I would suggest you first consider an inexpensive shotgun before you get a rifle. My first shotgun was a New England Firearms (NEF) single-shot break-action 20guage and it served me well. I believe they still cost less than $200, but are decent guns for the money. I hunted squirrel, rabbit, and pheasant with that shotgun, and many many rounds a trap, before I got my own pump action 12 guage when I was old enough to work for it. A shotgun is the ultimate multi-purpose weapon for anything from squirrel to deer, and if you want to try your hand at trap shooting it' ll work for that too.

But, if you really have your heart set on a rifle, then I' d suggest a Ruger 10/22. I' ve had mine for years and it' s been a good, accurate and reliable rifle. The base model 10/22 can be had for well under $200, and there are aftermarket parts galore available to customize it later to your liking. A .22LR is also a very cheap rifle to shoot so you can get lots of fun and practice for a small amount of money in ammo (as in 500 shots for less than $15). Not only will is make a good rabbit, squirrel and small varmint gun, but it' s also a blast just to plink with. My brother and I would devise all sorts of competitive shooting games and we' d spend hours plinking against each other. Lots of fun and a great way to build the fundamental skills before you move up to a more powerful rifle.

Mike