The Marlin and Savage are based on quality designs with cosmetic shortcuts to save money
The Axis and Ruger are new guns designed from the ground up to be as cheap as possible. We won't know how they will hold up for a few more years. The Savage and Marlin would be the safest bet in my opinion.
Others to consider that have been around for a while are the Howa/Weatherby Vanguard rifles which can be found for $350-$400. They are rock solid. The Remington ADL's are still in the $400 range and are based on a well proven design.
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