It certainly is a pretty rifle and a lovely chassis.
Is hard bolt lift really a problem? Guess it depends on “philosophy of use”. My scratched up old Savage 12 is still used for shooting single feed hand loads (Bergers loaded very long, just off the lands) at steel targets at 600 off a bench. The ammo does not need to fit in the mag, and rapidly cycling the bolt does not actually matter. In this use case, everybody that shoots the gun just love the accuracy they get! They are blown away that a $900 factory rifle can shoot the occasional 2” or 3” group at 600, it is kinda eye opening to many people. I guess optimized hand loads and positive compensation contribute to the result. In this type of use, the hard bolt lift and extraction issues do not interfere at all. It seems Savage put their money where it improved accuracy (a blueprinted action, floating bolt head, and a light adjustable and fairly crisp trigger, and a heavy fluted 26” bull barrel).
But i already know that it sucks as a hunting rifle climbing snow covered hillsides looking for mountain goats. Too damn heavy, too front heavy to shoot offhand, too bulky with that 26” barrel and a muzzle brake and a 3 shot mag that won’t always feed properly makes me nervous.
If i decide to compete in a prone 1000 yard match with this rifle, then mag feeding becomes a must while firing long strings under time pressure. I might get a little frustrated with my beloved Savage then, as i will likely lose the target in the scope every time i cycle the bolt, and will have to reacquire the target each shot, and that will cost you time. Extraction problems will really break your concentration too. That is when a Defiance with a 5R Bartlein in a nice chassis will really shine, but now you pay $5000 plus. Different use case, different tool, different price point.
