700 are nice and the 30_06 I own is a great shooter. However I now own two savages and they both perform just as well and they both look good. They both have there ups, there would probably be strong arguments for both. I do remember when I bought a savage in the past that I had heard they had a bad rep, but when I picked it up and most importantly when I shot my first one I was very happy and wouldn't trade it for anything. Then again when I bought the 700 it felt good and shot great too
so I wouldn't trade it for anything either. Long story short I don't think you will have issues either way. Plus there are lots of aftermarket parts and upgrades for both. Good luck.
