Honestly, if they would redesign the extractor and execute it better, add dual ejectors with better execution and stronger springs they would be leaps and bounds ahead. Also, if they would reprogram the cutting program for the cocking ramp and the notch at the top it could be a very smooth action.
I've gotten pretty serious about shooting matches lately, so I just put a TL3 in a Bravo, but I have been running a Savage for the last two years in Border Wars matches. Once I got everything squared away it was a reliable and smooth action. It needs a good trigger option with a redesigned sear.
Really, the only thing holding me back gun wise was the trigger and the ergonomics of the HSP stock I was shooting. The rest was trigger time and experience. My bighorn is breaking in nicely, but when it was new, the worn in Savage was smoother.
On the Savage, I had to replace the detent for the extractor and have dual ejectors installed to get it to run. I also had to tune the lengths of the dual ejectors and run a 110ba spring in the bottom one and a regular ejector spring in the top one. To smooth out the action I polished all the bolt internals, reduced the depth of the cocking notch at the top of the ramp, and set the firing pin fall to .250". I also installed a bolt lift kit. It probably has around 15,000 cycles on it between dry firing and shooting.
I was actually a little disappointed there wasn't a bigger difference between the TL3 and the worn in Savage.
I think if Savage would fix the issues with reliability and somebody came out with a decent trigger (maybe the new Jard) they would actually be decent. They are still ugly, but if I'm price shopping I'm looking for performance, not looks.
The other unknown is, How damaged is their reputation already? At the point I was at messing with mine, I'm starting to think I would have been better off to try the Jard trigger and buy a new stock. The reason I didn't is because I didn't want to keep wasting money and there aren't a lot of reviews out on the Jard. Plus I think when I burn up the Criterion prefits I have laying around in .243AI I will probably drink the Dasher Kool-aid.