if you need sustained output, you can go with a Malkoff Hound Dog Super:
( $226 with the 20% first purchase coupon )
Malkoff Devices Hound Dog Super Flashlight. The Cool Variant produces produces 1700 (measured) Out The Front Lumens at turn on and 1600 (measured) continuous Out The Front Lumens. The Neutral Variant produces 1600 (measured) Out The Front Lumens at turn on and 1500 (measured) continuous Out...
malkoffdevices.com
Or with the Modlite PLHv2 ( $309 ):
This light package contains a PLHv2-light head, 18650 handheld body/tailcap, and color-matched Thrym LPC. It also includes a single Modlite 3500mAh 18650 battery and a XTAR MC2 charger. While lumen output with this light is similar to the Surefire® M600DF head, the throw is much better suited to...
modlite.com
Everything else with a stable high output will be in the thousand dollar or more range as you previously mentioned.
If you don't need continous output, just for a few seconds, then Convoy, Klarus, Acebeam, Lumintop, Sofirn, Manker and so on make great throwers, you might even want to look at LEPs, those can throw a mile or two comfortably. Only caveat is that they will be in the 200-300 dollaridoo range as well.