Perhaps guns are not the answer.

Maybe you should consider restating the question to "how best to gather food in the woods?". Blast's blog offers lots of options that won't use up ammunition. Archery/sling shots/atlatl projectile technology offers you options that are lighter, quieter and (perhaps) cheaper than firearms, can be field-repaired or replaced without resorting to portable machine-shops, and are probably less likely to create law enforcement issues for you.