Well, if you insist on kicking the crap out of yourself, you might give a look to the Savage 116 in .300 Ultra. It'll probably run you $500 or so, and they're very accurate. The AK version also has an on/off muzzle brake.

http://www.savagearms.com/116fsak.htm

With the cash you have left over, I'd recommend putting it in a new stock, as the Savage stocks are pretty poor. Really, for the extra 500, you could send it off to Sharp Shooter Supply and get it tricked out with a sweet SSS stock and a new trigger. Or with the extra 500 you could also afford a McMillian stock for it. That would be a pretty sweet set up. The hardware part of the Savages are very high quality, it just their stocks that are a little chinsy. Here's a link to another forum that shows what the boys at Sharpshooter Supply can do for a Savage:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthr...rue#Post205429



Anyway, I'm sure there are other great options for what you're talking about, particularly with the $1000-1500 ceiling. But the Savage's are very accurate and you'd have money to play with for some sweet aftermarket accessories if you got one. For your budget, you might also consider the Sakos or Weatherbys.

Sorry, this was supposed to be a response to another thread. My apologies!