Any of the Savage rifles would work just fine to put some holes in a target at 100 yards. When you get good at that, then you can start to reach out farther. One thing to consider is recoil. I love shooting my 30-06 because it has such a cool attitude. My .270 has a bit sharper recoil, and since my shoulder is going to turn 65 in a few months, it is going to become a .308. Main thing is just get one and carry it to the range and shoot the crap out of it. I've only been shooting Savage centerfire for a couple of years, and every time I go to the range I learn something new from the rifle and my fellow shooters. No matter which Savage you get first, you will not regret it.