To the OP... remember... You don't have to buy it all at once... is a cheap scope good for hunting.. NO, but thousands of guys use them to kill deer with every year. STAY in your budget. And add to it when you can afford it. Don't kill your budget to have the best thing. Stay in your budget. Also, you're probably done rifle hunting this year, right? So... save a little more, pick up some extra over time or whatever you need to do, and wait a few months to buy the rifle. Saving a few extra months could stretch your budget from $600- $800. Always stay in your budget, it's the wise thing to do.
I like the howa 1500 or the Savage option. One thing to remember about savages is that there is a lot of aftermarket support. I can find used savages fairly often for $250... Usually they have the cheap plastic stock, or a pretty beat up wood stock... If you can pick up a used one, and later you can add the stock you want, etc, you can get a good, useable rifle for pretty cheap and eventually make it "nice"
-Jake