Hey Azmark,
Louie Pasture said "Chance favors the prepared mind". It also favors the prepared wallet. Put 5 C-notes in your wallet and, over the next two months, hit every pawn shop you can find. Dont' be in a hurry, don't buy "almost right". Wait until you see something that sings to you, and buy it. Let the guys (Yankee term, includes dames also) you work with know you are on the hunt. Someone might have a brother who's step-father's sisters dog is no longer hunting and want's to unload his X. The trick to this approch is to be patient. Dont' force it. Some of my best buys were for guns I didn't even know I needed.
A point for the T/C contenders or Encores, I paid 400 for my Encore in .270, blue & wood, with a scope sited in. I thought it was a nice deal, not a steal, but a good deal. Then I picked up a .454 Casull barrel for 125 bucks. What a DEAL! It was like getting a new gun for a buck25. Hard to do that with a revolver, and I'm a revolver kinda guy.
Just some thougts. If you buy a good quality gun in good condition you will be happy. You might decide later that you want to modify your hunting tool to something different, but you will never be unhappy buying good quality tools.

Dogsbreath

Oh, you do know to post pics when you buy, yes? ;-)