Thanks for the response! I have definitly been looking at the 700s, i have faith in them.

I was originally considering a 280 but decided against it since its a bit less common and i dont want to have to deal with the limited ammunition for it.
I know a heavier gun is probably best(for recoil), but i was hoping to wiggle around that issue with a good pad. I really cant hike around in the woods with a gun thats heavier than i am(slight exaggeration, but you get the point). My 243 borders on too heavy for me.
I currently have Leupold binoculars and really love the quality, but im not sure ill quite have the budget for one of their good scopes. we'll have to see.
Thanks for the review of synthetic stocks, i wasnt sure if that was really the case with recoil or if it was just a myth.