Okay, its one of those post bird season, too early for enjoyable clays rhetorical questions w/zero qualifiers aside from maximum expenditure; so whot I'd do is find a solid lower grade non-ejector Ithaca in 12 or 20 gauge [predicated on your personal pref. & intended use] w/good barrels; then I'd contact Doug Mann & have him help you get a decent piece of wood and stock it for you and let him coordinate something w/Jim Nixon for very minimal, but attractive, engraving [even if only a border motif] and have the action French grayed & bbl's. nicely blacked. You could easily achieve that within your specified budget and have a perfectly wonderful bespoke and highly usable gun.
You asked, so there it is in a nutshell. Doug can tell you if I'm a loony tune or not about the idea. Personally, I think it very doable.
A less expensive approach would be to have Doug stock an Ithaca SKB 100 for you and forget about anything more than his craftsmanship to make it stand out & unique. You could possibly even do a pair within that budget, a 12 & a 20.
