I used to own one. I sold it only to put $$$ towards an M1 Garand.
Yes, the bolt is stiff. It's due to the tight lockup. Yes, it requires a small amount of force to cycle. It's supposed to be self lubricating but don't hold back from the gun oil. Whether the stock is good depends on your personal shape. I found it was fine. A few very experienced hunters said it felt incredible. The cheekpiece is good.
The greatest thing about this rifle is that it can take any beating you give it. I didn't try too hard, but neither wood nor fingernail put the slightest wear on the barrel's finish. And the stock is extremeky durable.
The bolt locks into the barrel, making it potentially very accurate. I never did too badly with it, though I didn'y get enough practice to do too well. Always obtained sufficient hunting accuracy. This gun will be more accurate than you if you're standing. I suspect you could drag it through the mud and, while it's no AK, you could probably hose it down and it would be clean as ever. If you like a detachable mag, it has that feature at a good price, and extra mags are easy to find. If you DON'T like a detachable mag, this is not the gun for you, because it cannot be loaded while the mag is inside the rifle.
Here's how I think you should decide:
It's good-
If you need only a scope
If you like a detachable mag
If you want a durable finish all over
If the stock feels ok
If the colors are ok for you
It's not for you-
If you are looking for benchrest accuracy (I've never heard of a larger than 2MOA group, no matter what ammo was used)
If you want to load it from the top
If you want open sites
If the color doesn't agree with you and you don't want to paint it
If you like the shape and feel of a competitively priced gun much better
All that said, I have nothing but good to say about Savage, except that mine in 300 RUM has always had trouble feeding from its fixed mag. I'd stay away from their package guns, though. They use cheapo scopes. Remington 710s, at least mine, use Bushnell.
