In Hoglegs, Hipshots & Jalepenos, Skeeter Skelton asked the same question to Dobe Grant. Dobe starts with four guns, "and damned if I'll get rid of any of 'em" - a scoped .30-06 for sniper work and hunting, a 12-gauge pump shotty, a .44 Magnum (I forget if he specified DA or SA, Ruger, Smith or Colt), and a .22 revolver. Revolvers were chosen so there were no mags to loose.
Bit by bit, Skeeter whittled down the list...first to go was the shotty. The '06 went next because Dobe was such a good pistol shot the rifle wasn't necessary. When it came down to the two wheelguns, Dobe got mad and stormed out of the house.
When he came in, he was carrying two rabbits he shot out by the barn and he had his answer: a Winchester pump .22 rifle.
If it's good enough for Dobe, it's good for me, except I'll stick with my old scoped Marlin bolt-action .22. And I'll take it over the Ruger BA or the Marlin mag-fed rifles because I don't have a mag to loose. That's a good idea. Harder to clean a tube mag - true - but less to loose.
Q