JIM'S QUESTIONS

[This is from a Doomer friend of mine. We write to each other occasionally. I thought I would use his questions today as a topic of discussion. Other readers may, of course, disagree with what is said, but I think it will be of benefit to most. Enjoy!]
*************
I do have two questions.
1) We have bought 12 ga. Remington 870 shotguns and S&W 5904, 9mm for the women and 223 Colt AR's for the men in our party. With ample ammo. You said in your writings to keep the number of calibers consistent and uniform. Do you think this is simple enough? Should we cut it down to just handguns and rifles?

[I would say NO to getting rid of the 870's. Wondrous firearms. A huge variety of ammo for different occasions. My favorite is 00 Buck but I have other stuff to take care of other things. I know that my shotgun will take out a man at 50 yards with 00 Buck. Probably drop Bambi too, if he gets in the way. I dropped a Beaver at 50 yards just a few weeks ago that was boring holes in the dam of our pond. I was happy with the results of firing the shotgun.

I recently got a 100 round box of Federal #8 shot from Walmart for $22. That was 40% higher than what I paid 3 years ago. It hurt to see the price ticket, but it feels good looking at that box of shells.

I was at the scene of a shooting over 50 years ago and saw what #8 shot would do to a man at 25 feet. Ugly business. Real ugly. And I would say that a lot of people in the world are knowledgable about the effects of a shotgun blast. It isn't a superstition or a fantasy but rather it is a real positive thing that you DON'T want to fool with a man armed with a 12 ga. shotgun. Bad field position. You can't get enough ammo for a 12 ga. Soon enough you will run out and then you will miss it.

As to your arsenal, I was curious as to why you don't have some good .22 rifles? Cheap shooting and wonderful game-getters. They will knock down most four legged critters and will get you a few two legged critters should the facts of life warrant such a thing.

I do not know about your retreat. Is it in the woods? Is it down in the Arkansas rice fields? Can a sniper get to you with ease? These are questions you need to answer for yourself and take corrective measures as you see fit. But if you are susceptible to long range shooting, it would not be out of the way to have some long range retaliation. Any center-fire rifle with a medium weight bullet will help take care of long range problems. 130 grains and up should be helpful. 30 caliber is thought to be minimum for long range work by a lot of guys. But your location is what determines all of this. If your retreat is in the middle of the hardwood forest then you don't need a Barrett 50 BMG to defend your place. What you already have would be adequate. But it wouldn't be a bad deal for you if you had a couple 50's. A friend of mine in Tennessee brought one up for my son to shoot and he loved it. But do I say to make this a part of your "must have" arsenal? No. They cost like the devil and the ammo is going up in price. And 50 BMG rounds were NEVER cheap to begin with. ]


2) There has been a great deal of discussion in our family (we are all blood kin) about SHTF time.

[Now you know why the scripture says "One of a nation and two of a family." Individuals will go where they damn well please but blood kin will check in with the relatives. I would like to be a fly on the wall when it came time for your family to discuss possible calamities. Good people.]

There seems to be a consenus of opinion that there will be signs long before a collaspe. Like riots that go unquelled, and a call up of the National Guard, roads out of the city gridlocked.

[I wonder, in all seriousness, about the effectiveness of any call up of the Guard or the Reserves. The cops will be looking out for number one. And the Guards and Reserves may be looking out for their own families. Logically, if the rioting is confined to one or two major cities, then a call up of Guards and Reserves might turn the tide. But if it breaks out like a string of firecrackers then the S has truly HTF. You can forget about the use of troops in most areas.

As to the roads and possible gridlock? That is the price you pay for not living at your retreat. You have a retreat, but you must first get there. And if at all possible you ought to go in a convoy. That way you can help each other out if something goes wrong. And for God's sake, know the sneakiest way out of town imaginable. Those 870 Wingmasters can be a big help in leaving town. A convoy of kinfolk armed with 870's is not something a freebooter wants to mess with.]

This would be our signal to leave.

[Can't fault your reasoning. Leave the day before if possible!]

Do YOU think that there will be signs that will give us a heads up?

[Unless I hear from God or one of his annointed I am in the same boat you are in. We just have to keep our eyes open and our nose to the wind. You gotta watch the Natural Bible. It is just what God is laying out for you to see. If you have a good brain that God was kind enough to give you then use it to save yourself and your family. Riots, cities on fire, hungry people marching in the streets, hobo camps springing up all over the place, etc. These are the signs of a people about to revolt against their circumstances. Take heed.]

Will we have time to use that one tank of gas to get to our summer home?

[If you leave in time! Be prayerful and watchful. It's all in the hands of God anyhow. But try to become a watcher on the wall. Unless God watches a city, he who watches, watches in vain.]

Wouldn't SHTF most likely occur in the summer when the "socially disadvantaged" and "culturally deprived", have the most time to express their "unhappiness" in a less than acceptable form?

[The SHTF scenario will occur when the people get hungry, and the time of the year is irrelevant. You can't schedule starvation. When it hits, people move. And if you are starving, what is acceptable? What is unacceptable? When a man sees his family starving then all rules go by the wayside, socially acceptable or not. Starvation is a sign that somebody damn sure better do SOMETHING! And if I lived in an inner city slum I would get my ass out the best way I could. Make no mistake about it. And you would too. If you have a retreat then get to it.]

I get a knot in my stomach when I think of all the jail cells being swung open during SHTF and these hardened, cruel, men hitting the streets.

[What do I think? I think I will have one of those 870 Wingmasters to pursuade the bad guys to go elsewhere. If they don't go when confronted, then they must face the bad end of Mr. Wingmaster in all his wrath. And my friends wrath. We worked hard to get a place to live and we wouldn't look favorably on anyone who would want to take it away. The interloper has to be the one who backs down! Survivalists are not in this game to lose! We have to win most every time! So act accordingly.]


WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Jim
****************
Thank you for the questions, Jim. I feel they were things that might be on a lot of people's minds. Prepare as best you can. Things could be getting down to the short end of the stick.

Stay live!

Michael

mboone@rtccom.net