$1500.00 for a new setup, what would you get?

[Toptwo]

Thank you everybody for all of the responses! I went and "tried on" a lot of different guns. Browning A-Bolt, Browning AB3, Ruger, Weatherby, Tikka, Savage. After trying them all, and even walking up and down the aisles carrying the guns I still felt most at home with the Tikka. After a couple hours spent with all the rifles, I moved on to scopes. I tried Leupold, Vortex, Nikon, Zeiss...all in a few different powers. The one that was clearest and for some reason brightest for me was the Leupold VX2 4-12-40 A.O.  with the long range duplex in it. So, when all was said and done I ended up with:

Tikka T3 Stainless 30-06
Leupold VX2 4-12-40A.O

Managed to get a sale price and got the gun for 629, and scope for 499.

Took it to the range (bore sighted) and after firing a few to get it shooting 2" high at 100 yards, I shot a 4 shot 1.2" group. Using factory Remington 150 grain core-lokt ultra bonded psp rounds.

I am extremely happy with the gun, its accuracy, and its weight. and think for 1130.00 a GREAT price, so with 370.00 leftover I can take the wife to dinner (and maybe pick up a new pair of bino's) 

[CAMPMEAT]

You won't be disappointed at all.......good choices.

[RadSav]

How did you manage that?  I can never seem to make out of a gun shop under budget  

My Tikka rifles all liked Winchester's Advanced and Nosler's factory ammo the best.  Both shot nearly identical groups with that ammo.  With the exception of the 270WSM they shot those two brands nearly half the size of the Core-Lokt offerings.  Not sure why as Core-Lokt has always been great in my Winchester rifles, but in the Tikka there was a big difference!

Congratulations on the new man toy!  Seems to fit just about everything you said you wanted.  Now all you need to do is get used to that dang magazine release

[jasnt]

Thank you everybody for all of the responses! I went and "tried on" a lot of different guns. Browning A-Bolt, Browning AB3, Ruger, Weatherby, Tikka, Savage. After trying them all, and even walking up and down the aisles carrying the guns I still felt most at home with the Tikka. After a couple hours spent with all the rifles, I moved on to scopes. I tried Leupold, Vortex, Nikon, Zeiss...all in a few different powers. The one that was clearest and for some reason brightest for me was the Leupold VX2 4-12-40 A.O.  with the long range duplex in it. So, when all was said and done I ended up with:

Tikka T3 Stainless 30-06
Leupold VX2 4-12-40A.O

Managed to get a sale price and got the gun for 629, and scope for 499.

Took it to the range (bore sighted) and after firing a few to get it shooting 2" high at 100 yards, I shot a 4 shot 1.2" group. Using factory Remington 150 grain core-lokt ultra bonded psp rounds.

I am extremely happy with the gun, its accuracy, and its weight. and think for 1130.00 a GREAT price, so with 370.00 leftover I can take the wife to dinner (and maybe pick up a new pair of bino's) 

see like I said you'll know the rifle when you find it. Congrats