Im gonna interject here slightly...and i apologize if some of this comes off harsh...lol

A gun is a tool.While they are fun to look at and handle there purpose is pretty straightforward. I never was very good at keeping mytoys in the box whenI was little and my firearms and me are kinda the same way. When you say you like your A-Bolt so much you dont want it to get messed up it kinda confuses me somewhat. What exactly are you saving this gun for? When I look at my guns i have now I cant wait till im dead and gone and my son, daughter,or son in law is looking at my 270 or 30-06 and saying, "man dad killed alot of deer with this gun." Hoping he will continue to use it, harvest deer,and be able to keep on handing it down with the same results. A gun with any type of regular upkeep and oiling will last generations even when used in rain or snow...Browning didnt make that gun to sit on your shelf, its pretty, but it madeto beused.

Really...why make excuses why you want another gun for the collection? Its not that you dont want the A-bolt "Messed Up" its just plain and simple, you want another rifle...I dont think too many of us can fault you for that cause we all do. I want a 300win mag, a 7mm08, new 22LR, and a better slug gun for no other reason than just because...

Now on to your decisions...personally if you want a no frills rifle id go for a syn stock stainless setup. My 270 is the SPS Stainless by remington and its a just a great rifle and plenty accurate for hunting purposes (1-1.5" group). 30-06 is nice for the availabilty of all the different weight bullets for all kinds of game. Get yourself some good optics and have at it...