I love my Tikka because of the feeding, the reliable accuracy and the fact that the safety locks the bolt and is easy to disengage silently. The landscape is mixed between large fields and dense forests, so I often bump into deer and get a short range shot opportunity.
My Tikka is kitted out with a heavy scope, a heavy chassis and a bipod. I'd love to have a traditionally stocked rifle with similar features for those days when I feel for it. The first option is of course to get another Tikka, but their wood stocks are boring and the front ends are square in profile - very uncomfortable when shooting slinged up. Sako rifles are the same. I have large hands and long arms. I'm also not to keen on the plastic mag, and prefer a hinged floorplate for this purpose.
Enter the Winchester Model 70 Super Grade. The pictures on the web site looks great. It's about a pound heavier than the Tikka. None of my local gunshops keep Winchester guns in stock.
What are new production "Super Grade" model 70's like? Can I expect MOA accuracy? Is the wood half as good as it looks?
Any other manufacturers I should take a look at?
-hinged floorplate
-safety that locks the bolt (Bergara is out)
- nice wood stock with rounded, grippy forend
-solid platform for mounting scopes as low as possible.