If they can't give you a ballpark figure on when they'll get the gun in, then I wouldn't put a dime down on it. If they can get it, they should be able to special order it right away and not make you wait until they feel like ordering some in, if they can at all.
As for the $500 worth of gift cards you bought for yourself (not really sure why you did that
), since you're in a hurry to get rid of them before they expire (which seems odd to me, too), you could always put that money toward another rifle to suit your needs instead of the Browning. If you have your heart set on the A-Bolt, and you don't handload, you might consider investing in a handloading setup.
I guess I don't really have your problem, as I can easily find a way to blow $500 in a big-box sporting goods store if my wife would let me!
Regarding the A-Bolt Medallion, are you dead set on getting a 270 Win? Why now consider betting one in a similar cartridge like .280 Rem, .270 WSM, 7mm-08, or .25-06? Any of those would perform very well as a deer rifle.
You can also try buying online to get the rifle you want. Look here:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=125248870
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=125011247
I just bought my first gun online last week through a dealer on gunbroker.com, and the transaction went very smoothly.
My only other suggestion would be to never buy gift cards when you have cash, especially ones that expire in 30 days with no refund! [:@]
Mike