Fwiw, am a really thrifty/frugal broke near hermit
Depression’s improved to the point I’m not concerned with it being a risk to myself and am currently nogunz except for varmint air guns
Considering dropping like two grand on a nice rifle 
and equipment and training with it alongside my gym routine
Debating getting either a KUSA KR-101X or a Keltec RFB and an optic and chest rig/plates and pouches, spare mags, etc for either
The KR-101X is a 5.56 AKM/74 clone that takes AR mags and looks pretty good from what I’ve seen, the RFB is a .308 bullpup DMR (I’m kinda a tankie and a big Halo dork, so both have their appeals)
Live in a state with a 10 round mag restriction, so that’s leaning me towards the RFB.
Thoughts?
Dunno if there’s a loophole for larger mags or a SBR “pistol” 
that might be a better option
Am I being a dumbass?
Should I get a pistol or a .22LR plinker first? Should I not drop a used car price on a rifle I might never have to actually use aside from playing at the range and running drills as a hobby?
@Tervell@hexbear.net pls lend me your wisdom and recs
Make it a top priority to get good sights and learn how to use them
This. Most modern rifles are going to be more accurate than their user. A general rule is expect to spend about as much on glass as you did on the rifle, though good red-dots have come down dramatically in price over the yeras.
Any suggestions for a good reasonably priced red dot/holo sight? Now I’m kinda leaning towards a decent AR and using some of the Gucci gun money on an optic. Red dot/holo over a low power scope? Adjustable variable zoom red dots might be the way to go. Still kinda leaning towards the RFB since I live somewhere with 10 round mag restriction law and I kinda feel like you may as well go for .308 if you’re limited to ten rounds, but it’s pricier to train with
Low power variable optics were the cool thing a year or two ago. I’d check reviews for what’s good in 2024, I haven’t been paying as much attention lately. Trijicon, Aimpoint, and EOTech are going to be your bomb-proof tested by twenty years of imperialist wars gucci options. Vortex is a solid mid-range. I think Holosun is good, too, but you’d want to check reviews. The Romeo 5 or 6 or whatever is cheap if you just need to slap something on a gun. More money will usually buy you better lenses, stronger housings that resist water and impact, and mechanisms that will keep the dot from drifting off target even after hundreds of rounds and some abuse.
Also - Before you put money down on a red dot figure out whether or not you have astigmatism. With astigmatism the irregularity in the lens of your eye scatters the laser light so instead of a neat clean round dot you get a starburst shape and you can’t really use the red dot. It varies from person to person based on the shape and severity of your astigmatism, so some people with mild astigmatism can still use red dots whereas I just can’t. In that case you’ll want to go with a holographic sight or an etched glass illuminated sight of some kind.
As for LPVOs you’re on your own. The one I have I don’t think it’s even manufactured now. But they’re popular because they’re almost as good at close range as red dots but you can throw the lever to get 4x, 6x, or 8x zoom with depending on the model. Having a “red dot” for close range and a low power magnification on the same optic is nice. Usually a bit heavier than a red dot, in exchange for versatility.
You should also think about back-up irons. I advocate for having a set of iron sights on your rifle because if everything else goes wrong the iron sights will still work. A lot of people don’t bother with them because modern red-dots are very reliable and have absurdly long battery life. It’s up to you.