millagerobert

Almost all current mnufactures make great rifles. I would handle the ones in your price range and see what fits you best. See how the saftey, bolt, and magazine controls work, and maybe go with a make and model that mimmicks a gun you are already familar with. If you are using for Muleys and Elk you will more than likely be in rough country with equally rough weather, so I would highley recommend a stainless synthetic setup.
For a scope, buy the most expensive you can afford, Leupold, Burris, both make many models, and their lower end scopes are usually still tough as nails. I would go with a 3x9 for the .270 or a 4x12, but would try to keep weight to a minimum, since you will want the gun scope combo to be easy and light to pack. You may want to get a scope with multiple aiming recticles, since they are handy for making the longer shots with confidence (buy a good rangefinder also, I have had good luck with nikons). Get it set up, find a load that shoots well at your 100 yard sight in distance, then get 50 to 100 rounds and spend a few days shooting at ranges from 35 yards to 500 yards to know your gun and capabilities.