Originally Posted By: GauchoViejo
The 12 gauge may be almost an all around gun whenever weight is not a concern. Try carrying two boxes of shells for a day and then tell me about it!
That is an important observation. The quote I gave did assume a non-survival situation. I have lost track of what Jac is looking for; survival or general (all) purpose. For survival, I would probably go with a single-shot .22. However, if I had to have only one gun, I may go with either a 12 or 20 gauge.

Survival shooting for food presents a problem. How much dead animal is enough? If you cannot process/preserve the meat from a deer-size animal, why harvest it? Thus, what is the need for medium or larger calibers in a survival situation? I have wrestled that question for quite a while.

My $.02
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"Its not a matter of being ready as it is being prepared" -- B. E. J. Taylor