Yes, I've already ruled the 770 out. After handling one right after a Model 70 and a few 700's... the Stevens 200 seemed better than the 770.
Actually it was the 200 that got me into this idea. But will definitely be doing more comparision shopping.
On the scopes, for me a 4x is like a luxury. I can see both arguments, the variable is more versatile, the fixed more durable.
The lack of fixed sights on this type of rifle has always baffled me. At the very least you want them as a backup, at least to my way of thinking.
I'll have to admit, I subscribe to the idea that the glass might should be a notch better than the gun. Leupold strikes me as a good way to go. But if I were convinced something lesser was durable enough, why not? Family used to bash Bushnell mercilessly when I was a kid, but no idea if the bashing was warranted. Having never actually used a scope to hunt, have never actually learned how to tell a good one from a bad one. Silly as it sounds, my preference has long been for a partridge sight that looks about like what's on a Ruger Super Blackhawk. But that goes back to the fact that I've rarely lived where a 100+ yrd. shot was a reality too.
For whatever reasons peep sights and I don't go together if the experience I had with the M1 I once had is any indication. Without some truly definite index like a partridge or similar provides... I can't tell where I'm at. Granted, for snap shooting it was the nines. But for precision, didn't work for me. Knew one gent who actually filed half his peep off to make a U on his Garand.... could not make myself do that, LOL! But if I'd have had a spare aperature... most definitely!
