If it were me, I would not spend that kind of money on a top quality mount with the optic choice you've mentioned.
If a good quality mount is what you really want/need, by all means don't settle for anything less or you will regret it for a long time.
Do yourself a favor and wait until you can save for a higher quality scope that will match the quality of the mount holding it.
If you think about it, it really doesn't make sense to settle for a lesser optic now, basically just to have one, it's only going to cost more later. It's actually going to cost you a lot more money going that route. Do it right the first time, save for what you actually want/need, you won't regret waiting.
I am also interested to see where are you getting information that says a Geissele mount will "chew up" your rail?
That mount should not shift under recoil or fit incorrectly on an in spec. rail to cause any type of damage, or as you say, 'chew up' the rail.
If someone is having damage like you claim on their rail, I would be willing to say the problem is not with a precision optic mount, but most likely an out of spec rail.
Any of the high quality optic mounts (Geissele, Bobro, LaRue) should not cause any damage to your firearm.
