6 Best Survival Rifles [Ultimate Guide]

Do you need a rifle that can save your bacon in the backcountry or during the end of times?

That's a tall order, but we're up to the task of finding one for you.

Even a small rimfire rifle can offer more range than either a shotgun or pistol, and they are certainly easier to shoot accurately. Some are better tools for the job than others, though.

I'll walk you through what I consider a true survival rifle and share the best survival rifles for getting out of trouble.

Comparison Chart

How We Chose the Best Survival Rifles

We here at PPT have been camping, hunting, hiking, and adventuring hundreds of times. With this in mind, we wanted to focus on rifles that are compact and unobtrusive, but still effective at hunting small game.

Protection is important, but starvation is a bigger problem than deadly animals in most survival situations.

For these reasons, we came up with a few standards for choosing the best survival rifles:

• It needs to weigh approximately 5 pounds.
• It needs to fit in a standard-size backpack. This means the gun has to break down or fold in some way.
• It needs to use light ammo that is easy to find and carry.

For example, we'd love to recommend the FoldAR, but it's a little heavy for our purposes. The same goes for many takedown rifles and truck guns.

Best Takedown Survival Rifles

1. Ruger 10/22 Takedown - Most Customizable

Most Customizable

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

$418

at Classic Firearms

Prices accurate at time of writing

$418 at Classic Firearms

GrabAGun (see price)

MidwayUSA (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Show all prices

Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Action: Semi-automatic, blowback
• Capacity: 10+1
• Barrel Length: 18.5"
• Overall Length: 37"
• Weight: 4.7 lbs
• Country of Origin: USA

The Ruger 10/22 is, without a doubt, the most popular rimfire rifle ever. It’s been made in the millions since the 1960s and remains the standard for semi-auto .22 LR long guns.

The Takedown model allows you to split the 10/22 in half and pack it away.

It's a proper rifle with a real stock, a comb for a cheek rest, and handguards. It’s everything minimalist survival rifles typically are not.

It only weighs 4.6 pounds in its factory configuration and skates right under my five-pound limit. I own a standard 10/22, and it's one of the most fun guns I’ve ever handled.

As a semi-auto. 22 LR rifle, the gun is very easy to operate, and you can quickly dump rounds into a target. This makes it a bit more capable of taking on dangerous animals, even if it's more deterrent than deadly.

The 10/22 Takedown comes with a carrying case but it's also easy to pack into a bag on its own. You can find magazines for the Ruger 10/22 that can hold 10, 15, 25, and even up to 110 rounds in a drum.

Butler Creek 25-Round 10/22 Magazine

$18

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$18 at GunMag Warehouse

Brownells (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

The takedown and assembly procedure is straightforward and quick. Its stainless steel parts are rust-resistant and very easy to clean, which is convenient for a survival rifle.

The Ruger 10/22 is an extremely reliable gun and one of the most customizable rifles you can buy.

It’s easy to tailor to your needs and is ultimately a gun you won't regret buying. If you choose the Ruger 10/22 Takedown as your survival rifle, it can double as a great plinking gun.

Oh, and there's tons of effective, light, and inexpensive ammo out there. Check out our guide to the best .22 LR ammo.

2. Henry AR-7 - Most Compact

Most Compact

Henry AR-7 Survival Rifle

$298

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$298 at Palmetto State Armory

GrabAGun (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Action: Semi-automatic
• Capacity: 8+1
• Barrel Length: 16.1"
• Overall Length: 35"
• Weight: 3.5 lbs
• Country of Origin: USA

The Henry AR-7 was initially built as a survival rifle for U.S. Air Force pilots. It's a .22 LR semi-automatic rifle that feeds from detachable magazines containing eight rounds.

The barrel and receiver detach from the stock, which then turns into a storage compartment for the receiver and barrel (but not an optic).

The entire design is toolless, compact, and lightweight. The gun weighs a mere 3.5 pounds. It lacks any kind of handguard, so the barrel will heat up after extended firing.

This rifle isn’t designed to be a high-volume plinker, but that doesn’t mean it won’t keep going like the Energizer bunny between reloads.

