Wow, that's quite the anti-Remington tirade above. My question would be "Have YOU had any issues with YOUR late-model Remington 700?"
Don't buy a rifle based just on the brand - be confident that it fits you and its controls and features make sense. I own centerfire rifles from Remington, Winchester, Weatherby, CZ, and Ruger - all solid products. Of the bunch, the Weatherby Vanguard was the least expensive at less than $400.
My vote for caliber would also be the 7mm-08.
Optics can be difficult. I've always used Leupold VXII 3-9s on my hunting rifles, but also use Burris FFIIs on my varmint rifles. I have one old Bushnell as well. None of them have ever failed. I don't own a Nikon, but they're popular as well. For your intended use, I'd stick to a variable in 3-9 and then see what kind of deal you can find on a common-brand scope. Avoid the "sniper" marketing hype that seems all the rage right now. Make sure your scope purchase includes a solid mounting system - cheap Chinese rings and bases will plague you until you replace them.