OK, as some have said, your first long gun should be a .22lr, say a Marlin model 980/981/925 turnbolt, or model 60 or 7000/795 semi-auto, as some examples of good, inexpensive, all-purpose .22s.
Then I think you should quickly buy your second longgun, a 12 ga or 20 ga pump shotgun.
Then I think you should quickly buy your 3rd longgun, a Lee Enfield in .303 Brit, either un-molested or "sporterized". Cheap, fast, reliable, great on game, detachable mags, cheap ammo, easily reloadable, etc. Or a similar milsurp. Hunter and all-purpose.
Then I think you should quickly buy your 4th long-gun, a gun in an "intermediate" chambering, like 7.62x39, 5.45x39, or 5.56x45, preferably semi-auto; something like a Kalishnakov of some flavor. Self-defense rifle. Or maybe even a levergun or pump gun in .30-30, .44 mag, or one of the above calibers, etc., if you want a "politically-correct-looking" self-defense rifle.
Ideally, you'd get all 4 of these on the same day, to jump start your collection. If you can't, the order has some logic to it, as pretty good natural progression anyhow. The first 1 (.22) is for game animals of the rodentia variety, as well as pest control, and just plain fun. The 2nd one (12 or 20 ga) is for game animals of the flying variety, as well as defense needs, and as you noted, with the slug barrel, for large game in states that don't allow rifles for deer, or in those that do, but also have a special shotgun season. The 3rd one (full power turnbolt) is for more serious defense work, large game, etc. And the 4th one is for fun, gun games, and very serious CQB defense, should that need ever arise (not likely but possible).
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/index.php
Then I think you should quickly buy your second longgun, a 12 ga or 20 ga pump shotgun.
Then I think you should quickly buy your 3rd longgun, a Lee Enfield in .303 Brit, either un-molested or "sporterized". Cheap, fast, reliable, great on game, detachable mags, cheap ammo, easily reloadable, etc. Or a similar milsurp. Hunter and all-purpose.
Then I think you should quickly buy your 4th long-gun, a gun in an "intermediate" chambering, like 7.62x39, 5.45x39, or 5.56x45, preferably semi-auto; something like a Kalishnakov of some flavor. Self-defense rifle. Or maybe even a levergun or pump gun in .30-30, .44 mag, or one of the above calibers, etc., if you want a "politically-correct-looking" self-defense rifle.
Ideally, you'd get all 4 of these on the same day, to jump start your collection. If you can't, the order has some logic to it, as pretty good natural progression anyhow. The first 1 (.22) is for game animals of the rodentia variety, as well as pest control, and just plain fun. The 2nd one (12 or 20 ga) is for game animals of the flying variety, as well as defense needs, and as you noted, with the slug barrel, for large game in states that don't allow rifles for deer, or in those that do, but also have a special shotgun season. The 3rd one (full power turnbolt) is for more serious defense work, large game, etc. And the 4th one is for fun, gun games, and very serious CQB defense, should that need ever arise (not likely but possible).
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/index.php
