Bars in the 250-400$ range are very appealing (Rogue 2.0, B&R etc) but...I got hit by the analisis paralisis
I bought an entry level bar for 100$ yesterday. It feels 500% better than my previous one and A LOT SAFER. The former was a 3 PIECES SHAFT that was not nearly round!! The knurling was not grippy at all and I was worry every time I loaded more than 175#. Anyway, that was the one in the second hand kit I bought for 200$ (including a bench, a rack, 300# of iron and a 75# boxing bag).
With only few weeks experience, I am not ready to spend that much now. My experience in other sports or activities is that I like to outdo my equipment, that's the way I am! I beat the shit out of it and move on. So, my plan is to get under the bar every 2 days 'till I hit my goal (260/195/305) and see! For sure, I will probably know better what I want for the next bar purchase.
Yesterday, I did 3x5 squat @ 240#, 3x5 bench @ 155# and 1x5 Deadlift @ 250# with the new bar (+16# total). Now that the bar issue is handled, I got to sleep and eat more if I dont want to stall.
My next project is to build or buy a nice, safe, multi-purpose, squat rack. I will then get a place to store the weights, do some chin-up and dips and improve the safety when benching and squating.
Thank you for tips and support!