I'm off for a bit of a nap- I'll check back in in a bit.
8x56r cartridge with a big kick. I heard Privi Partisan is coming out with reasonably priced ammo ($15/box). You do need an enbloc clip to shoot it. Mine is fun.
Good info here
http://www.surplusrifle.com/steyrm95/index.asp
It costs just a little more than a Duraflame firelog. If it doesn't work out you could burn it for heat.
But the bolt does need a bit of english on it to get it open some times.
Unless you reload, you'd probably be better off gettng a M44.
The cartridge is obsolete and nominally available. I would instead get a Mosin-Nagant M44 in the 7.62X54R caliber. You can find good examples for less than $100.
You might want to look at a Mosin Nagant. Ammo is a bit less pricey I think.
May I recommend the High Point rifles. Made in Ohio, uses pistol ammo [9mm,.40 & .45]
they use a “blowback” system of cycling and low cost to get & use. There are accesories you can purchas as well to “tweak” your rifle out to the way you want.
I was just thinking one of these a Saiga IZ-240 - 16” though more expensive would be a good knock about rifle.
http://www.centerfiresystems.com/sai-545.aspx
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310287
Do not have one personally I would go with the Moisin Nagent commie rifle the ammo seems to be in plentiful supply and the price not much higher. I have shot one of those and they kick like a mule the Steyr is discussed in the thread from firing line above.
Life is too short to shoot ugly guns, and life is too short to have to “track” wild boar.
If you want a fine, but inexpensive bolt-action that will take a beating, go with a commonwealth-built Lee-Enfield SMLE carbine in .303.
The ammo is hard to come by (I reload) and it requires a clip to shoot, so it is inconvenient as just a “truck gun”.
You would be better off with a Mosin for that, ammo is plentiful and cheap (corrosive, though) it packs a wallop, and is pretty accurate offhand out to a hundred yards.
Practically speaking, ammo can be hard to come by and the straight pull bolt takes a bit of effort to operate.
Like others have suggested, I think a Mosin-Nagant carbine a better choice all around. The model 44 even comes with a fold out "pig sticker" should it be needed.
For a good cheap gun I recommend the SKS. I think they are still cheap. I havn’t looked at prices for a few years.
An SKS or Russian Mosin Nagant would be a better choice for a low cost gun.
Mosins are about $80 if you look around. Best value in a long time.
Thanks for all of the responses, everyone! As usual, Freepers rock, and I got lots of good, interesting info from you!
As it happened, today I found a Mosin-Nagant at a price I liked, so I brought that home instead. My wife was very excited about be getting it- even insisted that I get it before leaving the gun show, as it might not be there tomorrow!
In the future, though, when I am set up to reload, I may well take another look at the Steyr- I just liked that gun!