XL or P90 pve is easier and less expensive.
not forum PvP here, I'm am discussing so don't think I am in relation to my reply.
I respect what your trying to say, however flamer is easy to craft. Mk fuel also. Farming centers and floaters you can burst them from the Flamers range and hit multiple targets for extreme and epic damage, groups of them attacking each other.
Level 30 in 2:30 hours (2 and half hours) without this junk bullshit. For beginner this is good.
From there you can farm with your levelled big gunner! After learning to craft m60 ( which you have to do with p90 and xl),
m60 is easy to craft also, farm ncr army for armors and weapons which drop m60 ammo in most encounters! From there you can farm bounty hunters after experience of ncr army, bounty hunters drop avengers, ss and 5mm ap. Advantage of farming with m60 to pve it deals nice damage and also when farming with m60 on bounty hunters you collect 5mm ap without using any 5mm ap which is good as your collecting and farming this item.
when you have enough shit from farming keep this build as your farmer, make another char craft 5mm jhp, 15k use mini and kill centars and floaters or you can even use a flamer again coz all you need is 600 ammo.
My experience big gunner always better to pick first
So the comment less expensive is invalid, using xl your using 5mm ap (not good) it works out more expensive. M60 big gun crafting level one required no blueprints. As with xl p90 bp required which makes more expensive
Also all this effort just to get a bb gun and nearly reach level 2?
Why not just find locations, hub, gun runners and adytum, head to reno virgin street, enter casino take quest from lil Jesus go den give briefcase to slaver leader (east side slavery guild) boom 2 levels go to reno tell lil Jesus you did it boom level 3 15 min work and you get shot gun and ammo boom!!