I have not owned a Tikka but have heard good things about them. Rem 700 has about the worst quality barrels available. Good luck if you want to add accessorioes later. The 11 has a plastic "bottom metal" and magazine that would scare me to death. There is a substantial difference between the Savage 10 and Savage 11. So, armchair shoppers, what do you think? I like the wood stocks better than plastic, but in the end, I'll take performance over beauty. 308 with a 1/10 twist wish a short barrel (18" on the low end up to 22" max preferable, but some of these only come in 24" it looks like). What I think I'm ultimately looking for is a. If any of you have prior experience with any of these and care to share your recommendations, I'd love to hear it. I'm having a tough time finding anything that really sets them apart and makes one better than another. The problem I'm having now is, all of these rifles have glowing reviews and several are featured in articles and reviews showcasing 500-1000 yard shooting. Well, that, and from my research I'm not sure I need a $1000+ rifle to eventually shoot 500+ yards. I'm planning to leave a good chunk of my budget for glass which is the only reason I'm not looking at $1000+ rifles.
I know I can get a Savage Axis II XP for <$400, but I'm willing to spend more than that for higher quality. Essentially, I'm looking for the absolute best quality under about $800. 308 hunting rifles, and I'm thinking that I want to get something that I can also use to shoot long distance someday. So, for the past few days I've been doing some research on.