If you want a rifle with those characteristics the Lee Enfield is your cheapest option. Ask around among the older DCRA shooters and you will probably be able to find plenty of barrels, both the slim Canadian Arsenals DCRA conversion barrels and various heavier ex-target barrels. The Enfield-made hammer-forged 7.62 barrel is probably the best. Very long life and extremely accurate, even one that was retired by a target shooter could still be very, very accurate. They are heavy and full length and it would be a mistake to cut one down, (they're getting rarer and more valuable) so if weight concerns you, get another type such as a Sportco or Shultz & Larsen and get it turned/cut down to whatever size you like. If you try to turn off the 'snakeskin' finish on an Enfield hammer-forged barrel it will lose its rigidity to the point of being useless. So I have been told by someone who would know.
You might get lucky and find a DCRA No4 converted to 7.62mm at Long Branch; plenty of those were chopped around back in the day too. The strongest No4s are the post-war No4 Mk2 rifles and the some of the older shooters will have those around as well, probably just as actions or barreled actions. Quite a few Mk2s seem to have been converted for the DCRA at Long Branch, that would be your best option as it is an arsenal conversion where the metallurgy of the receiver and bolt were checked before conversion. Personally, I'd say any Mk2 action would be good though. I prefer the bolt head release catch of the MkI and Mk2 rather than the MkI* rifles (almost all Long Branches) which had a slot in the bolt head retaining 'groove'. The Mk2 has a beefier receiver and probably better steel than some of the wartime rifles, as well as having the trigger hung on the receiver rather than the trigger guard. Easier to set up and maintain you trigger pull etc.
You will want a Sterling or Enfield-made 7.62 magazine, the latter are better looking and a better fit. You find them on ePay or in the UK. Strictly speaking, the mag well is supposed to be milled out slightly for the Enfield 7.62mm mag, but lots of people seem to make them work without doing so. The backsights can be regraduated for 7.62mm or you can get all kinds of target sights made just for the No4 that will work well. If you want full wood, you're limited to the Canadian Arsenals/DCRA barrels, or the occasional UK/European barrel with the same profile as the original .303. If you want half-stocked, 'sporting' woodwork, any of the bull target barrels will do.
There are various no-drill scope mounts for the No4 if you want a scope, S&K, Fultons, they're all about the same.
