I have a friend who is big in the handgun business (most of you might recognize his name). You should hear him go on about his Browning BARs. He has a couple of them in .30/06 and at least one in another caliber(s) - I think .270, but it may be a .308. He thinks they are a lot better rifle than the Remington autoloaders. That's one to consider, and sometimes you can find used ones at a fair price.

You might also consider a Mini-30. I have one that is not a bad gun, but magazines are a bit pricey. It could be a pretty mean 100-yard gun, or a bit more, if necessary. Ammunition is certainly cheap enough, but you really have to check it out before you buy. Some of it is VERY poor quality and will have short headspace and/or terrible primers. Best to buy in small quantities to check out the lot, before you buy a large amount.

There is always the '94 Winchester, and similar lever guns - all with plenty of power and reach. Best quality factory ammo will be on sale once or twice a year for about $10/box, in my neck of the woods and the .30/30 is a snap to handload. Very light, flat, and handy. If you need to reach farther, I assume you already have your scoped-sighted hunting rifle.

But you might be happy if you would give yourself a fair chance to re-evaluate the AR15s. You don't have to spend a pile of money to get a good one. If you can live with the .223/5.56 cartridge (and it is not terrible with the modern, heavy-bullet ammunition - 69 to 77 grains), you might eventually take a liking to one. It's never going to hit like a .30/06, but at shorter ranges, it is nothing to sneeze at.