If you're casting bullets, you might try one of the old Savage/Stevens bolt action 30-30s plus a Williams peep sight. With gas checks and 170 grain bullets, it's accurate, fun to shoot a CHEAP. You do have to feed round nose bullets manually.
The lever action pistol chamberings are also a blast to shoot. Locally, we get bullets for $.06, so you can shoot a 44 Mag darn near as cheaply as you can shoot a 22.
If you've got a range with a steel plate rack, a basic 9mm handgun can be a whole lot of fun.
