I've been lurking for awhile. I guess I get into this at my own peril.
I currently own a Tikka, a Remington, a Savage, and a custom 270 built on a Mauser action with a Douglas barrel and a Timney trigger. I like them all.
I have owned a number of Remingtons, a Browning, a Ruger. The Ruger was the only one that I didn't care for. BTW, I don't subscribe to the Internet myth that "Remington's quality has gone down" At least not for the 700.
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunActions such as the Tikka were designed with one thing, and one thing only in mind, cutting costs.
No question that's true. Everyone cuts corners to make that price point. Yet, my Tikka shoots 1" groups at 100 yds out of the box. For a deer rifle, I don't care about much more than that; I don't think I need to...
Quote: .....700s are offered in a LOT of different forms. Seems the cheapest one, the SPS, is the only one that gets compared to the Tikka. How much more does a standard SPS cost than a T3? Anything? Less?
The SPS is the right model to compare to the Tikka given that they are at about the same price point. The SPS can be had I'm pretty sure for less than the T3. The higher 700s are more expensive and are most certainly better rifles than either the SPS or the Tikka.
The SPS and the T3 are great for their price point. Buy the one you get the best deal on.