Well... good news and bad news. Good news is that my wife and I had a really great talk about family finances and goals for the year. Bad news is that my budget for this project just got cut to $1,000 or less. I've got the scope and rings sitting on the bench so the last thing needed is the rifle. Honestly, for what I'm looking for I think I can still get it done, but it's going to take some time at the reloading bench and fine tuning. This is going to be a secondary rifle so it makes sense to save some $$.
With a 1K budget I'm looking at these:
Tikka T3X CTR (would just have to use their factory mags for competitions)
Bergara HMR (seem like it'd work out of the box)
Rem 700 SPS Tactical (would have to add a magpul stock for cheap way to get detachable mags)
Savage 110 tactical 20" (fits the specs, but does it shoot?)
Savage Magpul Hunter 18" (not much more $$ than the 110 tactical and the stock is probably better, maybe?)
With some of those it's flirting right at the line of being in the $1k budget, keeping in mind the little extras like a 20 MOA rail and mags. Any suggestions? I've never owned a TIkka, or a Bergara but have shot both. I've owned both a Rem 700 and Savage.
Go with the Tikka T3X CTR and run it as it comes, maybe buy one extra magazine and if you want, the grip angle change part, a yodave spring, possibly a muzzle brake, and then have fun.
Later on if you want to put it in a different stock you can do so easily.