Advice for a rifle . im a newb?

Im a newb when it comes to guns. Ive recently gotten interested. I really want a rifle, since its a good all-around weapon. Good for hunting, defense, ect.... I want a rifle that is magazine fed perhaps even semi-auto. My budget is about 600$. Ive looked at some mossbergs and Alot of people have recommend the M1 Garand. I dont want a weak gun, but Im not looking to be "Rambo" either and have a 2000$ bohemoth gun either. A good overall rifle that got good acurracy, magazine fed, decent power