If you’re patient you could probably watch for sales and catch a more expensive boot on sale. With that said, cost doesn’t determine comfort or quality necessarily. I just recently invested in a quality pair of hunting/hiking boots and I can honestly say that actually trying on as many pairs you can is the best way to approach this. I couldn’t believe the difference I felt between several boots and I let my feet tell me what boots felt the best. I looked at and tried on several Crispi boots that I really thought I liked until I got to wear them and they didn’t feel right ... and I ended up with Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400s. Also, if you’re going to be walking and moving around a lot while hunting in them I would think 200-400gr max for the insulation.
I’d say at your price range though the Danner Pronghorn boots would be very hard to beat. I highly suggest though that price not being your #1 priority and putting comfort before price.
