The 10/22 would BE "THE" choice for a .22....you can modify , customize and build 20 different guns out of it. All kinds of accessories. Its in a class by itself.

I second that! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Nice gun, and loaded with stingers, it would work fairly well for self-defense. Maybe a better choice would be a pump shotgun. Should't cost much more, and it would be a lot better for home defense.

Well, if you're talking scatterguns, then,,

Scatterguns, a good pump can be had for pretty cheap on the used market. I see a lot of people buying a shotty and they think it is great until they go and shoot it. Buckshot and slugs have a pretty good recoil to it, so they end up selling them off at a loss. The thing about a shotty is that you need to practice with them and know their limits. For example, tonight a buddy and I were shooting our Mossberg 930 SPX's with different ammo to see if these different loads were better than what we use now. Our targets were set at 25 meters. Military 00 buckshot, the stuff floating around from various dealers was dismal; on a man target out of 5 rds of 9 pellet only 7 pellets were on body--7 out of 45 pellets. 5 rds of 00 buckshot, Winchester value pack from Wal-Mart put about 30 pellets on the body out of 45. Winchester Tru Flight reduced recoil was about 30 pellets but not near the velocity of standard loads. Ended up really liking the Winchester Ranger 00 buckshot since it put 35 pellets on target. Slugs, well they leave big holes and can hit all day long at a hundred with them. Saying all that, my house load is #4 buckshot since the pellets are not as big and have a less chance of carrying through the walls, etc and increases the number of pellets on target. The main thing with a shotty is practice and know what it will and will not do--it is not like on tv where you level it at your hip and clear a room.

Sorry for long ramble, just hate seeing people get a shotgun and fire a few rounds and think that it will level someone off their feet with each pull of the trigger.

I really like the 20 ga. Light, less recoil, and still packs a punch.

Some great suggestions but the idea was for a plinking gun, and that it being his only gun it would be for home defense also. The 22 was mentioned also because of its cheap and available ammo.

I haven't been able to shoot some of my guns because I can't get ammo for them.

Great advice so far. Another vote here for a 10/22.

10/22 is a great rifle... period. It is a great platform to start with because of all the aftermarket accessories; however, the rifle does not need them.

1000 rnds. of ammo is fairly light to carry and .22lr will keep folks heads down just as much as .308.

Bottom line, the 10/22 is the perfect rifle for survival and makes an excellent gift to family members, too!!!

the M6 is fun to shoot around, but I hear it's hard to find.

a lot of mixed reviews about the ar-7, but this here is my friend's super sexy ar-7.

That's a real AR-7,,i'd want the stripped dowm version for survival.

I think the Ruger 10-22 is one of the best options for what you primarily want to do, plinking and having fun. They are rugged, well built and right out of the box can do what you want them to do. If this will be your only firearm and you are planning to use it for home defense I would not do any modifications to the gun. PLEASE make sure to know the various gun laws of your state and city, re: can you have a mag that holds more than 10 rounds? does the gun have to have a trigger lock or does it have be unloaded & stored away from the ammo...most importantly when are you justified in using a firearm for self defense. I would also recommend that you get some training in use of your rifle for home defense. Anyways hope this doesn't come off as preachy...get the gun have lots and lots of fun.

Tony