12. Guns, knives, and other weapons
Self-defense is legal and moral. It is something for which you do need to be prepared.
I suggest
1. a pellet gun aka BB-gun. Get a nice one. You can use it shoot rats, squirrels, birds, and even rabbits. I know it isn’t exactly what Rambo uses in the movies, but you can get one fairly cheap, and the ammo is affordable. Get it and target practice until you can actually hit a tin can. If you can afford some sort of reusable moving target for not too much money that would be even better. Watch sporting goods stores for sales.
2. A 22 pistol long barrel and/or a 22 rifle is really good. You can do the same thing you can do with a pellet gun but you can probably do more damage. A 22 magnum is what you want. Ammo is readily available.
3. A 30-30 is a world class weapon. People like myself can take the kick from a 30-30 whereas a 30-06 is just too much. Ammo is readily available.
4. A 30-06 or 308 is probably the highest caliber you would want unless you get into some sort of specialty shooting as a hobby.
5. A 9mm pistol is another good weapon. Ammo is affordable and available.
Gun Safety – The basics are to always treat a gun like it is loaded! Never under any circumstances point a gun at anyone unless you are defending yourself or your family. Never under any circumstances consume alcohol or any sort of drug when you have a gun in your possession. Do not be around anyone who drinks or uses drugs and has a gun. Be ware of prescription medication. If you are not supposed to drive an automobile when taking a medication then it is not safe to handle firearms while taking that medication.
If you are not familiar with guns I strongly suggest some gun safety courses and instructions on shooting.
Personally, I am a terrible shot. I can’t hit anything unless I have a laser sight on the gun. I am not especially fond of shooting, so practicing enough to hit something is not high on my list of things to do. I don’t hunt although some family members do hunt. If you decide to take up hunting gun safety is an equally important issue. Under every single circumstance you must know exactly at what you are shooting before an actual shot is fired. Do not accept anyone in your hunting party who is not a gun safety nut. Do not accept anyone in your party who wants to bring alcohol or any mind altering substance into the hunting camp. If you should accidentally find yourself in a hunting situation where people are not practicing gun safety then leave immediately. If you find yourself in a hunting area that is very crowded then it is best to leave that area and go somewhere else.
I actually love guns. I fully support the right of every citizen to have own guns for self defense, hunting, and just the simple pleasure of shooting. A lot of guys I know love their ‘pow-pows’. They present far less of a safety hazard to themselves and the public than those who drink or use drugs.
My husband used to be an avid turkey hunter. He didn’t go in for all the hype, cammo, and a lot of baloney that calls for a lot of money to be spent in order to hunt turkey. Jerry just learned to use a gobble box and putter. He had good success. However he gave up hunting turkey on the day that he called up a turkey hunter who almost shot him!
An aside here is some good information for anyone who wants to become a turkey hunter. You will NEVER be able to sneak up on a wild turkey. You must make the turkey come to you! Jerry never imagined there could be a turkey hunter so ignorant that he would try to go the turkey instead of calling the turkey to him. That is another reason to avoid being so over dressed in camouflage clothing that you are undetectable. You want to be very apparent to other hunters that you are not an animal, a bird, or a tree they might want to use for target practice.