When I lived down south my go to rifle was a Remington 700 .30/06 that I loaded with 165 gr Hornady BTSPs with all the Ammo Mart 4831 equivalent powder I could stuff in the case. I didn't have access to a chronograph in those days, but the rifle boomed in a most appealing manner and the load performed well enough that I had the impression that if I could see it I could hit it.
One of the nice things about a 700 is that you can use it effectively right out of the box, then add to it as you can afford to. A sling should be the first accessory you purchase for your rifle, and I strongly favor a sling that can be used as an aid to shooting, rather than a simple carry strap, but not everyone is like minded. If the idea appeals to you check out the Safari Ching Sling. The BDL version of the 700 Remington still comes with factory irons, and good quality scope mounts are easy to come by for a long action 700. While you save up for a scope (don't go cheap on either the scope or mounts) you can still be shooting your rifle, working up loads, or accessing factory ammo. Perhaps rather than a scope, you might want to explore the idea of shooting with a aperture rear sight, which can be easily installed on the receiver or on a Weaver base, and the front bead can be easily changed to a rectangular post. Once you have the rifle and perhaps later a scope, (where a low power variable like a 2.5-8X is probably best on a do it all hunting rifle) you might decide that a fiberglass stock might be an improvement over the wood, particularly if the rifle is frequently exposed to the elements.
I strongly urge you to consider handloading for your new rifle. The .30/06 is perhaps the most versatile of the factory loaded cartridges available to you, but handloading increases the versatility of the round ten fold, and the .30/06 is easy to load for. 16-20 grs of SR 4759 will drive a cast bullet at a velocity suitable for shooting small game, and is great fun at the range when you're not in the mood for full power loads, and it costs pennies a round to shoot. Marksmanship is a byproduct of shooting, and without regular practice our marksmanship skills suffer. Inexpensive practice removes cost as an excuse not to shoot. From small game and plinking loads, light weight bullets in the 110-130 gr range are suitable for varminting and coyotes. FMJ bullets either loaded to full speed or to reduced velocity are the answer for shooting fur. Midweight bullets in the 150-180 gr range are the most popular weights for all big game, in fact in the early years of the cartridge, Stewart Edward White took a custom .30/06 to Africa and killed dozens of big game animals weighing up to a ton with the original 150 gr bullet loaded to 2700 fps. With today's premium bullets, the performance on game can only be better. The true heavy weights, like the 220 gr slugs from various makers, the 240 gr Woodleighs, or 250 gr Barnes originals if you can still find them, shine on the biggest game like Bison. You can choose between mono-metal, dual core, and bonded core construction to suit nearly any scenario.
Whatever route you decide to choose, enjoy your new found pastime.
