Forget about the M710 and buy the Savage...absolutely no doubt about it. The M710 is a big piece of junk by comparison. Make sure you get a newer Savage with the Accu-Trigger. It'll cost you a few more bones, but is a very good USER ADJUSTABLE trigger system. It is among the best on the market and a far cry better than the M710's non-adjustable crap trigger. The Savages are well renouned for their accuracy, the barrels are actually screwed into the receiver rather than press-fit like the M710's, which means that if you ever shoot out the barrel or just get a hankering for a custom barrel and chambering, you can have a gunsmith easily rebarrel the Savage. Take a 710 to a 'smith and ask him to rebarrel it, and he'll tell you that a) he can't, b) he won't, and/or c) it's not worth it, buy a new rifle. So in terms of longevity the Savage is also the way to go. The synthetic stock on the Savage, while not very attractive, is also a far cry better built than the tinker-toy plastic crap on the 710. The Savage is also fully free-floated and pillar bedded in the stock...not so for the M710.
The Savage is just a much better rifle. Their bottom of the line Model 10 is far better than the 710.
I bought a 710 last year. Liked it better than the Savage 111 (stock felt better to me). Been a good rifle. Accuracy is just fine for anything I need to do. Probably last me more than a few lifetimes as I have a job, family and a life and can't (and won't) spend 3-5 weeks a year hunting deer. Never knew plastic was such a bad thing until I entered the gun world.
However, I didn't really consider if one of my great-great-great-great grandchildren would ever shoot out the barrel. Hmmm...maybe I made a bad decision.
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I second driftrider. The other thing is that if you need to sale the rifle for some reason the Savage has better resale. Used 710's are nearly worthless. Attend some gunshows and you will see what I mean.
With my Savage 110 I can change barrels and shoot different cartrdiges based on the same case. For instance a .243 for deer/predetors, .308 for bigger, tougher animals. It gets a bit more complicated to change lengths or head sizes, but can be done. Try doin' that with a Remington 710, which is, in essence, a Savage 40.
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Jest an ol' man livin' in the mountains.
savage 110 or 111, or the 710
