What would be a good variant for someone on a tight budget?
Caliber, etc?
TIA
You may be able to find a used on for sale and they normally show up in .556. Different calibers are probably gonna cost you more money. Shop around if it’s legal in your state to do private sales still.
Bolt action Savage Axis.
“What would be a good variant for someone on a tight budget?
Caliber, etc?”
One way to go would be to get a stripped lower, and then slowly get the various parts to build it up. The lower is the part regulated under gun transfer laws. The rest you can get either over the counter, or directly mailed to your house. By doing it this way you can get high-quality components over time, rather than settling for a “budget” rifle. Plus, you’ll learn ton about ARs. One very important area where there are a lot of options is the type/make of trigger. The basic military trigger is usually pretty heavy and gritty.
One very cool thing about AR-15 type rifles is the lower can accept any AR upper (barrel, rail, and handguard), and they are easily swapped. Uppers are available in a variety of chamberings and calibers. They aren’t considered a “gun” so there’s no red tape involved in getting one or more.
“What would be a good variant for someone on a tight budget? Caliber, etc?”
My advice is to slow down and do a bit of study before making your purchase. Type in ‘AR-15’ on YouTube, and watch videos for a few days before you shop.
At their heart, these rifles are simple, but there are quite a few key areas of mechanical differences that you should familiarize yourself with so that you’re happy with your choice in the end.