I would like to acquire a reasonable firearm.

So I need a new hobby, something that gets me out of the house and hopefully gives me the chance to make some new friends. I have decided to join a gun club and start doing some target shooting. There is a gun club here in the city I live in and I sent an email to fella the website tells me to get in contact with. Unfortunately he hasn't sent me an email back yet and its been almost 3 weeks. He could be on vacation but I thought might as well send another email to one of the other guys. Who knows maybe this guy is in jail and they just haven't updated the website yet. Anyways while I am waiting for more info I thought I would throw this question out there for the gun nuts who might be perusing this entry. 

What kind of firearm should I purchase first? its not something I will be doing soon. I think the rules up here in Canada are a little stricter then you fellas down south and I have training and applications I have to complete and receive back before I can own one.  But back to the question at hand which I suppose raises many questions for me. Well first off I am a complete newb at this. Second; money is an issue. I doubt I will go to far over a grand in purchase price but ideally I am looking for something half that. Cut that price down by a third if the wife decides she is gonna get in on it as well. I will not be doing any hunting. This is strictly for targets and fun. I am by no means a flashy guy. Reliability and performance are what I value beyond what has been made popular in movies or how many different finishes a weapon may come in. That being said I do have a soft spot for those old repeater type rifles made popular by Clint Eastwood in old westerns. Way to contradict yourself polteg! I know I know.... Actually I can't say there is any one type of weapon I prefer. At some point I wouldn't mind owning a variety of different types of guns. 

So there ya have it. I need something a beginner can learn on, and is reliable for target shooting on a range. I am sure once I join I will get some experience firing a few types of weapons and get a better feeling of what I enjoy but for now I thought it would be interesting to hear what yall might have to say.  Here is a link to the types of shooting the club is suited to. http://www.frsa.ca/services.html