My dad' s got an A-bolt in .30-06 that shoots beautifully, so I have nothing bad to say about the gun. I would support what the guys here are saying, though:

If you have the money to get a good, well-made, brand-new gun, go and feel each of the major companies' major lines of rifle. You' re not going to find a major brand rifle that is really bad (if you stick with, say, the 700 rather than the 710 in Remington, etc), so it' s simply the gun that you like the feel of the best. If you like the way the Browning balances, the way the bolt works, etc, then by all means, make that your gun. Don' t swear off Winchester, Remington, Ruger, etc, though, because you never know which one is going to fit you best.

As to the caliber, the 7mm-08 is a great one. The only thing you' ll have to worry about down the line is elk, moose, and bear. It' ll shoot rings around most other calibers, has great velocity, light kick... just a joy to shoot. It' ll make you a better shot. There are a bunch of them out there, though - again, don' t tie yourself down to a caliber, because there' s plenty of good ones to choose from.