[45Auto]

If I wanted a good 600 yard off-the-shelf rifle for distance shooting, I would buy the Remington 700 PSS in .308, fit it with a Harris bipod and either a Weaver V24, a Leupold 6.5 x 20 Vari-X III, or if I had the money, a Nightforce 5.5 x 22. The rifle should run between $900 - $1000. The Weaver scope is about $300, the Leupold somewhere between $500 -$600,and the Nightforce near $1000.

[Tailback]

I bought a M700 PSS a couple years ago and it was only $725 You can get the M700 VS which is the exact same rifle with a different version HS Precision stock for even less than that. Optics will be what takes him over budget though.

[Shooter 2.5]

Absolutely, positively DITTO.

Great advice.