Hello Luke and welcome. Now to your question.
I would go with a good bolt action rifle someplace between a 25 and 30 caliber.
Have you taken a GOOD look at what Savage has to offer? Yes I will agree that the black stocks are not too pretty but those guns shoot great and the plastic will not soak up moisture like wood does. The accu-trigger feature is the cats-nuts, I know cause all 3 of my savage rifles have it. Mod 93 . 17 hmr,,mod 12. 22-250 and mod 11 . 300wsm which has a hardwood stock.
The reason I said a bolt gun in that caliber range is because sometime down the road you may go for game that is much bigger then a deer. You say you have a 30-06 ,how does it shoot, do you reload your ammo, what make/model is it? Lots of after market options in stocks,triggers etc.
My personal choices would be between the .308,30-06,300wsm, 7mm-08.I like 30 cal. Hope this helps a bit ,good luck and look past the black stock and you will see a real shooter..

Most new rifles are going to be a little ways out of your price range and then if you include a scope the price just goes up. Have you thought about looking at a used rifle? Most gun shops along with pawn shops carry a good variety of used ones for you to look at and some may even come with a scope if that is the sighting picture that you want to use. As far as what you are looking at the 30-30 has probably killed more deer than most others combined. It is a good round that works in the short range deer woods and the 35 Remington is just as good. If you can sees yourself going somewhere the ranges are going to be out past 100 yards then you may want to look at something different as far as caliber. But I can see nothing wrong with your choices for the thick woods.

Thanks for the replies!

the first reply asked what i owned for a 30-06. I have a savage '06. its a 110 i beleive and was made before the accutrigger. I bought this rifle used from mu uncle and it had def. had some wear on it.

now im dieing to buy a new rifle and if its true that a decent bolt action with a wood stock is out of my range then maybe i just need to wait and save some more. i checked out the local gunstore a while ago but i was mlooking more at the ol' levers that day. i remember some reming 7600's but i heard the pumps have had problems and whatnot so i didnt give it a to much of a look.
im not completely set on a new rifle nor am i entirely against a synthetic stock. i confess i was just a little discusted when looking over my savages plastic trigger gaurd. i imagine i can get a replacement one anyways though right?

i will go back to the shop soon thuogh and make a better evaluation of the used bolt action. i do want my gun to preform the tasks it might come into contact with.

as a side note. at the shop there was a ruger compact, used but looked to be great condition. i liked the looks of it as well as the price but i figured the gun was more for youth and i dont want to look childish. plus i wasnt sure how much the shorter barrel would take away from the bullet performence. i beleive it was in 7mm 08.

anyways, any further insight would be great.
Thanks!

Short bbl rifles are much handier in thick cover and at the ranges you will be shooting, any drop in velocity from the shorter bbl length is irrevelant.. The Ruger is a fine rifle and the 7mm08 is a great deer and bear cartridge. I have a Ruger Frontier with short bbl and it is very accurate and my favorite rifle for close cover. I have it scoped with a low power variable with a heavy crosshair and it is very quick to put into action.

i went back to the shop today. the ruger ended up being a frontier after all. i was mistaken because i had noticed the scope being mounted in a standard fashion.
im glad though because it gives me more options right? the gun has never been fired but its within my price range due to the fact that its "used".

the only thing deterring me at this point is the fact that all the online reviews talk about this being "perfect for women hunters and those of small frame"

i dont want to damage my pride. i def. prefer the light and handier ruger over the other rifles ive handled. should i ignore this assumption that the rifle is made for women?

i know i sound a little feminine even caring about all these details but i dont want to blow the opportunity i have to by a lasting rifle.

thanks again

The question that you need to ask yourself about that rifle is "does it fit me" and do you feel comfortable when you put it to your shoulder? I have never looked down at what a person uses for a rifle. The main point is if it gets the job done and that the owner likes it, that is enough.

alright now im confused. i know im the one posting everything here but i need some clarification. The ruger i looked at was def. a frontier. the scope was mounted traditionally though. im assuming that means two things. the scope probably isnt designed to be be used in a scout model and i read that the rifle had a hard time even taking a tradition scope. how'd they get this scope on the rifle in the first place? im getting tired of all this contemplation! haha

I thought that the Frontier was set up to either mount the scope on the receiver or over the barrel? Take a look at the scope mounts and see if they are integrated into the receiver or if it is drilled and tapped.

You are over thinking things and are going to drive your self crazy. Three guns all around 300 to 350 dollars. Marlin Bolt 270, Marlin lever 35, Marlim lever 30/30. Variety of ammo and with the saved money get a nice scope. Then don't look back, go hunting.

alright i finally got my gun. and im happy with it.
went witht he frontier afterall. hate to go against the grain here but i just couldnt help myself. ill tell ya all how she shoots when i get to shootin' it

thanks for bearing with me