CQB and outdoor work, 14.5" P&W to 16" with a LVP scope. Small enough for close, long enough for longer distances. Though if you wanted two rifles, I'd consider a light weight 20" build.

Light 20" builds typically give longer iron sight radius, and longer, effective, range to projectiles.  YMMV, but having very light barrels sent off for Cryo-Treating has always been beneficial, in my personal experience.  FWIW, I have regularly sent off barrels for multiple rifles for Cryo-Treating, and they all come back shooting better than before.

IMHO, the current fad of building very short barreled ARs can be problematic for some users, as many complaints about such have shown.  Many of these variously configured firearms have required much sorting-out.  The 5.56 AR ctg was originally designed for a certain bbl length, and gas port size/placement.  Obviously, it can be adapted for shorter length bbls,,but with proper, matched, components to suit.  It is up to the user to determine what bbl length is optimal, and to configure their rifle to accomodate such.

You’re over thinking this. Buy a shit load of M855. Practice with it and stack it deep as well. One load and zero issues.

Already replied to this particular sub-topic.  Meaning no offense, I doubt that the poster has thoroughly considered all aspects.

Agreed that .22RF ammo will be good trading wampum.

I have and disagree on some views respectfully and by your own admission, the 22lr is reliable.  Shot placement is key I agree but you can make headshots all day with a 22lr inside of `100yds with little to no noise signature.  If someone cannot do this then they have no need for a bigger caliber as they're probably just wasting shots anyway:)  I do believe however, this discussion is predicated by your area of ops and terrain.  I will say this, not one scenario I have for shtf does not include a 22lr and ample ammo on top of my other items for a variety of reasons, many listed already in this thread. I also favor the 60 series over the 10/22 due to reliability and accuracy although you give up speed of reload

In any shtf scenario, concealment, rapid and deliberate movement, stealth, and nv will trump any caliber questions that may arise.  That's really not even debatable though some will try.  You can stay and fight and you will stay and die, mobility will define the day.

I zero with multiple loads. A SHTF rifle should get miles out of many common loads. This can be accomplished by simply marking the rear sight drum of a fixed or chopped handle.

I mark windage and elevation:

Green = 855
Yellow = 193
Red = 75 grain reloads

Etc etc.

I mark out a 50 yard zero for each load on the drum. The BDC will not line up exactly with each loading but all I really care about is ensuring I can be zeroed at 50 with the common loads. A red dot can then be adjusted on the fly by just co-witnessing and centering the dot in the front sight post for each load.

Drum sights are like a ammo rolodex if you don't mind the added "complexity".

Thought this might worth adding here, a link to GO TO rifles Go To, Duty, SHTF Rifles.

nice

Not a bad solution.  I don't use a drum sight (usually a RDS, with a Matech or KAC for my BUIS), bit this might be worth a try.

It's perfectly all right, and no offense intended on my part, and none taken, either.  This debate has been going on a long time, and will not likely be solved here. To each their own

so true sir...so true.  I enjoy these discussions and certainly don't know everything nor everyone's unique and non-unique variables.

I have 4 in my troop so that has advantages and disadvantages

No matter where I am or where I'm going if shtf in North America I'm grabbing a 5.56 rifle simply based on ammo availability, versatility and weight. Bolt gun or semi, optics or not are secondary decisions.

Pick one ammo and stock it for SHTF.

For plinking, I shoot whatever is cheap and plentiful.

Here's OP's original post, repeated verbatim.  Note how the thread has drifted, and I include myself in such drift.

'Posted In Outdoors since I'm not sure there's a better "non-GD" forum...

Regarding the idea of having a rifle for "SHTF." I'm trying to figure out how to consolidate my preferred ammo with my preferred rifle. Currently I have a sbr'd DD Mk18 rifle with a can. My 'go to' ammo has been the 77gr TMK round, which, under 200 yards, tracks well with M193 spec ammo (lately Wolf Gold, but I have IMI as well). This way I can train with cheaper ammo and not worry about the different zero. I always figured this would be a good in-home set up, and allow me to reach out in the neighborhood as needed.

Now I'm also getting some Mk318 ammo (hopefully Mod 1, but we'll see when I open the box). Part of me is wondering if I should swap over to this load, since the TMK is expensive and I only have about 4 mags worth. Or if I should use a second rifle dedicate for outside use - think truck gun/Bug Out style. Yeah, I realize it's probably not going to happen, but still... if it does, would be nice for the wife to carry something as well.

Do I stick with the DD and just re-zero? This makes the most fiscal sense - tuck the TMK somewhere and just re-zero. Not sure how that's going to affect training yet, since the zero will likely be pretty off with the 55gr stuff.

If I do the second rifle option, should I stick with a traditional M4 pattern? I have both 16" and 11.5" options. If I do this, I'd likely keep something with a fixed front sight and toss on either an M4 or T1 optic, or maybe a TA-44 optic. Again though, this brings up the "what do I train with" idea. While I have plenty of M855 stashed away, I like to shoot steel, which obviously gets banged up quicker. But in theory it should approximate the ballistics better, and if it really does, then I have a good "back up" option (as if I'd ever need to reload THAT much if the world went that screwy).

