My choice would be a Winchester M 70 Featherweight .30/06. A Leupold 6x or 2-7x would be good choices for scopes.
Load it with 180 grain Nosler Partitions and go hunting.
Good choice, and one I had for a long time, but the OP want's a lightweight... the M70 isn't!
Depends on what the OP considers lightweight. My SS classic FWT .30-06 is 7lbs 2oz scoped with VXIII 2.5-8X36, just a touch over 7.5 with mountain sling and 5 rounds. I did drop the barreled action in a used McMillan Edge with a blind mag.
Doubt he could do that in his budget these days, but I was well under that when I did it. Honestly, I solo hunted with a 10lb suppressed .308 this last elk season and coverd a lot of terrain with it. It wasnt as nice to carry, but I managed and was still successful.
