You are where I was 5 months ago. I wanted a .308 Tikka but ended up with a 7-08 Remington SPS. After shooting this rifle I can honestly say I made the right decision. In my opinion you can't go wrong with the 7-08 or the .308. The 7-08 made more sense for me since the gun is actually for my son and the reduced recoil was an added benefit. What steered me away from the Tikka was the long action for a short round. The detachable box has a spacer in it for short cartridges. If I ever buy a Tikka, it will be for a long cartridge or when they decide to create a short action for the short rounds.