Let's see, small, lightweight, handy, good at close range. Specifically NOT a pistol grip semi auto with magazine feed - no AR. Therefore, no AK.
Try the .30-30 lever action, Marlin or Winchester. You can get light loads for varmints, carry heavier for bipeds. The .30-30 is ballistically the same as 7.62 x 39, enjoys more widespread availability, and ammo is about the cheapest non-military round you can get aside from .22. You can reload and use spitzers if there is one in the chamber and one in the tube. Fitting a small LED light with 120 Lumens for night use is relatively cheap, the Eveready sells at Target for less than $40, a clamp mount is available somewhere. Set it up so you can thumb the base button with the off hand, and you can put light on the varmint just when you need it.
You won't spend nearly $800 doing that.
As for not wanting to use the AR, I didn't either for 22 years in the Reserves. A few things changed my mind: I finally realized what I had been taught about care and upkeep in the military was dead wrong, I realized the light weight was a lot easier to carry compared to my .30 cal hunting rifles, and the 6.8 SPC came on the market, making it 50% more powerful. Food for thought.
Enough so that I sold the .30 battle rifle and I'm building an AR. After all, I carried it enough I am very familiar with the operation, why throw away the training when I see so many paying $$$ at carbine courses to learn it?
Try the .30-30 lever action, Marlin or Winchester. You can get light loads for varmints, carry heavier for bipeds. The .30-30 is ballistically the same as 7.62 x 39, enjoys more widespread availability, and ammo is about the cheapest non-military round you can get aside from .22. You can reload and use spitzers if there is one in the chamber and one in the tube. Fitting a small LED light with 120 Lumens for night use is relatively cheap, the Eveready sells at Target for less than $40, a clamp mount is available somewhere. Set it up so you can thumb the base button with the off hand, and you can put light on the varmint just when you need it.
You won't spend nearly $800 doing that.
As for not wanting to use the AR, I didn't either for 22 years in the Reserves. A few things changed my mind: I finally realized what I had been taught about care and upkeep in the military was dead wrong, I realized the light weight was a lot easier to carry compared to my .30 cal hunting rifles, and the 6.8 SPC came on the market, making it 50% more powerful. Food for thought.
Enough so that I sold the .30 battle rifle and I'm building an AR. After all, I carried it enough I am very familiar with the operation, why throw away the training when I see so many paying $$$ at carbine courses to learn it?