I think there are some .22 rifles you can find. A quick search yielded some scoped models that looked like they'd be mainly for hunting. An old roommate of mine had an "AR looking" rifle that shot .223, it was really smooth shooting but I forget the name of it.
Why are you unable to get an AR or AK variant? Cost, local laws, living situation, or something else?
How do you feel about bolt action? Back when I was shooting a lot more I remember mosin nagants being popular because of how cheap they were. Maybe something like that might be what you're looking for?
I was going to say that bolt and lever actions would probably be good and cheap if an AR isn't on the table. Nothing defeats body armor like a round meant for killing moose and grizzlies. Plus you can eat those if you had to.
I think there are some .22 rifles you can find. A quick search yielded some scoped models that looked like they'd be mainly for hunting. An old roommate of mine had an "AR looking" rifle that shot .223, it was really smooth shooting but I forget the name of it.
Why are you unable to get an AR or AK variant? Cost, local laws, living situation, or something else?
How do you feel about bolt action? Back when I was shooting a lot more I remember mosin nagants being popular because of how cheap they were. Maybe something like that might be what you're looking for?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosin%E2%80%93Nagant
I was going to say that bolt and lever actions would probably be good and cheap if an AR isn't on the table. Nothing defeats body armor like a round meant for killing moose and grizzlies. Plus you can eat those if you had to.