What did you end up getting OP??
I'll reiterate what others have said about Howa and Tikka.
If you have the time/skills, getting a Howa barreled action and bedding it in a laminate stock from Boyds or Richards Micro Fit stocks is my favorite "lowest cost" option. For the mini actions you may want to upgrade the bottom metal from the plastic unit. Or just go with a chassis option.
If you can stretch your budget, Tikka is worth the additional money IMO. Here's my current "lightweight" Varmint gun in .223 Rem:
- Tikka 16" .223 hunter model from EuroOptic, threaded from factory
- Sold the nice OEM walnut stock to fund the KRG Echo
- total rifle cost was probably $900-$1000 (excluding rail/bolt/etc..)
Note: EuroOptic currently has a Tikka Ranahan .223 Rem model on sale for $730. Includes iron sights and threaded barrel. This would be a SWEET truck gun IMO