Hey depends what you want to play. I started out with about 150 pound of kit, I did get a "steelie" bottle and still use it now as a spare. £500 pounds should get you some really good second hand kit, Alternatively have you tried ringing acouple of places? You can get a bundle deal for on an Etha or something similar. I play with an Ego and I am so glad I purchased it, 2 years its never failed me. All it ever wanted was batteries. A good idea for you is to pop along to your local Walkon or even a site to chat with the staff there. You can get a general overview from someone face to face which helps. Ask if you can test fire some other peoples markers in your price range. Most will be more than happy to give you a review unless you ask someone with a LUXE ;-) Hope the info helps! Also bottle size, 1.1 carbon bottle I have found is about the size that is usually good to look at.