FWIW IMO the OP's parameters really lend themselves to a 7-08 or 6.5 Creedmore ( my 6.5's are in a Swede though ) for a do all go anywhere rifle the deeper into geezerhood I get. The Bolt Action Rifle otoh is a tossup more dependent on his budget, with the obvious 1st set of choices in budget guns dominated by the Ruger American (uggh), and Howa 1500's & several others at the under $4/$500 price points. I started out in the late 1960's with a quality 243 as a wedding gift and learned to shoot with it, but soon moved to a 270 and never regretted it hunting mostly in Texas, and have had at least one ever since. Better bullets today have solved most of my issues with the 243's on game performance, but in a short case caliber there are now better cartridges like the ones posted above, and the OP can't go wrong with the parent case caliber, as the 308 is solid choice too.. In the mid price point range of $500 to $800 I favor Tikka's, Winchester M70's or Ruger 77's, but have little love from personal history for the Big Green or Savage guns. Of the dozens of hunting rifles I have owned, only the Tikka 695's & T3's have been dependably simple Plug and Play rifles.
Mo Money gets more choices and opens the door to lots more jillyfrasse but not much more quality unitil you break a $K for the rifle alone, then the Quality stairstep is in about +/- $500 increments.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron
