Not if you don't get stupid with it.

You could easily come in under a grand for a simple rebarrel and refinish job on a used donor action like a Remington or Howa..

I've got a model 7 in 260 I just bought a adult stock for it and it fits great now.it had a youth stock on it when I got it wich made it short but now it fits me as good as my tikka 30-06 and my rem 700 270

The prices I was quoted to do that type of work was almost the price of another complete 700.........

That is a good idea and something I was thinking about last night. It's much easier to find a .260 in Model 7, and they are fairly reasonable. Model 7s are much much too short but I'd probably get an HS Precision stock for it and it would probably work pretty good. It's an extra $350 or so but it's looking like keeping it under $1k with scope is going to take some doing.

sounds like you want a light weight compact rifle but you dont really want it "compact" if the model 7 is too short......maybe an older ruger ultra light. i have one from the mid eighties in 243. it has a tang saftey instead of the three way,what i dont know is if they chambered that rifle in 6.5x55.....i realllly dont think so and those were out of production i think by the time the 260 rem was introduced. im sure someone will correct me if im wrong