Let's be honest - - at that price point, you are not looking at
any rear travel, unless you buy (pretty clapped-out) used. You are going to be looking for a burly hardtail, along the lines of a Norco Katmandu:
http://www.norco.com/archives/2011/?id=katmandu
It has a decent 68° HA, 2.35 tires and a two-ring-with-bash setup. Norco describes it as a "durable trail / all mountain / Shore"-type rig. Lower-grade part spec but sturdy. Available frame sizes of 12.5 and 15; standovers of 737 (29) and 753 (29.5) respectively.