You can buy droids in the NPC shop, but they are crappy. So buy plenty because you will loose them fast.
You can hire rifflemen if you can get acces to the barracks, and equip them with a blaster bought in the NPC shop. But the same, better to work a bit first and safe up creds
You don't need riflemen. Read my post in the Creatures thread in this forum if you don't know how to bandit/creature hunt with limited expenses. Most things are optional.
If you can't make it work, wait until you have more money. Obvious solutions here.
With a small amount of funds it would not be a good idea to hunt bandits especially if you do not have a lot of health. Creatures on the other hand can be handled easily even with a cheap weapon assuming you are using a projectile weapon from outside of their attack range.
Honestly, when it comes to bandits or creatures they can be handled even when you are alone assuming you can control the attack range. What this one typically uses for creatures is a Bowcaster or two Relby K-23's and for bandits this one uses an A280 and attack from beyond the attack ranges of the enemies.
Though what everyone has said already is true as it would be much easier to raise some money, get equipped and then go hunting. And factions allow a nice source of income for the most part.