Basically, I need a firearm that can handle big game up close and small game far away.
Really doesn't exist, but you're welcome to try.
Yep. Sounds to me like you need, at bare minimum, a couple of guns. I'm sure you can convince your wife that you need at least two. I suggest a shotgun and a rifle as a starting point, since it's relatively simple to argue needing both of those.
Here's what you do next- you give your wife a couple months to adjust to being a two-gun family. Then one evening, after tenderly embracing her, you lament not having a compact, close-quarters weapon with which to safeguard your precious family. Enter the Handgun. Every house needs a handgun! What kind of maniac doesn't have a handgun in the home? It would be irresponsible in the extreme not to own at least one pistol or revolver (use the phrase "at
least one" as a primer for future purchases). "It's settled! We're getting a handgun."
Once you've arrived at this point, things get a bit trickier, but stick with me. You're probably gonna want to allow a few more months to go by before you take advantage of one of those "what are you thinking about?" questions that wives who've been married less than say, 5 years seem to enjoy asking. (If you've been married longer than that this entire process is unlikely to work. At around 5 years my wife figured out she either already knew what I was thinking, or didn't care to, and stopped asking) You quickly describe some shooting scenario that none of your current firearms are cut out for, thus requiring you to purchase another.
This process is repeated, being careful to allow some time for healing between purchases, until... well it goes on indefinitely. Your imagination is your only limit. You can even try this, though this is potentially dangerous- use the standard gift-giving occasions to bring new guns into the house. Christmas and my wife's birthday are my go-to events (Valentines day is a no-go, trust me). With a little skill, you will have a gun-safe full of beauties in no time! Good luck!
Disclaimer: For academic purposes only. I am not responsible for any death/dismemberment resulting from actually implementing any of the above advice