In that last post, I was a little high price on the Marlin 17 HMR, not that much.

You might want to look into H&R AKA New England or a Mossberg single shot guns. Cause the way your sounding to me is that you might deer hunt, you might coyote hunt, and so on and so on.
For them 3 guns I just listed you can get different barrels for them.

Look into Winchester or Remington. Good guns for a cheap price till a point$$$.
All you need to be set for life is 3 guns.

Big game: Look into a 270, 308, 30-06, or maybe even a 300 win mag.

Small game: I say get a Ruger 10/22 22 lr. Simi auto 22 lr. You can get so many cool little add on toys for it. With the right ammo and just the standard barrel, a dime at 50 yards would be easy to hit with just one shot. Also if you use it for coyotes, you got 10 round mags to go fully auto on.

And the last gun you really need is a good 12 GA pump shotgun. You can pick up a very good used Mossberg pump shotgun for like $150 bucks. Right there you can hunt just about all birds, coyotes with buckshot, deer with slugs and have fun shooting trap or clay.

So, all you need is a High powered rifle, a shogun, and a good 22 lr. 3 guns and your set for life. No reason to stop at 3 guns though (more more more). But that's all you really need.
Another tip, I only use one gun for big game hunting. Don't be like other people I know and have a 243 for deer and a 300 win mag for elk, go out deer hunting with the 243 shoot it a few times. Then go out elk huntin with the 300 mag and miss the biggest bull elk you ever seen cause you got your two guns mixed up (u got the 300 but you think your shooting the 243) pull up and think you only got to rase so much and end up shooting over it or under it . Get what I'm saying? Get good with one gun and know were it shoots.

oh ya, if you and your dad don't know anyone with a 300 win mag, 243 win, 308 win and or a 270 win and would like to shoot one before getting one. I have them 3 calibers and a few more that I could let you shoot. You will be a better shot with a gun that your not scared to shoot.