Have an opportunity to buy one of these for about 300. Want a rifle to start elk hunting with next season in Colorado. I'd like to have a tough enough gun to take anywhere and accurate enough to shoot out to about 400. Don't think I'll be taking anything over that anytime soon, and in all reality I wouldn't take a shot over 200 now, but I want a rifle that will allow me to get there at some point. Not sure what the terrain will be like...it's a friend-of-a-friend thing. I don't know anything about this rifle except I've always been satisfied with Savage. About to do some research online but figured this would be the best place to start.

Good basic rifle; it will work just fine.

FPNI. It's a no frills rifle, that'll fill your tags and freezer. $300 a good price. I bought a 116 w/laminate stock for $550 this year and $400 for my 111 express.

I have a Savage 300WM in a116.  I think Savage makes great rifles and I'm sure the one you are looking at will work fine, but I won't buy another Savage in a magnum caliber.  Savage's stock design sucks and their rifles have more felt recoil than others with better stock design.  I'd try to shoot one first and see if the recoil is something you want to deal with.

And I'm no stranger to recoil.  We are required to use slug guns and muzzle loaders on deer around here.  Also I've shot other magnum calibers and never felt as much kick as from my Savage.

Yeah, I read that the mags wouldn't hold up after repeated use. Ended up finding a Ruger M77 in 338 win mag. Little more gun than I was looking for but I think it'll be better for me in the long run.

I have a 111 rebarreled to 35 Whellen; I find recoil to be about normal for that round. Now I do shoot heavier recoil rounds as well so that may influence my perception and the barrel is heavier than a standard 06 barrel. It does not have a detachable mag so have no experience there.