That's a good price for a vanilla Axis, let alone one of the fruity flavors!

The lowest ring I'd go with for a 40mm objective scope would probably be a medium height ring with a saddle height of 0.35-0.45 inches. I have a 33mm objective scope in low rings (0.25 inch saddle height) and the bolt handle scrapes the bell if I push it hard enough. I have my Primary Arms 4-14x44mm scope in a set of rings with a 0.40 inch saddle height, and the bolt handle clears it with no issues.

Smart money can be spent in the stock and trigger. Boyds stocks are getting more expensive, but they're still a pretty good value to the do-it-yourselfer. Rifle Basix makes my favorite aftermarket trigger for the Axis. You could also save money by tricking those elements out yourself. Rockite is the current favorite stock filler, lending much needed weight and stiffness. Either way, an adjustable cheek piece would likely be an added benefit. The trigger can also be modified for much less than an aftermarket trigger's sticker price.

And if you're really looking to make this rifle stand out, I think Fred (Sharpshooter) is offering LBRP conversion service. MrFurious has one, and it looks rather nice!