Having shot the "entry level" Savage and Mossberg rifles, I must say for the money, they're hard to beat.
The scopes are scrap metal and glass cobbled together with crosshairs, but for form, fit, and function, if that's the best you can afford, they're pretty darn good.
They all shoot well to 250 yards (.223), and while not the most comfortable to shoot, they definitely hold their own until things improve and once can upgrade.

The guns are ugly, with the exception of a couple of the Marlin offerings imho, but for the money most are an acceptable option for most. I just think that it is very unfortunate that these packages are the best that most of us can afford in a new rifle nowdays. I usually just go to the pawn shop and pick out a nice used rifle when I get the gun buying itch.

To each his own, blacktored. I bought a Rem 710 package gun 7 or 8 years ago for $300 and it's been great. It shoots nice tight groups at 100 yards and for my needs it is anything but junk. It's not as fancy as the rifles costing $200+ more, but I didn't want to pay extra just to have shinier metal or pretty wood or a high-dollar scope. There are plenty of us out there who don't care to spend an excessive amount of money just to be fashionable in the gun world.

Such a rant of yours show an ignorance of the fact that there are those in the firearms and hunting market that find rifles such as the 710/770 and others to be just fine for our needs.