The gauge: A 12ga shotgun is the most terminally effective personal weapon widely available. Sure, you can spend $8000 on a Barrett or other anti-material rifle and get better performance at all ranges, but why do that when you can spend $300 to get the same punch at 50 meters and in? Also, with proper ammo selection, you can hunt pretty much any animal in North America with a shotgun, from small squirrels, quails, and doves, to turkeys, ducks, geese, deer, and even moose! Not to mention the countless competition disciplines that utilize shotguns. It has no equal as far as versatility is concerned. It also pretty cheap to buy. Most good quality pumps are under $500 and will provide a lifetime of shooting. The trick with shotgunning is that to maximize the versatility, you kind of need 2 barrels. If you choose a short barrel for defensive use and large game hunting, you essentially eliminate utility for fast and flying game or classic clay pigeon competition. If you pick a long barrel, you eliminate the former. Never fear, most major manufacturers offer kits that include 2 barrels- a short 18-20" barrel for defense and certain types of hunting, and a long 26-28" barrel with removable chokes for the flying stuff. Switching barrels is easy and allows for maximized use. It's worth chasing down on of these "Field/Security" combos. There are important shotgun upgrades to consider, particularly a weapon light for defense, Velcro shotgun cards for ammo storage, a sling, and 2-3 choke tubes. Buy the sling first, preferably the same quick-adjust 2-point that your AR has, for ease of training, then get the shotgun cards. The cards are nice because they are modular and can be removed easily when you don't need them or for fast topping up of on-gun ammo. Finally, get choke tubes. Your gun will likely come with one or a set in the box. A variety of chokes gives a range of utility that complements ammo choice for what you're shooting. A "Full" choke makes for tight patterns for longer range shooting, while "Modified" and "Improved" are intermediate constrictions between full and "Open" or "Cylinder". Modified and Improved are generally considered to be the most versatile. Shotgun weapon lights are more difficult to remove for when you're not using it as your primary defensive weapon, so forego it if you have an AR with a light ready. If you buy a shotgun first, get the light. You'll notice I haven't said anything about pistol grip-only shotguns. Why? They suck. For almost everything- don't listen to me. see for yourself- InRangeTV, also, an in depth look at shotguns for defensive use- Primary and Secondary.

The 22: The most popular firearms cartridge available worldwide. It's been around for close to 150 years, simply being one of the best things to happen to guns, ever. You should have one for a lot of reasons. Not really for defense- the 22 LR is not really effective in that role (usable, sire; effective, no). If you have these 5 guns, the 22 will not be your go-to weapon for defense. However, for target shooting, competition, training, and most small game hunting, there really isn't a better weapon out there. The 22 LR simply rocks. It's super light, super easy to shoot, super cheap to shoot, you can shoot it at ranges where many other guns aren't allowed, it's legal almost everywhere, and it's plain FUN. It's a great gun for kids and new shooters to learn on since it's not intimidating and provides all the essential aspects of firearms ownership and use. Get a semi-auto 22. It's better to train with, since you can learn positional shooting without breaking stance to work a manual repeating action and you have a speed advantage available when needed. Sure, some bolt-action 22s are more accurate, but again, unless you're trying to get involved in precision-oriented smallbore shooting, the advantages of a semi-auto 22 outweigh bolt guns. Put a sling on it, buy a few extra magazines, and hit the range! From there, as you refine how you want to use your 22, consider upgrading your iron sights (Tech Sights, NoDak Spud sights), getting a red dot, or a magnified optic. Each of these enhances the rifle's use potential in different areas. But aminly, shoot the thing! Rimfire Central is an excellent resource to learn about the ins and outs of all things 22 LR.

High Power Rifle: the big boy. This is the apex of the main trunk of the firearms development tree. Full-size rifles are incredibly useful tools. Their capability at medium to long range eclipses every other personal weapon that isn't ordnance or crew-served. They are an ideal choice for hunting medium and large game, make for excellent competition weapons, and can be pressed into defensive roles. Other than the pump shotgun, this is the only other manually-operated action weapon I recommend owning amongst the 5 guns. The reason for this is, like the shotgun, a function of cost vs. quality. Yes, excellent, desirable full-power rifles exist in semi-auto. Yes, they have more utility than their bolt-action counterparts. They are also A LOT more expensive. Bolt-action rifles are robust, mature designs that provide strength, reliability, a high degree of precision, for low cost and low weight. To get a semi-auto gun that is accurate as a bolt gun, you're gonna have to spend a lot more money. You can get a bolt gun that will be effective to 1000 yards or more, is as reliable and lighter weight, and cost less than even your AR15. These rifles are not expensive to buy, but they are certainly the most expensive to shoot regularly of our 5 guns, their ammo being fairly pricey. However, their utility in hunting and recreational shooting cannot be ignored. They provide a capability that can't be filled by another platform, at least not without great expertise and sacrifice in other areas. Buy one of those I recommend, or a different one recommended by a trusted, knowledgeable source, like an instructor. Get a magnified optic for it- something with a variable zoom objective that has a low end below 5x and an upper zoom around 10x. 3-9x is a pretty classic range, 2-10x is great, as is 3-12x or 4-14x. Objective lens sizes of around 40mm are perhaps the most versatile. Scopes with BDC type reticles, rangefinding reticles, and illumination provide tons of utility and should be focused on rather than simple crosshair reticles without illumination. Consider a sling for a rifle, as well as maybe a bipod. While not as necessary for bolt-action guns, try to select one that uses detachable magazines. They provide more utility and capability over those that use internal magazines. r/longrange is an excellent place to ask a knowledgeable group of folks for advice on excellent starting setups.