With a 14-inch length of pull, it is excellent for adult-sized shooters. The gun is a blast to shoot and comes with two magazines. Eight rounds are more than enough for most situations, but extended magazines are available and are reasonably affordable.

The top of the receiver sports a short rail, but a mounted optic won't allow the gun to be stored in the stock.

The gun is very lightweight and comfortable to shoot. It may be a 1950s design, but the overall concept screams space age.

Want more details on the Henry AR-7? Check out our full review here!

What's your take on the AR-7? Rate it below!

3. TPS Arms M6 Takedown - Best Cartridge Selection

Best Cartridge Selection

TPS Arms M6 Takedown Rifle

$466

at BattleHawk Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$466 at BattleHawk Armory

GrabAGun (see price)

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: .17 HMR and .410, .22 LR and .410, .22 WMR and .410, .22 Hornet and .410, .357 Mag and .410, double .410
• Action: Break-action over/under
• Capacity: 2
• Barrel Length: 18.3"
• Overall Length: N/A
• Weight: 5.1 lbs
• Country of Origin: USA

The M6 Takedown is another classic survival firearm originally developed for U.S. Air Force pilots (they get all the cool gadgets). TPS Arms recreates this classic survival rifle for a great price point with a few improvements.

See that funky trigger? It's designed so you can use it even if you're wearing mittens or suffering from numb hands.

But this isn’t just a survival rifle; it's a rifle and shotgun.

The bottom barrel is always bored for .410, you can pick from .357 Mag, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 Hornet, or even another .410 barrel up top. That should help you tailor your rifle to the kind of survival scenario you foresee in your future.

Having trouble deciding between those rimfire options? Check out our .17 HMR vs. .22 LR vs. .22 WMR comparison.

The .357 Magnum can take any medium game animal in North America, and the .410 can take down birds, squirrels, snakes, and other critters. On the other hand, picking .22 LR allows you to carry 500 rounds in your cargo pocket. Decisions, decisions.

The .410 barrel has interchangeable chokes, and you can outfit the modern M6 Takedown with a scope rail for a red dot.

Like the classic M6, the M6 Takedown Series from TPS Arms is super lightweight, fairly short, and separates in half for tossing in a backpack. The stock features a customizable storage compartment to fit a number of different rounds.

Is it the ultimate survival takedown rifle? You tell us!

4. Chiappa Little Badger - Best Budget

Best Budget

Chiappa Little Badger

$215

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$215 at GrabAGun

Guns.com (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: .17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 WMR
• Action: Break-action
• Capacity: 1
• Barrel Length: 16.5"
• Overall Length: 32"
• Weight: 2.9 lbs
• Country of Origin: Italy

The wallet-friendly Chiappa Little Badger is light, affordable, and -- dare I say -- adorable. It's chambered for .22 LR, .22 WMR, or .17 HMR.

I own a .22 LR model, and it's an enjoyable plinker.

This single-shot rifle has just the bare essentials: a barrel, receiver, and wire stock. It weighs practically nothing and comes with four short rails you can attach accessories to. The small peep sights are adjustable and very easy to use.

The gun folds in half to be only roughly 17 inches long. It’s super thin and fits in a backpack.

This gun even has a little plastic attachment to hold extra rounds but I found them a little too loose to hold ammo securely.

The .22 LR version is excellent and makes sourcing ammo a breeze, but the .22 WMR variant will pack more of a punch. If you want even more power, Chiappa also makes a Big Badger chambered for .410, .30-30 Win, or .350 Legend.

Chiappa Big Badger

$193

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$193 at Palmetto State Armory

Hinterland Outfitters (see price)

Guns.com (see price)

Both badgers are very easy to operate. All you have to do is load a single cartridge, close the action, cock the hammer, aim, and pull the trigger.

Simplicity also means it’s almost fail-proof. It’s not a rapid-fire weapon but, with well-aimed shots, you can quickly get dinner and kill off snakes, coyotes, and other pests.

It's less than $200 and, survival skills aside, it’s a cool rifle to plink with.

Want more single shots? Take a look at our round-up of the best single shot rifles on the market.

