Well, what state are you in, and is the use of rifles allowed? Mostly wooded, or agriculture? You could get into a marlin 336 30/30 or 35 remington and have money left. You really don't need a scope on them, unless you have eye sight issues. Great for wooded areas. If you want a bolt gun, then a scope is almost a must have then, and adds to the price. To keep you in budget, and get you something respectable, you may want to consider used. If you can find any reasonably priced remington model 798's, $400 or less, your good to go. The marlin XL7 and XS7 are pretty decent rigs too. You want to make sure you leave room for a good scope, and not be forced to buy a $50 tasco or simmons. The results will discourage you bigtime otherwise.