I think rather than Tasco a more fair comparison in the scope market would be the Mueller line. known for performing well above the expectations of their price bracket. Made in the same factories using the same materials and technology as brand name units costing much more.
I think Tod's last post is pretty accurate - nothing on the market compares to the performance of the Stevens 200 in this price range. If you wait, you can find some very nice used rifles at twice the price, also true.
As far as the trigger goes, the stevens trigger is fine for a hunting rifle, and the accutrigger is very nice for a factory trigger. But for someone that wants a really nice trigger, they don't usually get it out of the box.
Remmy shooters either upgrade or pay for a trigger job as do many other brands. The Stevens is the same. Aftermarket triggers put it into the real high performance level, such as the SSS or rifle basix.
Add one of these triggers for $125, spend an afternoon or evening cleaning up the stock and bedding it, and you have a rifle capable of long range competition - yet you still haven't approached the price of a Tikka.
I'm not saying it's the best rifle ever built. I'm saying it's the best value out there, and I'd rather have several Stevens' than one Tikka. In fact I made that exact choice this winter.
When the Stevens first hit the market I was put off by the color of the stock, yet research showed me it was the smart investment so I bought one of the first batch. You know where the bias against the looks came from? It was the same color as a POS that Remmy was flogging.