Where hunting Jack Rabbit is legal, (and young ones are tasty) something just a tad
stronger than 22 lr works better. 22 Magnum or cowboy action (reduced) cast bullet loads in a 30-30 are about perfect. Or a shotgun makes them easier to hit on the run. The Savage 42 in 22 mag/410 would be nice for that.

A single shot synthetic NEF handi rifle with a 30-30 and a 12 gauge barrel is what I own for deer and turkey. Williams
peep site for the rifle barrel. When accessing a hunting area by mountain bike, I don't worry about crashing and damaging an expensive rifle or scope. With the shotgun barrel, it weighs just over 5 lbs, so is very nice to carry. One screw and you
can break it down too. The single shot is nice for safety as it is quick to empty or check if loaded, say getting into vehicles or crossing fences. The Savage 42's and 24
are similar in this regard. I also have a 24 in 222 with 20 gauge, but don't get much use out of it as the game regs don't allow that combination gun for most things.

It depends entirely on what it is that you plan to hunt.

I would vote for getting a 12 gauge if you want a shotgun. Far more versatile than any .410. And shells are considerably easier to come by. Usually cost less too.

A 22 rifle is always a good starter gun.

I don't know what such things cost where you live but it is usually possible to get a used 12 gauge pump and a used 22LR rifle for around $100 each.

I am not a fan of gimmick guns.

The old Winchester Model 52 I was given at age 10 back in the '60's is now my youngest nephew's; it still shoots fine. I replaced it with a CZ-452 Lux.

.22 Shorts and Longs are very pleasant plinkers and from a long barrel make very little noise.

I would recomend a ROSSI multi barrel package.It is a single shot break action rifle.It has one lower assembly and as many interchangable barrels as you choose.You can then have a 22lr,20ga,12ga and a center fire like a 308 or 30-06.It is technically one gun as the lower assembly is what is tracked by its serial number.For cleaning the barrels I prefer BORE SNAKES.They make cleaning stupid simple.I would not reccomend a semiauto for some one just starting out.The disassembly to clean can be a little intimidating.

BOATMAN
John

two quick suggestions.

1. Instead of the 22 rifle, consider a rifle chambered in 22WMR (aka 22 magnum). This is a slightly more powerful version of the 22, but still is very family friendly. the ammo is also relatively inexpensive, but not as cheap as 22's. the 22WMR is an excellent general purpose cartridge (bullet) for survival purposes, because it will bring down larger game than the 22. technicaly you should not fire a 22WMR at a deer (it's illegal during hunting season). practically, if your family's lives were at stake then you could kill a small white tail deer with a close range shot (say 50 yards) at the head with a 22WMR. so a rifle chambered in this round is well worth contemplating.

2. I heartily support the suggestion of a 20-gage shotgum for general purpose survival and defensive purposes. in fact if you had to choose one long gun for all family purposes in the wilderness, then the 20 gage would be a mighty fine choice.

the 22WMR rifle would be fine for the kids and you. both you and the hubby could handle the 20-gage and be very effective for keeping everybody safe and putting food into the pot.

finally, if these options worry you at all - consider a high-caliber air gun. You can get air guns in 22-caliber and 25-caliber. these air guns are nothing to sneeze at - they will definitely kill small ground animals (rabbits, marmots) and all manner of birds. they are pretty accurate out to 50-75 yards. but the good air guns in these calibers are not cheap (maybe $500-$800) so you are not saving money. you can get pretty quiet versions though, so you can use them in your own yard for target practice.

good luck,
Pete2

When it comes to versatility, I have to concur with LesSnyder's recommendation of the Savage 24 C combo .22lr and 20 guage shotgun. I've shot this gun in .22WMR and 20 guage. Its a single shot, break barrel, so its simple which makes it easy to clean and leaves little to go wrong. Both rounds are readily available and relatively cheap. The .22lr is easy to learn on, compact to store and light to carry, and useful for small game. The 20 guage is good for everything from bird to deer (using rifled slugs), and they're almost as common as 12 guage when it comes to availability of different kinds of rounds. Finally, its a bit heavy, but it breaks down relatively compactly if you want to take it hiking or camping.

I'm going to go against the flow as well.

If you're looking for basic I'd go with a single shot, break action, single barrel 12 gauge shotgun and a bolt action .22 rifle with maybe a 5-10 round magazine. Both are inexpensive, reliable, and accurate.

If you're hunting you should be close enough to take care of business with a single shot or you shouldn't be taking the shot---ever!

Additionally, you can purchase inserts to shoot .22 out of the 12 gauge
http://www.gunadapters.com/categories/Shotgun-Adapters/12-gauge/

This gives you two firearms capable of firing the same ammo. There are other adapters available as well, but at least you've got a backup. I'm a fan of backups.

There's little game in North America that can't be taken with a 12 gauge either shot or slug. Just have to be close enough and hit the right target. You'll have to pattern the gun to see how it shoots and with different shot loads for birds but that's just part of sighting it in.

You can also shoot trap with it. Good place to start and learn your firearm.

Good luck.

How does this work? Would you need a new barrel?

Bingley... if you look at the pictures, you'll notice a shoulder at one end of the insert...in a single shot shotgun, there is a step machined into the barrel into which the rim of the shot shell fits... it keeps it from moving forward into the barrel, and holds it against the breech face so the firing pin can strike the primer to set it off...the insert is machined of rifle barrel steel (4140) and rifled, so it is the barrel for the sub caliber... the .22lr is probably offset slightly as it is a rim fire and not a center fired primer...the accuracy would be similar to any firearm with that length of barrel...modern rifle propellants typically need 65 calibers of barrel length to adequately burn the propellant... most pistol powders do a pretty good job in 4"...

Not a gun recommendation but a shopping recommendation.

Buy something used and inexpensive and simple in a .22. After you practice with it for six months you will have a much better idea of what you like and don't like about it and you can go shopping with a better idea of what to look for.

And, since the first gun was very inexpensive in the first place it should be easy to resell.

To put it differently, don't go shopping for your second gun first.