Thoughts?"

Now, I am certainly no genius, but it seems to me that OP is asking a lot of questions while providing insufficient info to answer them.  If I am wrong, then please forgive me, and no offense intended.  Just re-visiting this thread, and commenting.

Well, if I'm being honest, it's a non-issue.
Pick rifle. Pick ammo you want to stockpile. Zero rifle and learn holdovers of other ammo if needed.
The OP provided the solution to his quandary in the OP.
Get another 10.5 to 11.5" AR going (pistol, whatever).
Slap the TA44 or the Aimpoint on it.
Stock up on all the 77gr TMK and Wolf Gold you can get.
Forget about the Mk318 for stockpiling.
Waffling back and forth cost me a lot of money and time over the years. Switching from AK to AR back to AK back to AR. Then switching from M855 to M193 to 62gr Barnes and back to M193. If I had picked one platform and ammo when I started, I'd be in a much better position now - gun wise.
The 77gr TMK works well. M193 works well. If they track well together inside of 200 yards, what more can you ask for?

The old heads here have said it before and I am slowly having to move from the kiddy table to the old heads table.

Pick something quality, and learn it.  Get training and time on your stuff.  Don't just keep buying new things without seeing what works on the old stuff.  What you learn from the old stuff will help you buy new stuff that fits your needs vs. what you think you want.

Right now I admit to buying some of the heavier bullets in 5.56 a lot, but I keep in mind I can stock more m193 ammo for same money spent.

I think this wise advice.  Few people who have not done extensive, focused research, can be expected to make wise decisions, no matter their experience level.

This is particularly true of newbies.  By definition, they have little or no personal experience, and possibly scant subject-related research.  By "scant" I mean that such people might be unaware of the depth of the knowledge base with which they are unaware, given a quick skimming of the subject.

I include myself in all this.  While I read all the "great authors" back when, I reckon there were a few purchases that were made that were much better forgone.

I could probably trim my inventory by 40% and really miss nothing.  That said, I was careful to buy firearms which had easily available Domestic ammo supply, and which were so common that spare parts were readily available at the time of purchase--and bought, in advance of needing such.  In many cases, such essential spare parts may not be currently available.  I have made it a point of having a "lifetime" supply of spare parts for my firearms.  Such a practice comes in handy in real life, and occasionally when selling off a firearm.  Being able to tell the prospective buyer that a considerable supply of spare parts is included in the purchase allows a higher purchase price, far exceeding the original price of the spare parts. YMMV.

Let's put it simply:  Having a supply of spare parts for your firearm can transform it from being a paperweight into a working firearm.

agree with both.  I put a mag pouch on my buttstock that carries spare parts, cleaning, etc.  dead space has now become utilized in a very efficient manner

One of the advantages of modern, synthetic rifle stocks is that they are lighter, overall, then their wooden counterparts.  Part of this is because the butt stock of the rifle is hollow.  I have found that most stocks of this type allow the user to detach the screwed-on butt pad/plate, and so access the interior of the stock.

The interior of the hollow buttstock is a >>perfect<< place for spare parts and so forth.  Adding some weight in this location changes the point-of-balance of such stocks, and makes them feel more "handy", so to speak, while adding some recoil-deadening mass.   This is nothing new; changing the point of balance in rifles and shotguns to make them more "lively" in the user's hands is an old trick.  Meaning no offense, I have never been a fan of attaching pouches to the side(s) of the butt stock of one's rifle.  Doing so makes it problematic to use the rife "off-side" so to speak.  May I suggest investigating the hollow inside of your rifle's buttstock? At least myhatintheing is using the attached butt-stock pouch for something more useful than simple mags, which are best kept somewhere else.  YMMV.

Good idea...

Hopefully you never have to shoot corrosive ammo

Thank you for being open-minded!  Thank you for thinking "outside-the-box"!

I doubt my personal, SHTF firearm will meet with general approval on this site.

Regret being vague, but after recent experiences/posts, I'm not willing to post much.  More into the "reading" mode now.

You all will need to learn on your own.  Good luck!

I haven't read every post in this thread but wanted to ask if anyone has built a scout rifle on a Lee Enfield 2A? Easy to find ammo and stripper clip fed, good capacity! Thoughts?

No disrespect intended but I do not understand people’s ideas that ANYTHING USEFUL will be easy to find in SHTF.    I lived through the $100.00 thirty round AR magazines of 1994-2004, the ammo shortage of 2008 and the ammo shortage of 2012-2014.   In all of those cases it was only a small subset of the American population that was really affected by the shortages.   I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a significant percentage looking for guns/ammo/food/water in a desperate situation.

I recently helped a buddy pick a new hunting rifle.   He chose 308 because ammo was easy to find.   Then he had a hunting opportunity come up unexpectedly so he figured he could buy ammo at the location.   He came back saying he learned that I was right and “stock what you want because you might not be able to buy it when you need it.”

