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I have a couple of nice .22 caliber rifles. They are accurate and reliable and relatively cheap to shoot. I have built up a nice cache of .22 shells and continue to buy more when I catch them on sale and the budget permits.
But another tool I have is a good pump pellet rifle. This thing is deadly accurate out to 50 yards and very quiet too. For small game this is really the way to go. I can take out birds, rabbits, snakes and squirrels with one shot and the noise is minimal. If a situation ever arose where I was hunting to feed my family this would be my weapon of choice, especially if I wasn't sure who else might be in the area.
I wouldn't attempt to shoot anything of any size with it, but smaller critters are no problem.
I've seen people going back and forth on the usefulness of a pellet rifle. Some people claim they are useless and that a .22 is far more effective. Others, like me, know they are well worth the price. Granted, in a situation where I am forced to hunt to eat, I would supplement the pellet rifle with a sidearm or possibly a shotgun.