I have two of the Savage rifles. Have had quite a few other muzzleloaders also. Hands down the Savage is a better rifle for hunting than any of the others. You can shoot much cheaper with smokeless loads than any black powder loads or Pyrodex or 777. On the other hand you can also use those powders in absolute safety and with good accuracy. The best part with the smokeless loads other than the cheaper shooting is the fact you don't have to clean the gun immediately after shooting..or between shots as with the other powders. As far as the price I think you can get much better prices than youquoted on the previous post. Check this link.
http://randywakeman.com/ If you want a good price on a Savage...email me for a link to good prices.