Hi guys.

First time poster. What an amazing community this is.

While my subject question may seem hypothetical it is quite real. Katrina and the possible bird flu pandemic have forced me to completely restructure the way I live my life.

I'm not a current hunter but I'm certainly not a stranger to guns and I’ve hunted a little before. I am currently in the position of trying to reasonably prepare to protect and provide for my family in the case of a disaster within the confines of limited time and budget.

My question of "You can have only one gun to put food on the table. Which one?" is related to the scenario of a biological pandemic; One where we must refrain from all contact with civilization until the pandemic runs it's course or a vaccine is created.

I would love to have the money to be able to purchase a rifle/gun that is perfectly matched for the specific game being hunted but that isn't possible. If you could only have one rifle/gun to put food on the table for your family, what would it be? What would you hunt with it?

Thanks for your expertise, insight and opinions.