CCI Stinger .22 LR

$7

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$7 at Palmetto State Armory

Brownells (see price)

Lucky Gunner (see price)

5. Kel-Tec Sub2000 - Best Value PCC

Best Value PCC

KelTec Sub2000 Gen3

$355

at Guns.com

Prices accurate at time of writing

$355 at Guns.com

Battlehawk Armory (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 5.7x28, 9mm, 10mm
• Action: Semi-automatic
• Capacity: 15+1
• Barrel Length: 16.1"
• Overall Length: 29.3"
• Weight: 4.2 lbs
• Country of Origin: USA

The KelTec Sub2000 is one of the few common, affordable, and reliable semi-auto centerfire guns I could find for this list.

When folded in half, the Sub2000 sports an overall length of only 16.25 inches. Unfolded, the rifle is still a short 30.5 inches. It weighs in at only 4.25 pounds and fits well into a standard backpack or even a messenger bag.

My favorite third-generation Sub2000 shoots 9mm from Glock magazines, so sourcing ammo and mags is a piece of cake. It loses iron sights, but you can add flip-up sights if you want a backup to your optic. You can also have this gun in 5.7x28 or 10mm.

It's quite a bit more potent than a rimfire rifle or .410 shotgun, making it better against dangerous animals and medium game.

A very simple blowback system means it is quite reliable. It does have more recoil than a standard carbine due to this system, but it's still easy to control.

Check out our articles on the best 9mm ammo for our favorite training and self-defense rounds.

Want more? Read our complete hands-on review of the KelTec Sub2000!

6. Smith & Wesson M&P FPC - Best PCC

Best PCC

Smith & Wesson M&P FPC

$459

at Sportsman's Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$459 at Sportsman's Warehouse

GrabAGun (see price)

Guns.com (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR, 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm
• Action: Semi-automatic
• Capacity: 17+1, 23+1
• Barrel Length: 16.3"
• Overall Length: 30.4"
• Weight: 5 lbs
• Country of Origin: USA

Think of the Smith & Wesson M&P FPC as a KelTec Sub2000 for the discerning survivalist.

It uses the same general layout and cartridge, but with a few perks the Sub2000 doesn't offer.

For starters, it's a continuation of the M&P line so you know its reliability and accuracy should be rock-solid. You can use double-stack M&P pistol magazines, and the M&P FPC comes with one 17-round magazine and two 23-round magazines.

The stock securely stores whichever two magazines you aren't using.

Smith & Wesson even gave the FPC a buffer system to soften recoil, which is already minimal in a firearm of this size.

The FPC family is growing, so take a look at Smith & Wesson's .22 LR, .40 S&W, and 10mm FPCs, too!

How To Choose The Best Survival Rifles

Survival can take many different forms. What’s the most likely survival situation you’re likely to face?

Living off squirrels and rabbits looks is nothing like fending off human attackers. Hiking back to civilization isn’t the same as locking down your property.

Choosing between a .22 LR takedown rifle and a folding PCC will be a lot easier if you know what you’re up against.

Meet the Experts

Heading up this article is Pew Pew Tactical author Travis Pike. Travis spent a lifetime shooting and hunting before joining the United States Marine Corps, where he spent five years as an infantryman. Travis is also an NRA-certified instructor and concealed carry instructor in the state of Florida.

Editing this article is Scott Murdock. Scott is a Marine Corps veteran who competed and qualified as a rifle and pistol expert while in service. In addition to shooting, Scott has written for a variety of publications, testing, researching, and evaluating guns and gear. He brings that knowledge and skillset to this article, editing and fact-checking for accuracy.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical. 

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that most responsible hunters, hikers, and campers will never need it, but a good survival rifle is worth its weight in gold should you ever find yourself in a pickle.

These choices are perfect for most budgets, are lightweight, and can be quite discrete. Since many of these are easily concealed, check your local laws and the laws of anywhere you may consider camping to ensure they are legal.

What do you prefer as your go-to survival gun? Let us know in the comments below! Now, head over and read the rest of our survival and prepping guides.

Latest Update

• July 2025: Removed the Aero Survival Rifle LTE and CMMG Banshee Mk57. Added a comparison chart and Meet the Experts section.
• July 2024: Updated product information and supporting content, added the Smith & Wesson M&P FPC, and removed the Savage Model 42 Takedown.