I just recently purchased a new deer rifle. I lucked into a few extra Benjamins and was able to move up a grade in what I could afford, but prior to that I was scouring the Internet for stuff in the $400 range. My preference, for aesthetic reasons, is wood stocks, and most of the wood-stocked rifles available on Gunbroker, Armslist, et al, in that price range had seen better days, cosmetically speaking. But, if you are patient, diligent, and know how to use the search tools effectively, you can find good deals for $400 and sometimes less. As examples, two rifles that occasionally turn up in that price range are the Remington 788 and Savage 110. The 788 I know only by reputation - it is a plain-Jane gun often described as a 'tack driver'. A friend of mine owns about eight of them in various calibers and swears by them. I have borrowed a Savage 110E for several deer seasons and would have no qualms about owning one. So, if you're not all that thrilled about the synthetic-stocked entry-level rifles, keep looking - there are excellent deals on nice guns out there to found.