I was in a gun shop the other night where on the used rifle rack sat a rem 710 30-06 next to a Sako 30-06. I was curious about the rem 710 from what I've heard from this and other forums.Suffice to say that everything I've read about the 710 that didn't originate from Remington has been correct. I picked it off the rack. The first thing I noticed was that the bolt was dificult to close and sticky, it was very difficult to cycle the bolt while the rifle was shouldered. The stock looked cheesy and cheap, the rear of the bolt had a plastic cap where a normal bolt would have a steel bolt shroud further cheapening the look. The Sako looked like it was made on a completely different planet. Though I'm no fan of synthetic stocks, the stock looked well made and very sturdy. The metal working looked supurb and the bolt had a feel that was slicker and more positive than anything I've seen so far. Though the Sako was priced at nearly 3x that of the Remington, I feel the price difference is well worth it.
I wonder if it wasn't the store owner's sense of humor that placed these two rifles next to eachother on the rack.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?