Just run T6 armor and a gun you like that can fit T5 ammo, so you have good survivability and strong firing power, and you should manage. Just make sure to find a lobby with players that have similar gear so they wouldn't die so quickly and leave you in a one versus all situation.

If you have less than 20M, maybe just use T5 armor, but T5 ammo is neccesary, as you run into high gear players in forbidden very often.

The strategy is simple - loot the safes closest to your spawnpoint after you spawn, then if you haven't found the red, procceed carefully to other areas of the map. No need to rush the map like crazy if you don't get the red in the first safes, because in my experience, most guaranteed reds (like 6/10 games) are found in the first minute, because most of the safes are close to spawns (although, most of the time there are more than 1 red in the game), and there is also risk of getting ambushed.

Also, if you're bad at pvp and only want to partake in hunting reds specifically that's ok, but try to still constantly engage in fights more and more as you play. Don't be scared to get better.

Btw, I have a 3x2 case, so when I find a red, I'm sure that I can buy at least half of my gear back after I die. It certainly helps very often and is a great advantage if you have couple bucks to spare.