I prefer the Ray gun because its much better for one-hit kills. It also offers a large magazine for reload/ maximum damage. As Emperor said winter's howl is more an emergency gun, it has a long range but doesn't shoot as fast or as effective as the ray gun.
I must put the winters how into the category of emergence where you only use to escape or to save someone, where as the the raygun is meant for any occasion. So... I would say the ray gun, besides the winters howl doesn't actually kill them. (In my experience it doesn't) They just unfreeze in a minute or 2, unless you touch them or shoot them or knife them. ( lol alllooooootta or's)
