Got some good deals at the local Albertson’s last night. I mention this not to brag (not that I dont brag, its just that this isnt one of those times) but to illustrate a point I made yesterday – you can add to your levels of preparedness without spending huge amounts of cash. Matter of fact, I would wager that on $10 a week you could put together a hellacious amount of food within a year. But, back to the bargains…
The local Albertsons had its usual weekly “10 for $10” sale. Alot of times these sales are for the ‘store brand’ versions of things which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, this time they had one of the staples of my pantry on sale…jars of spaghetti sauce. And not the store brand either…26 oz. Ragu in various flavors – $1 ea. Normally, theyre about $1.50. Over in the frozen foods, the frozen dinners that the bunkerbabe takes to lunch for her work were knocked down to $2 from $4@. So, we picked up a case (dozen) jars of spaghetti sauce and we got 5 of the frozen dinners. Thats an outlay of $22 to purchase what would normally be $38. Total savings? $16. Which means it was like getting 8 frozen dinners for free or another 1.3 cases of spaghetti sauce for free. The spaghetti sauce goes in the cupboard, the dinners go in the freezer, and we pat ourselves on the back for saving $16.
The point here is that you can buy food that you normally eat and like and get it cheap enough to stock up if you watch for the sales and strike while the iron is hot.
Also, you dont necessarily need a sale…you just need space. A 1# bag of rice vs. a 50# bag of rice – I havent had to buy rice in a while but in a 50# bag (which gets repackaged to a 5-gallon bucket with lid) it comes out to around $0.25~ per pound. So if you paid more than 25 cents for that plastic bag of rice at the supermarket you could have done better. Ditto for things like pasta, beans, etc, etc.
Enough about this, Im trusting you see my point.
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Went shooting the other day. 200 gr. RN out of a k-frame .357 are a bit much. Out of the N-frame, however, theyre juuuuuust fine.
Shot the .308 a bit. Shot 1 7/8″ at 200 yards which is just under MOA for five shots. Finally. One of the LMI let me try some of his handloads. Lapua brass, match primers, Lapua bullets….definitely could see a difference. I’ve been shooting the less-than-precision-manufactured Remington brass because, honestly, I just happen to have a bunch of it. Looks like Im going to have to order some Lapua or Norma match brass.
Also shot the Yugo SKS. Folks, if you havent bought one of these cheap ($150~) guns yet you are going to be kicking yourself later on …. believe it. Good, solid gun shooting a cheap cartridge capable of keeping looters at bay yet the gun is cheap enough that youre not too concerned if it gets lost or stolen. And, like the AK, its quite reliable. Get ’em while you can.
Ten years after the end of the world I think the most prevalent guns will be Rugers and AK/SKS rifles…..they just. dont. quit.
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Winter approaches. The cold weather module is back in my TT bag. Kerosene was running around $22~ for a 5-gallon drum up at Lowes. And I smiled a big smile at myself because when they had it marked down to $5 a drum I bought a dozen and still have them. (Thats bragging.) I really need some new boots and need to get that taken care of…esp. since hunting season will be here soon.
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Fascinating story here about a guy who took it upon himself to drive his personally owned military truck to deliver aid to Katrina victims. He put on his old uniform and sailed through all the roadblocks, got shot at, returned fire, got robbed, and had a very interesting final encounter with three thugs when he stopped to change a tire. I can freely admit I wouldnt have done 1/10th the things this guy did, out of his own pocket, because Im just too selfish in that way. But its a good story and theres some interesting info in there.
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Now that, for the most part, the heroic moments are done with the blame game starts. Police chief, Mayor, Governor, Director….all forming the traditional circular firing squad and taking shots at each other. Is there seriously anyone who didnt see this coming? Certainly theres some folks that seriously need to be run out of town but theres also going to be a few loyal troops falling on their own swords to spare theirl eaders. Regardless, reputations and expections for various organizations like FEMA are going to take damage. Even the Red Cross’ sterling image has been mightily tarnished. Matter of fact, after reading here and there about some of the ‘our way or the highway’ policies of the RC and other organizations, and their utter disdain for local responders and inability to work with other .orgs, I really don’t think theres any national-level relief agency that deserves my support. However, from what Ive read there are scads of local/regional .orgs that deserve support and praise. Church groups, VFD’s, private companies, and the like. I think organizations tend to do a better job when the affected area is in their home area…it gives them motivation and, this is important, it gives them a certain accountability since they have to live among that population later.
