Siuki said:
What would you suggest, so I know what to look out for?
I haven't played FO3 in a while, but from I can remember, doing the quests around Megaton such as disarming the bomb and helping Moira will give you some XP, as well as taking Lucy's quest to go up to Arefu and do the quest line there. You can also head down to Tenpenny Tower and do the quest to kill the ghouls, as with a CHA of 3, your Speech probably isn't very high and thus can't go with the negotiating option. I'd also go up to Big Town and do the quest there, although you'll have to deal with numerous Super Mutants, so you might want to hold off on that for a bit.
Also, just explore in general. Raiders pop up everywhere and provide XP as well as a good source of money.
EDIT: As for gear, the Hunting Rifle is fine, but I'd go with a fully repaired Leather Armor for early game. (This is where Repair comes in handy)