Dunno much about the SPS, seems like another 700 to me. If you buy a sendero, you buy a product you know will perform out of the box, as with any other "bean field" gun. I have shot a savage 110 varmint (IIRC) in .223 and it seemed to shoot well, but I dont have enough trigger time on one to tell you either way. Here's a review I found when I was searching for info before I bought my rifle. While it is informational, I don't really trust reviews of guns, reason being I have never seen a bad review.
http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/nov96deerrifle.html
It also seems that some don't like savages because of the name. Someone had posted on a different thread that they couldn't even say the name without being ashamed, which is completely retarded. The savage may have ugly furniture and not carry the logo of the Big Green or Winny, but I the rifle fits, shoot it.
If your going to be walking through the woods or walking at all a lot, you might want to reconsider a heavy barrel and consider something like sporter weight.
I'm the proud owner of a 700P in 300 win mag. Seems to me that it is nearly the same as the sendero but with slightly different furniture. Yes, it's a heavy gun with a 26" bull barrel + bipod. It's long and not always a big convenience to pack around; sore shoulder from the sling, bumpin into branches etc. However, it seems to me that weight is relative to the person carrying the gun. For example, the 240B weighs twice as much (correct me if im wrong) as any standard hunting rifle and soldiers still manage to carry it on 10 mile hikes. When I bought my rifle I didn't consider having to pack it all over hell and back, but now that I have it, I'm not kicking myself because it's a heavy rifle. I tell myself that each time I carry it I get stronger, making the next time I carry it easier. Besides, nothing worth while is easy
All else aside, buy the rifle that YOU want. You'll be much happier if you get what you want. I'm not saying shop around for the best price, by all means do. In the end, if you buy a heavy barrel because you want it, and a 700SPS/sendero/savage because you want it, you'll be much happier than compromising based on what others/your wallet dictate. Give it a couple months to save, decide, and drool and the rifle you buy will seem even sweeter
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