You have $700 for the rifle, $400 for the scope, and $100 for the rings. No after-market parts for the rifle other than a sling. No range finder. Factory ammo only; one load must do it all. Shooting prone from a backpack rest. Continental North America. Antelope, deer, moose, elk, caribou, sheep, goat, bison, wolf, and bears. The 30-06 or the 6.5 Creedmoor are your only two choices. KISS applies for all tie breakers. Once you step away from the plane, boat, or truck you are humping this rifle in - no horses, no ATV... Describe your medicine and tell me why. Describe how you set up your ballistic dope chart for the hunt.
My pick is M700 Long Range in 30-06, Burris with Ballistic Plex reticle, Federal 180 grain blue box or Premium Partition.
A used 1993 M700ADL SS Mtn Rifle, Leupold 2-7 (VX-1 or 2) with the LR reticle in order to make sure to stay inside the money constraints.
Factory ammo? Do they still make factory ammunition?.........Well, something with a Partition in it.
Probably a 165 gr Partition sighted in 1.5" high. The ballistic "dots" would be close enough of a match for the bullet trajectory.
I sure wouldn't want to hump a M700 LR rifle very far...........
