For small game like rabbits, squirrels, etc. I like a Ruger 10/22 its a 22lr and onw of the toughest guns you can get. Most of the abbriveations mean the caliber whickis the width of the bullet. For instance a .22lr is 22 thousandths of an inch in diameter and the lr stands for long rifle which was used to tell the difference between 22long whick was a little shorter and the 22 short which is about half the size of the 22lr.