I had long ago
decided that in any emergency, better to be prepared, than to be helpless in the clutches of those whom may refuse me help. there are small towns in missasippi that have not seen any official help, le3t alone any official this long after katrina. they are on their own resources trying to survive. New Orleans will get the federal money because it is a political hotspot, the rest will get the crumbs if any left. wait till the next storm hits the area, late October time.
Also, you dont necessarily need a sale…you just need space.
Yeah, wish I had more of that. But you can do a lot with just a coupla units of steel shelving. A *lot*.
Ten years after the end of the world I think the most prevalent guns will be Rugers and AK/SKS rifles…..they just. dont. quit.
Glocks too?
just out of curiosity, is your primary bolt gun in 308? if so, why 308?
atek3
Which N frame Smith? Just curious. I really like my M 28. It was my first Smith revolover and told me that I did really like revolvers after all.
I love the fact that you were able to purchase the Kero at $5 a drum, but …
I hate to bring this up …..
buying Kerosene at Lowe’s is just dumb. $22 for a 5 gal container works out to $4.40 a gallon. Spot price here in town for K-1 Kerosene is right around $2.40. Given the absensce of your deal, it is far more cost effective to hit the local gas/service statation and fill up your cans, imho.
Theyre 5-gallon drums. Thats $1 per gallon.
I misread what you were saying.
Ceratinly, unless its on sale again at $1/gallon I have no intention of buying it at Lowes or any other ‘high end’ place. Id just head over to the local Cenex and fill up a few containers…but, fortunately, I dont have to since I got over 55-gallons of the stuff at $1/gallon.
For compatability with the ammo for the FAL, HK91 and M1A and any other .308 battle rifles we come up with. Its one less caliber to have to find ammo for. If we went with, say, .300 Win Mag we’d have to stock that as well as .308…. this streamlines logistics. Additionally, .308 has a wealth of data out there and its the most common caliber for high-end sniper-type guns
M28…Highway Patrolman.
I can see where you’re coming from on the ammo compatability part, have you checked how ball groups from your snipz0r rifle? With aussie we were getting 1.5 MOA groups from my friends 700 PSS. Not too shabby. Still good enough for 400 yd headshots, with perfect wind doping and a machine rest 🙂
One thing I like about the Accuracy International and Tubb2k’s are their ability to rapidly change barrel/caliber. When I have more of money, I’ll probably have my medium range tactical rifle chambered for 260 rem, ballistically far more efficient than 308, without being a barrel burner like 243 or 6.5×284. I’ll have two thousand match grade handloads, probably with either the hornady SST 129 gr or the new norma 130 gr. The norma 130 gr will easily stay supersonic at 1000 yards. Then if it turned into a TEOWAWKI situation, and two thousand rounds wasn’t sufficient, I’d have a backup barrel in 308. Keep a few cases of black hills 308 to use in preference to ball.
atek3
Went shooting the other day. 200 gr. RN out of a k-frame .357 are a bit much. Out of the N-frame, however, theyre juuuuuust fine.
I haven’t had any problems with my Model 66 handling them with a snice, comfortable snap. What model was it a little much for, if you don’t mind my asking?
Keep in mind, I haven’t fired an N frame, so maybe I’m just used to the 66.
What kind(s) of appliances do you use the K-1 in?
Given the better bullet selection maybe a 7-08 over the .260?
Toyosun kerosene heater
Alladin kerosene lamps
Backpacking stoves
Shot it out of the Ruger which is same size as a k-frame. Felt like it was going to rattle something loose. The N-frame, however, just chugged along happily.
Gotcha.
Haven’t had that feeling with my 66, but I know the one you mean.
better bullet selection in 7mm? in what sense? 6.5mm bullets dominate F-class because in a package with ~308 recoil you can top the wind drift numbers of 300 win mag. the -08 case just doesn’t have the volume to drive the sleek 7mm bullets fast enough. For a ‘reach out and touch someone rifle’, a 7 WSM with a muzzle brake and a recoil pad would be better, but that wouldn’t have the barrel interchangability of staying with a 308 boltfaced cartridge such as 260.
atek3
Yep, compatibility of ammo is important. I keep .38 special, 7.62x54R, and .22lr stocked up. When I get an SKS, I’ll add 7.62×39. After that, a glock 17 is in the works, which’ll add 9mm. And then a shotgun…so 12 Gauge. And then I’ll stop, and only get guns in those calibers…really…I mean it… 🙂
Hey now, easy on the Ruger 🙂
*THAT* is friggin awesome.
I guess what I was trying to convey (poorly) is that anyone that pays $4.40 a gallon for K1 Kero is dumb 😉
How ever, anyone that gets K-1 Kero at $1 a gallon in nifty little 5 gallon drumlets is very smart indeed!