driftrider

What does Winchester mean by "push feed" bolts in their Model 70 rifle? What makes it different and/or better than other bolt action rifles?

Mike


Gun control means putting the second bullet through the same hole as the first- Ted Nugent
NRA Member
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Ben Franklin

JagMagMan

The push feed is basically the same as Remingtons and other brands!
When Winchester replaced their "claw extractor" in '64 many people turned against Winchester. The "claw" is considered better than a "push feed", and it is in cases where dangerous game is concerned. However, I don't know why changing to the push feed design was an "unforgivable sin" on Winchester, when the Remington's never had a claw extractor!

Rem. 222

Driftrider,
The push feed bolt does what it says, it pushes the cartridge in the chamber. The controlled feed rifle bolt carries the cartridge in the chamber.
Most dangerous game hunters prefer controlled feed rifles. Supposedly they are more reliable when chambering a round. For target shooting and hunting of non dangerous game a push feed rifle is fine.

Rem. 222

eldeguello

Push feed actions are also cheaper to make than controlled-feed actions. There is nothing special about them. They are an answer to the cost of making an action, hence provide more profit to the makers.

Keep yore powder dry!!

propmahn

the push-feed actions are supposed to be stronger controlled feed designs. but that extra strength i dont think is really needed

propmahn

oldelkhunter

Eldequello hit it on the head they are cheap to make...I think the winchester has a better extractor than the remington does. CRF is the way to go on a dangerous game rifle or a battelfield rifle. I mean a Remington 700 can be immobilized by a little piece of brass stuck under the extractor.

rickt300

Well I agree sort of, the M16 is a push feed and has turned out to be a fine reliable rifle under adverse conditions. The CRF is supposed to be better because inexperienced users can't short stroke the action as easily? Mostly this CRF action bias has been created to keep custom rifle makers in business. It takes more work to get a CRF action to work smoothly than a push feed and generally push feed actions are a bit more accurate than CRF actions due to better cartridge base support. To me the only advantage a CRF action has is that I can partially open the bolt and put the chambered round back in the magazine without ejecting it. That said my favorite rifles are built on Mauser and Springfield actions. My most accurate long range rifle is built on a Model 70 push feed action. The Marines are still using Model 700 Remingtons as their sniper rifles.

boltman

The fact that the M16 is a push feed and the marines use remington 700's for sniper rifles has very little to nothing to do with their utility as hunting rifle. Snipers rarely get charged by wounded buffalo, and virtually no one hunts with a M16. M16's are designed for a high cyclic rate of fire and tend to jam quite easily. That's acceptable in a combat situation because there's always another guy within 20 feet of you whose M16 is probably working, covering your butt while you can clear the jam. The M16's ability to lay down fire quickly outweighs it's potential reliability problems in a combat situation where there are multiple combatants. The situation would be entirely different if the soldier toting that M16 was fighting alone.

eldeguello

I must disagree with the statement that "no-one hunts with an M16"!! Actually, some forms of infantry combat are the ultimate hunting experience! However, the M16 cannot be equated with a standard bolt action in which the entire action is open to the elements. The M16 is totally closed until the ejection port opens when the first round is fired!!
It is true that, under most circumstances, the push-feed type of bolt action is entirely satisfactory. But when one is in the wilds of Alaska, the Pamirs, the African bush, or some other exotic, remote place, there can be a definite advantage to a massive extractor claw that can drag an empty round out of the chamber under adverse conditions!! You don't need it until you need it, then there's no substitute for it! Why not have it to begin with??

Keep yore powder dry!!

rickt300

Well if we are beating up push feeds lets compare Remingtons with Winchester's. Triggers on both are adjustable for good pulls. Safeties, Remingtons blocks the trigger and Winchester's locks the firing pin, Bolt releases Remington's is part of the do everything trigger mechanism and winchester's has but one duty. Never have I had a failure with any of the three from a Winchester. Remington"s 700 on the other hand has offered me stuck bolt release problems, a totally untrustworthy safety and a trigger that can easily go out of adjustment especially the overtravel adjustment.
Since somehow the argument has turned into a push feed against CRF battle I submit the two are equal in reliability if fed good ammo. If you are going after anything dangerous and rely on some legendary reputation instead of proper maintenance then the joke is on you.