These and others like the Axis fill a space in the market. Mostly for the guy/gal starting out that can't afford 500 or 600 bucks for a "better quality used rifle" that then requires glass, maybe mounts etc. They can walk in, plunk down 400 bucks and walk out with a "feed it a round and fire" rifle that's brand new, complete with factory warranty.
Some years back when my kids hadn't started school yet, wife didn't work, was keeping my 8 year old K-Car together with duct tape all I could afford was a 130 buck H&R break action rifle with a $40 bushnell scope (that thankfully came with the rings saving me about 10 bucks at the time that I didn't have). It was either that or no moose hunting for me.
(and consider that for a moment - 30'ish years back it cost you 200 bucks for the cheapest thing on the gun rack - barely double the cost now for a bolt gun that is considerably more accurate - while most things have gone up 8 or 10 times in price since then, a starter rifle is "way behind the price curve")
Today my cheapest scope cost double what my whole hunting rig did back then, but that was the difference between hunting or not hunting. I get that not everyone can afford to drop a lot of money on a rifle and optics.
I would rather see a guy out hunting with a 783 than not hunting at all. I would rather see him buy a 783 than nothing at all because if (he) doesn't start now it's unlikely that he will "pick up the sport" in 20 or 30 years when his financial situation is better suited to him "blowing money" on a higher end rifle.
So back when if I had of listened to someone that said - don't buy that piece of junk H&R, save up for a model 70 or whatever, and I had waited, I probably wouldn't own any guns today - If I wasn't at least "minimally invested" when C-68 came in I probably wouldn't have bothered jumping through all the hoops.
So I hope I sell all six dozen Axis and 783's I picked up back in the fall and hope they are all to first time rifle owners. So when JT and the gang come along with their next great gun strategy there will be 144 more owners out there that are invested instead of 144 guys saving up their bucks for a "good used rifle" who then decide to spend the piggy bank on something else.
I wouldn't buy a 783 because I'm fortunately in a position where I can buy a little better - not necessarily "better value" because the value of these cheap rifles that can knock the wings off a butterfly at 50 yards do have "value compared to cost" (and I still find it tough to see 600 bucks "more rifle" in a 700 SPS compared to the 783) but if I was buying a Rem it would still be the 700 "because I can afford it", and because it's a "little" better built, not because it's the better value necessarily.
But I would never say never - I bought an Axis last year to use for Yotes because it was on sale and with the rebate it cost me less than 200 bucks - and I don't care if I forget it in the woods one day or run it over with my truck. It sits in the safe beside my Weatherby's and they don't call it names or try to bully it any way