I'd keep the 20 moa rail. I have Burris Tactical rings on two 50mm scopes and 20 moa rails. They ride low, and are easily removed and reinstalled.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/116...ings-matte-low
I like Forster dies. Their micrometer seating dies are the best value in that type of die. Reddings' are very good as well, but more expensive. For the 7-mag, use a Lee factory crimp die too. I also like the Nosler 160 grain Accubond in 7mm.
For a barrel, I would plan to invest in as high quality as you can afford. My opinion is that this is where the biggest gains in accuracy per dollar spent are found. For myself, I would skip the brake.
I would replace the factory stock with a Bell and Carlson Duramaxx. This is for stagger feed, blind magazine, long actions. It has a varmint barrel channel and is very comfortable to shoot. Also affordable and available in a variety of camo or other finishes. Love mine. Good compromise between hunting and range-friendly.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/110...03BrandPopProd
Whatever caliber you go with, buy a real go-gauge, to ensure correct headspace. Most 7-mag brass is way short at the datum line on the shoulder when new, and even once- fired brass may not be fully expanded.
Allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment. If your outside longest shot may be 400 yards, the 7-mag is not necessary. You could stick with the '06 and still have plenty of horsepower for that distance, plus keep the same bolt head, magazine, and follower. The '06 is easier to load for and shoot accurately IMHO. To take that further, I really like the .308 for those same reasons- same bolt head, VERY easy to load accurately, and even more easy to shoot accurately at that range, again with enough energy to do the job on whitetails, with the right bullet (an easy- expanding bullet like a Sierra Gameking). MUCH more pleasant to shoot than either the 7-mag, or the '06, which means you will practice more, and become more confident at longer ranges.
I went down this same path- started with the 30-06, yearned for a longer-range hunting rifle that would be super-accurate. So I got a 7- mag, and after several years of experimenting with loads and a whole lot of shoulder pounding, it occurred to me one day that maybe less really is more. Made the switch to the .308, and love it. I can and do shoot up to 100 rounds in a day at the range, at distances up to 600 yds, and actually hit what I'm aiming at at those distances, without getting beaten up in the shoulder. I never could do that with either of the other two. I know, it is not as flat-shooting as either of the others, but the difference is not that dramatic at these relatively short distances. Take some of the money you saved and buy a good laser range finder. Get a ballistic calculator app for your phone and learn to dial in your elevation corrections. Just a suggestion, food for thought...
I have never had a Savage action trued, so I can't speak for that. Mainly because like you, I don't want to part with mine for the necessary amount of time. But I'm sure that if I did, I'd probably be happy with the results. Just not in the cards for me now.
*Correction- in rereading your original post, I see that you have already replaced the factory stock with a Choate. Still, take a peek at the Duramaxx, you might like it.
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