My Favorites
My go-to weapons for the Hunter Call of The Wild as of March 16, 2022. By no means are these the most perfect weapons or the weapons that I recommend for "every class of animal". If you have a favorite and are successful then stick with it.
Favorite Rifle: The Martensson 6.5mm Why? It is a modern bolt action highly accurate Swedish Rifle that holds 5 rounds of the awesome 6.5mm Ammo with good penetration and weighs in at only 3 which allows you to carry other equipment and weapon combo. The Martensson with 6.5mm Ammo can take down Wild Boar/Pigs, Wolves, Deer & Elk, Bears, and Moose and meet the integrity check. I have 420-meter takedowns with a Gold rating with this rifle and ammo combo. The Martensson handles 80% of my hunting needs, I supplement this rifle with a smaller caliber 223 and a shotgun to cover the majority of my hunting needs. You can get a free Martensson 6.5mm Rayo by doing some missions in Cuatro Colinas for Don Miguel.
Runner Up: The AR 308 Why? It fits the same niche as the Martensson but with a slightly quicker back-on-target recoil. The downside to the 308 is it is a new weapon and has a few bugs still, and weighs more at 3.5 + you have to charge the weapon when first put in use. Thus if you are out hunting and spot an animal close by and pull out the 308 - the sound of the charging handle being pulled to chamber a live round may be a bit noisy. When I need dependable kills I stick to my Martensson 6.5. Although the ZARA 308 looks cool and sounds great - it is not my go-to, it is my fun-to.
Note: I swap my 6.5 for a .300 Canning when hunting the largest of the game such as Bison. For a smaller game animal such as Coyotes or Fox/Raccoons, I pack a ZARA 223 which gets the job done.
Favorite Bow: The Koter CB-65 with a set of Bright Sights Why? Try it and see for yourself. You can take down any animal and meet the integrity checks with the right arrows with this bow - everything from birds to Bison. This bow is very accurate when using sights and has very good penetration. If you do missions in COTW you will need a Bow, while the Crosspoint CB-165 Warden is free I still prefer paying for the CB-65. Both bows weigh in at 4, but if you need a lighter Bow try a CB-60. I use 300, 420, and 600-gram Tracer Arrows excellent for nighttime hunting covering all the game on the maps. Once shot, if the animal has enough spunk left in him to run just follow the red dot. In fact, I use this bow and arrows almost exclusively when animals are within 50m - because of deep penetration, I don't need to hunt them down for harvest.
Favorite HandGun: The .44 Magnum Why? Because if you do any hunting of wolves in the Atric you are going to need an up-close and personal handgun that can take down that pack of wolves that are circling you, that are ready to make you their next meal. Additionally, it is good for Deer all the way up to Moose. What better way to have fun than with "the most powerful handgun in the world" - Dirty Harry - Do you feel lucky Punk, well do you? It is not really the most powerful now but was back in the day. It is my sentimental choice.
Runner Up: The Sundberg 454 - Bear Stopper Why? For the exact same reason, I like the 44. except this beast can take down a Bison. If it was not for sentimental reasons, this would be my first pick, with its huge penetration this gun slays the bigger game - no questions asked. Just don't shoot yourself in the foot or else you won't have a foot. This is one mean handgun and when used with the Handgun scope you have a very powerful weapon capable to taking on the biggest of game animals.
Favorite Shotgun: The Couso Model 1897 Why? It is a great pump action that holds 5 shots and is perfect for small game turkey, rabbit, and waterfowl. It is a perfect gun when multiple birds are nearby or taking flight, I can normally take 3 before they get out of range. It weighs in at a moderate 3.5. If you need more hitting power see my runner-up. I like the Couso for its fastback on target action and the available ammo that is reasonably priced. If you do bird or rabbit hunting this is an excellent choice for your inventory or kept in storage for when needed.
Runner Up: The Grankins Shotgun Why? It is a double one over the top shotgun in 12 gauge that you can get for free by doing some missions on the Medved-Taiga map. With the Shotgun BoomStick perk, you can fire off both barrels of devastating buckshot or birdshot at once but not slugs. Weighs in at 4 and packs a powerful punch when using 12guage slugs. Great for the smallest of animals up to Moose with the right ammo. Bears, fall into a deep sleep from a two slug kiss. This is one "bad ass" Shotgun!