I think you will find that patience pays off when buying broomhandles. Keep an eye on the auctions and you will see that there is no rhyme or reason to what people pay for in the sub $1000 range. Sometimes a bidding war will happen over a total piece of junk, and other times you can walk away the sole bidder on a decent matched shooter for $500-700.
Do not discount a shot out bore with a nice finish at a good price, you can get it relined for $200:
http://www.redmansrifling.com/mauser.htm