As for using a Lee Enfield, I don’t know what type of mods you would consider to make it “scout”.   My thinking is that if you buy the rifle and then buy an upgrade or two then you probably matched the cost of a pretty decent factory rifle that is already built to the specs that you have achieved.    I believe that the days of buying surplus and tinkering with them for significantly less than new prices are gone.   I started down that path fifteen years ago.   It took a while but I learned my lesson.   I think that it was 2005-2006.   I had a few handguns, a 22LR, Winchester Model 12 shotgun, and Remington 30-06 rifle but I wanted something more effective for personal defense.   I looked hard at all kinds of things.   AR’s were available but typically at 1K in price.  Pistol caliber carbines were popular in certain circles, and AK’s could be had for 300.   7.62x39 and 9mm ammo sold for the same price and they were the cheapest that you could shoot besides 22LR.   So I could buy two AK’s, magazines, and ammo for less than the cost of one AR.   Plus having served in the Marine Corps I knew what an AK could do.   So I bought a WASR AK for $274.00.   A few years later I bought a second.   And then a third, this one an underfolder.   I shot the crap out of them.   Then I purchased a fourth to “rescue”.   It had been TAPCO’d and it looked terrible.   I bought it cheap and took it to the range to function test before replacing all of the furniture with wood.   HOLY CRAP did that rifle shoot well.   I could not believe how well it pointed and no matter what I did or how sloppy I got, it hit everything that I shot at.   I had never experienced a weapon that “fit” and “pointed” so well.   So now all of my other AK’s have been upgraded to fit in a similar manner.   But I didn’t use TAPCO.   I used Bonesteel, Kreb’s Customs, Midwest Industries....   So now each AK is well north of 1K in terms of cost of the weapon and dollars for upgrades despite buying them for 35%-50% of the cost that they sell for today.   I know of other people that have gone through similar journeys.   Lee Enfield rifles are cool but I doubt that they can compare with some reasonably priced factory guns out there.   Just my $0.02.

2Hut8

that's really surprising he could not find 308.  I've yet to find a single place that doesn't stock 308 and hunting 'locales' usually have this and 30-06 on hand.  The most common calibers in order are 22lr, 9mm, 223 and 308.

where the hell did he go that 308 wasn't on location?

@raf  great discussion

See here: https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/RE-Conditioning-Modding-an-NOS-Ram-Line-Plastic-Garand-Stock/6-507121/?r=-1&page=1&anc=5244936#i5244936  for a discussion on modding syn stocks.  Based on your comments above, it might be of interest to you.

@myhatinthering

@raf  thanks!!!!

My old mentor, "Sarge", always suggested to me to buy firearms for which ammo would always be available.  Good advice, since firearms are long-lasting, and ammo not so much.  His statement on the very wide--back then-- foreign firearms/milsurp ammo being imported:  "Bob. there's no future in it".

I think he had a point

Oh, if you don't have a spare parts kit for your rifle, then you are a single, minor, part away from having a useless firearm.

Following his advice, sold off a few rifles using nowadays expensive ctgs.  Good advice.  Didn't lose a cent.

Thanks, Sarge.  I owe you a whole lot.

Sounds like a wise man.
I have 2 firearms that are not in a major caliber...I'll buy ammo for them as needed, but for the most part, if it's not an AR15 in 5.56/.223 or a Glock doublestack in 9mm, then it's a "nice to have".

He wanted Remington Core Lokt in 150 Grain if I recall correctly.   Typically you can buy it at most big box stores around here but he couldn’t find any where he was.   He ended up with something else and wasn’t sure of his zero with an unknown brand.

Thank you for your comment.  I think he certainly was a wise man, in many ways.  I miss him, very much.

As an aside, and given Col. Cooper's advice given long ago, it is very reasonable to consider a firearm chambered the ctg used by one's likely future opponent.  Back in the day, that was 7.62 X 39, perhaps similar 7.62R, fully-rimmed Soviet ctgs, but  perhaps other, more modern calibers should be considered, as possible adjunct firearms.  YMMV.

What I DO suggest to forward-thinking Members here is how to accommodate one's older eyes to one's firearms.  None of us are getting any younger, and our eyes will need some help at some point.

I've had to make the transition from formerly-useable iron sights on many different platforms, to optics.

Don't like it, and it costs a bundle to do it RIGHT, sad to say.  BTDT, and still paying the price.

High-quality rails/mounts are not cheap, nor are the optics. DO investigate optics platforms for your fave firearm.  Some are much better than others.

Back in the day, older, even EXPERT shooters, had to give up shooting because their eyes gave out on them.  That is no longer the case for most of us, as optical aids can supplant iron sights. Never regretted buying High-end/reputable mfr optics/mounts.  Have many regrets after buying cheapo items.  YMMV.

Been transitioning for a long time.  Takes education as to the best mount, the best optic,, and all that.  Takes money, too.  Choose Wisely

gotcha......thx