Just because its not anybodies favorite doesnt mean its a POS. Granted, there are other guns out there that are more reliable and accurate, but if you are just getting into shooting and hunting, the gun will be able to do more than you will. YOU will be the limiting factor in accuracy, not the gun. Go shoot it and have fun, it will kill a deer just as fast as any other make or model. If you get to the point where you want to do a little bit longer range shooting and the gun is holding you back, upgrade to a Rem 700. Its a beautiful action that is more than competant and is one of the (if not the) most accurate mass manufactured actions ever created. Not everybody needs nor wants a rifle that can shoot sub MOA, nor is it neccesary for 9 ou tof 10 applications. At 100 yards where most deer are killed, a 2-MOA rifle is as deadly as a sub-MOA rifle. Have fun shooting and dont worry about what anybody else says.