I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with either, but I will say that my Savage 30-06 is more accurate than either of the Rem 700's I've owned. My 10ML is more accurate than the M700 ADL .243, which even after a trigger job wouldn't shoot inside 2.5" at 100 yards, even with handloads and a trigger job, so I traded it off. I also had an M700 VLS in .22-250 that wouldn't consistantly shoot under 1 MOA with a half dozen handload workups I tried, and 1.25 MOA was tough. For a varmint/target rifle, I don't require it to be a one-hole shooter, but I do expect at least sub-MOA accuracy. I should have never sold off the Ruger M-77V/T that the VLS was supposed to replace because the BBl was getting shot out. It was an honest .75 MOA rifle, all day long. I got the Savage 30-06 really on an impulse because the price was very good as it has a couple blemishes on the stock from handling as a display gun, and after working out a bedding issue (action screws not properly torqued), it'll shoot consistant 3/4" groups at 100 yards with cheap Winchester 150gr Power Points. I don't handload for it because I don't shoot it enough to go through the trouble when it shoots $15/box factory ammo so well. If I did I have no doubts that I could squeeze another 1/4" or so out of it, but consider that it's meant to shoot at deer at under 300 yards, I figure why bother? It's not the prettiest rifle (it's blued/walnut) around, but I think that it looks a lot better than some of the butt-ugly, but very pricy, Remington 700 customs with their lackluster spray-on metal finishes and molded composite pseudo-camo stocks. Not to say that those $2000+ customs don't shoot nice, but many look like they have a military Humvee paint job (if you've ever been up close to a humvee, you'll know what I'm talking about ).

Maybe it's just my personal preference, but if I'm gonna dump over 2 grand into a rifle, it better look as nice as it shoots. If all you want is a utilitarian rifle that shoots, as ol' Comrade Obama would say, "above its pay grade," then there's nothing wrong with a Savage. If others choose to look down their nose at my Savage(s), I couldn't care less. They shoot great and don't look half bad when dressed in hardwood or laminated wood (the synthetic stocks are butt-ugly and look like they are molded with the same care as a Rubbermaid trash can, I'll concede that).

Mike