I'm definitely no expert... here are my thoughts:
The Savage vs Rem 700 debate will go on forever. The way I see it is this: You can get a more accurate "out of the box" rifle from Savage than you can from Remington (assuming we're talking about Rem700 vs Savage 10/110). That can save you the head-ache of upgrading. As far as aftermarket upgrades go, there is no comparison. Rem 700 wins that all around. I can only assume that you spend extra money on a Rem700 that will best the Savage. I have absolutely no data to back that up.

Last year I built the following for just a hair under $2,000
Savage 10 FCP-K in .308
Vortex Viper PST 5-24x50 FFP
low to mid grade rings
Bipod
Misc accessories and doo-dads

I'm happy with this configuration. I'm new to bolt guns, but I'm getting out on occasion and having fun. I may never outgrow this (especially according to my group sizes!).

I also have a reloading setup, but I haven't done .308 yet. That's coming this year once I shoot up all my factory ammo and assuming I can find components.

This is perfect for me because I didn't want to spend a billion dollars on a Surgeon or AI with $5,000 glass.

To each their own.