I can tell you that I have personally had a terrible experience with Savage bolt rifles. Mine basically fell apart. The whole Savage bolt gun experience was bad. I would take a long hard look at a Rem 700. They are very accurate, have a solid reputation, and is a well made rifle. The best way to know what gun to buy is too ask what other people have. I have had people tell me "Go with a CZ, they are good rifles" only to see them hunting with a Win 70?! People buy what they think is best, and if it is good, they hold on to it. I sold my Savage, but I have a Rem 700 that is a keeper. For numbers sold nothing compares to Rem 700 followed by Win 70. That says something to me.
For caliber, I personally like to hunt/shoot a 308 Win. The recoil is mild, the round is very accurate, knocks the hell out of animals, cheap to shoot, easy to find ammo, wide selection of ammo, is chambered for short action, and can be used from coyotes to elk without missing a beat. 30-06 is a close second and used to be my go to round, until I realized I HATE long action rifles. Good Luck!!!