Folically Challenged

I see folks get all worked-up about their actions, & everyone seems to think one particularattribute is more important thanall others. It's just that no one can agree on what that oneattribute is. I hear about strong actions,and smooth actions, and reliable actions, and safe actions, and... Thus far, I've just been content if the gun went "bang" when I squeezed the trigger.

I've heardwonderful remarks about Weatherby Mark V actions, but the ones I'vetried this week felt fairly sloppy when I cycled the bolt, and the short bolt throw didn't make me all weak-kneed. I've heard good things about Rugers, but that bolt seemed especially wobbly during cycling. I've handled Savages, & they seemed sloppy/wobbly, too. I've got a Remington 700, & it seems OK: nothing special.

I suppose that in the grand scheme o' things, what the bolt feels like when it's traveling back & forthdoesn't matter nearly as much as how well the thing locks up when you put the handle down. Still, I wonder if there's something... more.

When I was growing up, my fathershot a 7x57 custom Mauser, & that's the only rifle he had. So, my notion of a bolt action rifle was that the bolt should move forward and backward like it was gliding on perfectly trued rails. The bolt should feel so effortlessly urged on that it seems as ifit's simply willed to do so by the shooter. The bolt should track laser-straight,never deviating even in the slightestinthe absolutely silent journey along it's North-South path. Yeah, well...I haven't felt anything remotely like that rifle since I left home.

I hadn't tried any other centerfires growing up, so I shouldn't have known whether it was good, bad, ugly, or indifferent. Still, when I handled that rifle, I knew that it was something special. I felt like I was working with a precision instrument.

Was that wonderful feeling due to the type ofactionthat my father's riflehad? Was it due to the specific rifle he had, that it had perhapsbeen breathed on, caressed, and lovingly fondledby weathered & wisened craftsmen? Was that just how all rifles were built in the 1920's?

I'm sure we could all argue ourselves into a big hole as to whether or not it matters. A $200-ish Stevens 200 will print tiny groups and kill animals as dead as they can possibly get. So I'm trying to avoid having thisthread go down that road.

I guess I'd just like to know, "do they build 'em like that anymore"? And if so, where would I find one?

Rambling on as usual,

FC

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mudtutl

I have a 1903 Springfield built in the 1920s that my grandfather passed down to me. His fathergave it to him when he was a teenager -gramps is 85 now. He bought a rough-cutwalnut sporter stock that he finished and checkered himself. He shot the rifle in competition, sometimes out to 1,000 yards, he says. When the war started, the rifle wentinto the closet and my gramps went off to the Pacific.He returned in one piece, but the rifle stayed in the closet for most of the next 60 some years, until he put it in my hands. That was a special day.I've shot that beauty often, hunted with it a few times, and I swear there is no sweeter feeling action in myhands.

M77man

I have a hard time believing that the bolt on the Ruger was wobbly. I have a new M77 MKII All-Weather and the bolt don't wobble at all? It all comes down to personal preferance though. My backup is a cheapo Rem 710 and I am perfectly happy. Probably gonna get either a Ruger, Remington, or Savage in 7mm-08 for my kid so me, my dad, and my kid can all hit the mountains together for a week and get in touch with the real world. I guess I'm just a happy man. [8D]

mudtutl

I now have two Ruger M77 MkIIs, and agree that the bolt is smooth, although it does feel loose compared to the Springfield. But, the Ruger action and bolt were the closest I could find to the feel of the 1903, that I could afford in a hunting rifle. You're right, of course, personal preferance is the key. Enjoy the real world and stay happy!

handloader1

The nicest bolt action I have felt at this point is the Colt Sauer. Good luck.

trailer

I just handled a Ruger All Weather the other day and must say that the bolt was sloppy when the action was opened. This was a brand new rifle and I couldn’t believe the movement of the bolt from side to side. I questioned it to the guy behind the counter and he told me all rifles were like that and pulled out a Weatherby to demon straight the same thing. Although I didn’t handle the Weatherby, I had a hard time believing him so when I got home I checked out some rifles I had and they weren’t as bad as that Ruger. I’m still in a market for a Ruger but that bolt sure is wobbly...

bd chambers

Weatherby gets my vote!

statjunk

I own a Ruger and can say it is definetly wobbly and rough. I took it to the smith to have it polished and he did the best he could but it isn't much better.

Question: Is a wobbly action more reliable than a tight fitting smooth action?

I'm asking because of the differences between an AK and an AR. The AR is tight and prone to jamming and the AK is loose and difficult to cause a jam.

Any thoughts?

Tom

trailer

I’m no gunsmith but I know what I like and the tighter action on my Sako is definitely better and I haven’t had any problems with it jamming either although they aren’t the AK & AR you’re refering to...