My first question to this "novice" as he puts it is why a 300 win mag? Do you plan on hunting moose, elk or big bear. If not then there is no need for all that extra horsepower.
Your 7-08 is a great cartridge. But I do agree that the 700 would be a definite upgrade but wouldn't be my choice. I've had 700s that were very accurate and some not so much. Same for Brownings and Rugers. However, every Savage I've owned and own shot fantastic. Lately my choice of manufacturers is Tikka (Sako).
I can attest to your events with the trigger on the Savage. Because the Accutrigger cost me a buck also a couple years ago. And it was NOT because of lack of practice. I shot the crap out of that rifle all summer testing different loads so I was very familiar with it. In fact, I don't recall shooting any other rifle during that time period. But when I jumped this "lucky" buck and shouldered the rifle my 45+ years of shooting instinctively took over and, expecting a light trigger, nothing happened when I applied pressure to the safety device on the Accutrigger. Now if I was on stand and the deer had walked in he would have ended up in my freezer.
So, I'm sorry, but before you criticize this young man for not practicing enough maybe you should, as they say, walk a mile in his shoes. I have and I know what he meant.
Now, as for a second rifle have you considered something a bit less punishing? Maybe the good old 30-06? More than enough medicine for moose and elk.