Don't listen to people who insist on a bull-barrel...if you are gonna want to hunt with it, that barrel just get's too dang heavy and lug around...I have several heavy barrel guns and most the time they hang out in the safe unless I am headed to the range. if you intend to ride the bench and punch paper...a bull-barrel may be a good option, but at the end of the day I see minimal improvement in my bull-barrels over my standard barreled rifles most of the time. Also don't believe anyone who insists you have to spend $500 - 700 on a dang scope...there's a time and a place for those optics (I love my Kahles and Zeiss scopes...but they don't ride my most hunted rifles). You can find a very good piece of glass from Nikon, Swift, Burris, Lupy or Redfield for well $300 to get you stated and can always upgrade later if you want/need. A Nikon Monarch or a Swift Premier will do you as well as any $500 scope out there. Get out there and sling some lead!
A Savage Model 11 and a 3-9x50 Nikon with rings and mounts will do what you want and can be had for close to your $500 budget.