As so many have already said, you get what you pay for. If you buy a better grade of Rem 700 for general use and abuse then it's in the same general class as standard Winchesters, Savages, Rugers, and such. You can pay for the 700 to be accurized, better extractor, replacement bolt handle, special stock and bedding, better barrel, and on, and on. What you will end up with is a very decent rifle at a cost comparable to what you would pay for a nicer Mauser based higher end gun. If I only had a little to spend, I'd buy the standard 700 or Win 70 and leave it unchanged. If I had more to spend, I'd buy a better rifle that wouldn't need custom work.