30-06 and .308 are both good, versatile, widely available, time tested rounds -- do some reading on both and decide what you like better. Ruger American is definitely one to consider. You also might want to look at the Savage 11/111 line, the Weatherby Vanguard, and others (I narrowed down to those 3 last summer and ended up with a Savage, which I'd recommend). Marlin also makes a reasonable series of rifles. Read up on them, then go to a gun store and see how they feel in your hands. Any of these will leave you around $200 for a scope. Stick to a basic scope, no frills or bells and whistles like illumination of a/o. The Vortex Diamondback line runs under $200, as does the Nikon Prostaff. Leupold recently bought Redfield, and they make a few scopes in that range as well. I pretty much agree with Mojo's list of scopes to stay away from, though I'd add low-end Bushnell to it.