The new rifle entry to the "straight wall states" is the 350 legend.
Practice ammo (WW 145 FMJ) is cheap, but some people have been having quality concerns with it. Several ammo makers are selling hunting ammo at ok prices.
Recoil is less than the big 44/45 cal rifles, you are not going to get much flatter shooting in Iowa and it seems to be working pretty good based on what I have seen from the 350 Legend Facebook group postings.
There are several entry level bolt actions that would be good for someone new to guns. Of the choices, the Ruger Ranch seems to have a lot of happy customers as does the Savage Axis. It looks like Savage has a rebate going and a gun with scope can be had for under $300.
There are no lever guns for this offering but there are ARs. The ARs are probably not the best choice for a gun novice and I am not sure if any of the AR platforms are appropriate for taking into the state that I do not even want to mention (if you can not say something good - say nothing).