You wont' go wrong with either choice!

I saw a Rem 700 in 243 for under $400 in Wal-Mart the other day...think it was an ADL (had a blind magazine).

you can not go wrong with the 700,mine i have 2 in kevlar 223,it will drive a penny @ 100 yards..

I know it is hard to swallow the prices, but actually I don't see how they make them so cheap. A few years back I was discussing the price of rifles with a co-worker (We were working as machinists) and if you look at all the different operations involved and everybody getting a cut it is amazing they are that cheap. The price of high quality steel is at an all time high, quality walnut is getting harder to come by, and the government regulations for pollution makes heat treating and bluing more expensive. The gun goes to a wholesaler, to a factory representitve dealer to a dealer. Everybody gets a cut. It probably cost s more to ship a gun than other products. I think the thing that put the large companies in trouble was lack of Government contracts for guns and parts.

look at a savage or tikka. Great guns for less. Probably better than any Rem that comes out of todays factory.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=278933788

here you go. Its the old style mountain rifle (used).....not the ss/laminate (which, imo, the "laminate" seemed to go against the "mountain rifle" set-up anyway...because of the added weight. Anyway, I like these old mountain rifles better and this one was less than $500.00 when I looked at the auction

btw, the description says that it is in like new condition...I'm tempted to bid on it myself....lol

Just throwing the idea out there but you might want to look into the remington 700 XCR or XCR ii. The XCR is discontinued but is still available in most gunshops chambered for 7mm-08. Plus even though the XCR ii isn't in 7mm-08 it has many other great cartridges. it retails for $1005 but I picked one up new for $769.99 in .270 Win.

I would look into a weatherby vanguard. I picked one up online for under $500 new. You can by the rifle and a nikon scope up for what you would pay for the remington 700. Mine groups are ususally between 3/4 and 1 in. For the mony you can't beat them.

There is only two ways to cut prices, use cheaper material or pay sub standard wages. That is why you see alot of these manufactors building guns or using parts from overseas, this covers both, cheap labor and lower quality materials.