Since I stated having rifles for all various reasons I've always stuck to American made except for my Interarms Mark X in 270 Win, which is a sweet rifle that is very accurate and reliable. I don't own a Tikka yet, but I've heard lots of great things about Tikkas. I see myself as becoming more of a rifle shooter I will eventually wear out the barrel on it expecting to shoot at least 40 rounds every range trip 2 to 3 times a month. It may take 2 years, but I still worry about replacing the barrel. How easy is it to replace compared to the much customized Remington 700? josh