Hi there,
I know you get a lot of these kinds of questions, but personally, I never get bored reading them.
Semi-auto Rifle - .223 or 5.56
Very reliable, easy maintenance, cleaning, upkeep
Reasonably accurate (max 350 yrds primary use)
Easy to find & fairly priced parts, accessories, ammo, support, etc
Relatively lower recoil and front rise.
In the range of $1000-2000 - preference is new but recent used too.
Pest control, plinking, SHTF scenario
Thanks