I have had customers walk in and ask methis very same question, and I will tell you what I tell them. Go shopping, look at as many rifles as you can, try them for feel and fit and aesthetics. Once you find the rifle you want, keep looking to confirm and solidify your choice. Now, having said that, I really like controlled round feed actions, so that limits your choices to Ruger, Winchester, Kimber, Mauser, and CZ, perhaps others I am missing. If controlled round feed is not important to you, then there are literally dozens of push feed rifles on the market, fewer in your price range but still many to choose from. I would urge you to look at Weatherby, Remington, Sako, and whatever others as strike your fancy. You wouldn't let someone on a forum choose what pants you should wear, don't let someone on a forum choose what rifle you buy.
And don't forget to top your new rifle with a good quality scope. To many, this means as cheap as possible. To others it means as expensive as possible. To me it means as clear as possible with a good warranty. Leupold, Zeiss, Burris, Vortex are a few of my preferred options, but you choose what you like.