ORIGINAL: Brod_Man
Savage boasts long range accuracy from their palma rifle, which is based off the same action. They finished second in the big palma competition. You know who beats them year after year. Either a big european company, or Remington. Just put it this way. When the Army Marksmenship unit was looking for a Sniper rifle they turned to remington. The guns all the service men use as sniper rifles areuseing the remington 700 action, and barrel.
Id chose a remington. Any day. Even if the savage was cheaper.
I see the Palma team analogy a little differently than you do. As Stalkingbear pointed out there are far more 700 based rifles in these competitions than savage and yet the Savage team is able to finish 2nd. That demonstrates that the Savage on average actually outperformed the Remingtons and European rifles. For example if Savage is only 10% of the competitors and they beat 95% of the field it would seem the Savages are on average grouping better than the Remmys would it not. What you failed to point out is that the Savage is a true factory rifle and the Remintons on the other hand are custom built off a Remington action. In addition the Savage Palma team only started in 2006 not to bad in 3 years.
The Remingtons are much better IMO, and the action is VERY popular as basis to build custom rifles from, Savages, not so much. That SHOULD tell you something.
No custom rifle builder in his right mind is going to recommend a Savage action to build off of. Anyonewith modest mechanical abilitycan buy a prechambered Matchgrade barrel from Shilen, Pacnor etc for $250-300 and install the barrel with a go-no go gauge. The accutrigger is adaquate for most shooters and that eliminates the custom trigger. That means no action work or chambering work etc and the $1,000 dollars in gunsmithing becomes a pass thru charge on a $250 barrel at 15% profit margin. If you are trying to make a living gunsmithing what are you going to recommend?