first time on this site and would appreciate info on best starter gun to shoot DCM.  thank you

welcome aboard.

might I suggest taking a look in the competition section and making use of the search feature.  

There is lots of good info to be found here [:)]

Hang around this board for about 30 days and read all the Forums.  You will soon begin to get some ideas on what you want.  I've found that asking questions like what's the best AR or best "starter gun" will result in very subjective answers which may or may not suit your needs, desires or likes.

[beer] Welcome! Take the advise of the others who responded. Lots of great info on this site.

been reading.  see what you mean.  does this mean there's no easy way to lay down $$$ and get up and shooting with a decent, accurate rifle?   profesor

There are many, many quality rifles that are great right out of the box.  What you need to do is:

-Determine what you will use the rifle for
-Determine which configuration will achieve that goal
-Decide how much money you are willing to spend
-Research the different manufacturers who make a rifle in the desired configuration

Sharkman is giving some good advice and would like to add.

Determine how much you will shoot and get the features to match.  This can save money.

I'll give you the advice the guys on this board gave me.   If you are a shooter, Beware, once you buy your first AR it's like an addiction. You will want another and another as well as upgrade and upgrade.  It is a true weapon system not just a gun.

Welcome to the board. I'm fairly new myself and found this crew to be a bunch of outstanding guys.  The thing I find most different here is the average IQ level is well above  the average post site level of 70.  The moderators are professional and keep the sight fairly clean while allowing enough contraversy to make the site interesting.  The safety tips are outstanding and I'm convinced will help keep shooting safe.  Politically most members lean right but a good left can have great fun here.  The dealers are monitored and rated.  I have made a number of purchases through this sites recommendation.  

This page is very helpful as well ....

http://www.ammo-oracle.com/

I'm a newbie as well, but I'd also add that you should take what everyone says here with a grain of salt. There are a lot of folks that will say that what they have is the best, just because they have it and want to justify spending the money on it.

There is lots of "All guns are junk besides Bushmaster/Colt/RRA" talk around here too, ignore it and form your own opinions based on your research.  

All guns are junk besides Bushmaster/Colt/RRA.

See? Self-fulfilling prophecy... [;D]