.22 or 12 gauge....I'll let you decide...

My dad had both during the Depression....both single shots...He hunted for a living and sold the excess out of the front of grandmas country store...literally hung the squirrels, rabbits, turkeys and quail in the front where they could be seen from the road....I would go for the .22...because of the cost of the ammo....Until the day dad died he kept a full brick of .22 ammo put away for "emergencys"....A 12 gauge would also be a good chioce...except the cost of ammo is more....I remember dad telling of putting a little corn in a pile in the woods and killing 3-4 turkeys with one shot from a shotgun....Shells for a 12 gauge do cost more, but if you are really serious about conserving every shot then you can put several meals on the table with each shot....

I'd go for the .22 as it will kill anything from quail to deer.