As I recall Lewis & Clark carried along a rather powerful Air Rifle on their little Westward Jaunt.
Growing up in the country where we always butchered our own Hogs these were routinely killed with a .22 RF. On those which I personally shot as best as I recall I always used a .22 LR but have seen them killed with shorts. It was of course always at near muzzle touching range & you had to know exactly where to place the bullet.

Miller/TN
I Didn't Say Everything I Said, Yogi Berra