With ammo costs these days, I'd recommend picking based on ammo availability. The stuff that was previously more expensive and less popular is still on the shelf and also not as inflated.
ARs are out of stock all over and overpriced when not, so not friendly on a limited budget. Bolt action rifles can be fun to use if you get bored with the .22 and a .308 rifle is always a good choice.
As for your situation, I'd recommend a pump shotgun. Extremely versatile and also pretty affordable. The Maverick 88 in 12 Ga is a good budget option. My wife has it in 20 Ga Youth for less recoil and a shorter stock and I like it.
Probably depends on your region, so you'll just have to check a couple shops. You've got different types of shooting that are popular in different areas and that affects what shops stock. Around me, we do a lot of hunting, so there's plenty of other rifle rounds. I picked up like 6 boxes of .308 soft tip for the AR10 and they were a pretty typical price.
With ammo costs these days, I'd recommend picking based on ammo availability. The stuff that was previously more expensive and less popular is still on the shelf and also not as inflated.
ARs are out of stock all over and overpriced when not, so not friendly on a limited budget. Bolt action rifles can be fun to use if you get bored with the .22 and a .308 rifle is always a good choice.
As for your situation, I'd recommend a pump shotgun. Extremely versatile and also pretty affordable. The Maverick 88 in 12 Ga is a good budget option. My wife has it in 20 Ga Youth for less recoil and a shorter stock and I like it.
Probably depends on your region, so you'll just have to check a couple shops. You've got different types of shooting that are popular in different areas and that affects what shops stock. Around me, we do a lot of hunting, so there's plenty of other rifle rounds. I picked up like 6 boxes of .308 soft tip for the AR10 and they were a pretty typical price.