Wanting a long range toy!

[Zombie Steve]

.308 is a decent all-rounder for you. Gives you a lot of options when it's time to rebarrel too... .260, 7-08, .243, et cetera. It's going to be heavy for hunting, but look at a heavy barrel varmint version of a Remington 700 (or tactical, or police version). Give it a bedding and trigger job, and you'll really have to spend a lot more to beat it.

I'll let the others address glass on the market... I just haven't shopped anything for a long time.

[00tec]

.308 is a decent all-rounder for you. Gives you a lot of options when it's time to rebarrel too... .260, 7-08, .243, et cetera. It's going to be heavy for hunting, but look at a heavy barrel varmint version of a Remington 700 (or tactical, or police version). Give it a bedding and trigger job, and you'll really have to spend a lot more to beat it.

I'll let the others address glass on the market... I just haven't shopped anything for a long time.

I concur. I have a 700 in 223, and a friend has one in 308, both are varmint. Have them in Choate stocks, making them heavy as hell, but they are pretty accurate. You could keep the factory stock for hunting (and you wont care if it gets marked up) and get a different stock/chassis for target. The tactical version with the shorter barrel is nice too...
We did some quick adjustments on the stock trigger and I couldnt be happier with it.

Took someone out who had never fired ANY gun a few weeks back and his first pull on the 223, he hit the steel p-dog at 200yds.