It will be difficult to find a better all around cartridge than the 30.06 Spr. As you have cited there is a wide array of factory ammo available from plinker stuff to hard hitting relatively heavy 30 cal. bonded bullet loads. As far as make ... there are a myriad of good choices. The Remington 700, Ruger 77, Savage 110 or 111, Browning A or X bolt, Winchester 70, etc. My favorite is a Styer Pro-Hunter. I have several Model 700's and all shoot lights out. However, I am not a fan of either the Rem. 710 or 770. I know nothing first hand about the Ruger "American".

As far as buying at a "gun show" .... buyer beware. A lot of junk makes the trip to the gun show. Unless you know how to spot flaws, be very careful buying at a gun show. Some of these are nit nuch more than traveling "circuses" and you'll never see the dude again until next "gun show season". A deal that is too good to be true ain't likely a good deal !

I think that you'd come out better looking at a reputable gun shop that handles used rifles or buying a used rifle from some one that you know and trust. To give you a good example, go to Marks Outdoors web site .... which is in Vestavia, Al. for a good idea of typical quality used gun and used scope prices.

As for scope .... do not scrimp. The factory "packages" deals do not incorporate a "quality" scope. Buy the best that you can afford.

Take a look at these;

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/weatherby-vanguard-rifle-vgs270nr4o-winchester-griptonite-stock-stainless-finish-p-121954.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/marlin-bolt-action-rifle-xl7270-winchester-black-stock-stainless-steel-finish-p-117249.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/ruger-hawkeye-bolt-action-rifle-hmk77rfp-7119-winchester-black-synthetic-stock-stainless-steel-finish-p-99578.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/tikka-lite-bolt-action-rifle-jrtb318-winchester-bolt-action-black-synthetic-stock-stainless-steel-finish-p-90826.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/remington-stainless-bolt-action-rifle-7267-winchester-black-synthetic-stock-stainless-steel-finish-p-86358.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/howa-1500-rifle-whogue-stock-hgr62612-winchester-bolt-action-black-synthetic-stock-stainless-steel-finish-p-99595.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/savage-116fcss-weather-warrior-rifle-17799-bolt-action-black-stock-stain-steel-finish-wdbm-p-86703.html

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/thompson-center-icon-weathershield-rifle-5547-winchester-synthetic-stock-weathershield-finish-p-112298.html

Handle them all and pick the one that whispers in yer ear.

Good luck and enjoy the buying experience!

Buy a Remington 700 ADL in black synthetic stock. You should be able to buy one for $350 or less. It has open sights and can be used to shoot and kill game as is. When you have some extra money -- I'm suggesting doing this in a two-step process -- buy a good scope and mount that on the rifle. Don't let people tell you that you can't take big game without a telescopic sight. You can. Most big game animals are taken at relatively short range. All of my deer have been taken at 150 yards or less (1 at 15 yards, 1 at 20 yards, and 1 at 35 yards). Of my two elk, 1 was taken at 60 yards the other at maybe 200 yards. I'm guessing I could have taken that 200 yard elk with open sights, though the shot was at 15 minutes after sundown (legal shooting extended to 30 minutes after sundown) and though I was 55 years old then.

All of my big game rifles have telescopic sights. I love telescopic sights. But cost seems to be an object to you at this time. When you have saved some more money, go buy a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x for about $500. Now if you have $850 available now, by all means buy the rifle and the scope now.

Don't figure this will be the last rifle you ever buy. You will probably buy others. You can look at this rifle as a backup for all your hunting further on down the road. I personally like wood stocked rifles for their aesthetic value, but if I were going to go hunting in inclement weather I would leave my wood stocked rifles in the dry and take my Remington 700 ADL with synthetic stock in .30-06 out to hunt.

Another vote for Savage (I shoot their mod 116-weather warrior 30-06). A good budget shooter to look at is Mossberg's ATR 100.

The Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard are decent too.