Let me chime in one more time.
First thing, Savage has announced that all it's new rifles will have the Accutrigger, including the youth rifle. A good solid choice.
However, I would not buy a right handed rifle. I've been around left handers enough to know they always regret not having the right rifle. It's easy enough to take the stock to a gun smith and have him shorten the stock for you. It's a little more expensive than buying "stock", but a better choice than shooting wrong handed.
Just as important, when you have the stock adjusted to fit you, have the gunsmith put on a top of the line recoil pad, like a Pachmeyer Decelerator, Limbsaver or such. They really DO work, and work well.
Other options include the Browning BLR (a very handy lever gun, my wife keeps trying to steal mine....)
As far as scopes, Nikon makes some very nice scopes, including their top of the line "monarch" line. The also have two lesser lines, the entry level "prostaff" and the mid-level "buck master". When buying optics, I've never met someone who said he wished he spent less on his optics.
Finally, no one ever mentions recoil when shooting at an elk. When practicing though, I would strongly suggest you buy and use a "Past Recoil Pad". Colloquially known as a "sissy pad", it's a recoil reducer that you wear on your shoulder. It really takes the bite out of the rifle kick-- and I'm a big enough sissy to wear one, even with my small caliber rifles. Why get beat up? HTH, Dutch.