500$ startup

Notos is $230 on Amazon. But if you add even a GX CS2 you can't have a scope. I have no experience with them but I wouldn't buy the less expensive compressors. Others complain they break and you can't get parts. So I would add a hand pump. Amazon has several for $55. A tin of ammo would get you to $300. A Hawke Vantage 3-9 mil dot ao scope is $140 on Amazon. So you would have another $60 for more pellets.

It would be a little over but I'd rather have the Stoeger Scout for $320 from Airgun revisions. Add the same scope and handpump and you are at $515 and you still need some pellets.

I think a hand pump is more useful than a "too cheap" compressor you cannot depend on. I used a hand pump at first and for my Prod it worked pretty well. Notos would probably be similar. They don't store a lot of air so you don't have to pump all day. I still have my hand pumps. I have two compressors now but if they every quit on me I'll pull out a hand pump. I'll probably have the grandkids fill the Prod with the hand pump when they get a little older.

You can also get a Stoeger XM1 in 177 with a scope for $226.39 on Amazon. That would leave you enough money for a GX CS2 is you catch it on sale and use the 10% discount at GX. I paid $250 for mine delivered. That would leave $25 for a few tins of pellets. The scope is probably junk but it would get you a decent gun and compressor and a scope you could use until you can afford something better.

You will note these are all SPA made guns. They are my choice for relatively inexpensive airguns.
 
Yup, I sold all this for 550

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Buy a P17 and some RWS Basic wadcutters. Work some OT and setup a budget. Post some stuff here to get access to the classifieds. Look for a deal on a used rifle whilst saving your cash. AoA and AR have some good deals once in awhile, check out the used sections.

.22 Synthetic Marauder is budget friendly, easy to fill, reliable and accurate.
 
My first pcp was a Marauder pistol which I hand pumped. Notos is in many ways similar and less expensive. It was my only PCP for about a year. I hand pumped it. Was no big deal. But then I got an Avenger and hand pumping was not much fun. It stores three times the air at 1.5 times the pressure. I don't think it is correct to believe an inexpensive gun and hand pump won't be a ton of fun. I am blessed with plenty of available money so I have a lot more toys now but if a Notos and hand pump fit my budget and more and more powerful guns did not, I would happily enjoy the Notos. It is accurate enough to plink with for sure and also accurate enough for small game. I'm not sure about target shooting but I have 5 more powerful SPA guns and all but one is for sure accurate enough for it. Two have given me a 200 on the 30 yard challenge. So I suspect a Notos would be fun for targets too.

The two scenarios where people indicate they are happy hand pumping is hunting (not many shots) and smaller guns like the Notos. It's totally possible for bigger guns but it takes a lot more strokes of the pump.
 
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I forgot an older 200 bar SPA long gun. It is sold as Diana Stormrider and a Stoeger XM1. Airgun Depot had both this morning for $230. The Stoeger includes a scope. So it plus a CS2 would be under $500 by enough to buy a tin of pellets.

I don't know hardly anything about them but Umarex also has an "Iconix" for under $200 and the Komplete a little over $200. The Komplete is interesting, it uses nitrogen cartridges but, unlike CO2 guns, it delivers PCP level power. So you don't need a compressor but have to buy the cartridges. There is a third party now that makes a air tube you can use in a Komplete to convert it to a PCP and avoid having to buy cartridges. The cartridge is about $100 but would pay for itself if you shoot a lot. There is a very inexpensive Crosman too but I think you have to spend significantly more to be able to mount a scope.
 
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