Todd

I think you are doing the correct thing by going to shops and looking around. I read your recoil thread and I strongly believe that recoil has nearly everything to do with how well or not a rifle fits you.

Also, everyone has an opinion and favorite and guess what, they are all correct. To them the best rifle is the one they own. Can't argue with that and its a true statement. Ultimately you are the one that will be plunking cash down and have to be happy. Is a Weatherby worth more than a Remington? Only you can decide that. If it fits you well, you like it, and will shoot it then a Weatherby most certainly is worth more than the Remington.

As the others have said, there are a ton of nice rifles out there. Any of today's manufactures make dogs and you have to look and be careful. Personally, I think it is hard to beat the Tikkas, Savage's, and/or Weatherby Vanguard in their price ranges. Remington has a ton of aftermarket stuff and you can really tweak them out. Most accurate rifle I have ever seen was an older Ruger M77 that I foolishly sold. Least accurate rifle I've ever owned is a Ruger M77 in 250 sav. So is Ruger good or bad?

So I guess my advice is to read what is here as there is a ton of knowledge, go to a shop informed about the pros and cons of each, and then make a decision based on your preference. Not much help am I?