RE: Buying new .223 rifle HELP PLEASE
If you want a reliable and inexpensive semi auto rifle for light hunting, go with a better caliber. The .223 is a casualty producing cartridge. It was meant to induce nasty wounds and has been outlawed for anything but varmint hunting in some states.
If you like the Ruger Mini 14, go with the 7.62x39 version. The cartridge has better ballistics and is dirt cheap on the market. Also legal to hunt with. Unfortunately, it will also splatter varmints all over the landscape.
If you really want to go cheap, get a great quality SKS for under $200. Of course, the do weigh 10 pounds and come with a bayonet attached, but you can use that as a skewer if you don't feel like bending over to pick up that woodchuck you just pasted. [8D]