I am with others, the $500 budget is tough, 80’s price.
I would suggest lots of time on GB, a blind hog can find an acorn once in a while.
I picked up a SS Savage a few years ago for a build. It was an ugly mess to be honest. No bids and they kept delisting it. I made an offer and the took it. Had a $150 rail on it, stock was factory, barrel, someone made an attempt at making an integral brake. The great and surprising thing was it had a Sharp Shooter Supply trigger (Evolution) no longer available and the sell for around $250.
Shop hard and Mac and cheese with hotdogs for a while.
