What features are important to you in a bolt action rifle?

[JesseL]

What kind of features are important to you in a bolt action rifle? Of course it should be accurate and reliable, but how do you feel about the myriad ways a rifle might be engineered?

Do you like controlled round feed or push feed?
Do you like a safety that locks the bolt?
Do you care how many lugs the bolt has or whether they're at the front or rear?
What kind of magazine do you like; blind, or removable?
Do you care for a hinged floorplate?
Where do you like the safety; on the bolt shroud, the tang, to the side of the action, etc.?
What style bolt handle do you prefer?
Does it matter if the rear bridge is split or solid?

Are there any other design features you care about, not listed?

It seems that good rifles have been made with every imaginable combination of features, but what seems most right to you?

 

[The Annoyed Man]

Good question. I imagine there will be as many different opinions as there are posts!

1) My first bolt rifle, a Ruger M77 MkII, had controlled round feeding, and it seems like a pretty good idea. None the less, my favorite bolt rifle, a Remington 700 VSF, doesn't, and it hasn't made a bit of difference to me so far. I guess if I were hunting dangerous big game it might matter.

2) I prefer that the bolt can be cycled while the safety is on.

3) I don't care how many lugs are on the bolt, as long as it locks up tight enough to be accurate, and as long as the action is smooth and without binding.

4) (I moved the second part of #3 to here because it belongs with the other stuff) I prefer either a removable magazine or a blind mag with a hinged floor plate. I believe that is a crucial safety feature as I think it a potential danger to only be able to unload a magazine by cycling the bolt.

5) I don't care where the safety switch is located, as long as I can reach it easily with my thumb without taking my eye off the scope or my hand off the wrist of the stock.

6) I don't have a bolt handle preference yet.

7) I would think that a solid rear bolt bridge would be necessary to a rigid, and therefore more accurate, action. If not, then I guess I don't have a preference.

 

[Hoppy590]

rugged is numer one criteria.

up to 5 rounds, fixed magazine is ok. over 5 removeable would be best ( i only specify becuase i dont see the point in 3 and 5 round removeable magazines.

i agree with the idea of hinged floor plate. and one thats easy to open. SKS style BIG latch so it can be worked with gloves on etc.

i like it on the side of the action. M1917 style.

bolt handles dont matter

split vs solid bridge, that causes a lot of problems. scope mounting, bolt handle angles etc. id say stick with solid. if just for scope mounting ability

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Do you like controlled round feed or push feed?

"Controlled round feed" is a relatively new term. I prefer the original, "Mauser-style claw extractor." And yes, that's what I prefer, or a similar modern design.

Do you like a safety that locks the bolt?

Absolutely -- I've crawled through too much brush, too many blowdowns to want a bolt handle that can be inadvertantly raised.

Do you care how many lugs the bolt has or whether they're at the front or rear?

No.

What kind of magazine do you like; blind, or removable?

The traditional style, with the feed lips machined into the receiver.

Do you care for a hinged floorplate?

I like them, but not all hinged floorplates are reliable. Give me one that will definitely, absolutely not pop open under recoil.

Where do you like the safety; on the bolt shroud, the tang, to the side of the action, etc.?

I'd really like a Winchester-style side swing on the left side of the bolt shroud.

What style bolt handle do you prefer?

Round, fairly large, with a bit of clearance behind it, and positioned so as to be easily grasped and not rap my knuckles.

Does it matter if the rear bridge is split or solid?

I wouldn't obect to a Mannlicher, with its split bridge -- any more than I'd object to a Sharps single shot. But for a general use bolt action, a split bridge makes it difficult to mount a scope.

 

[rbernie]

What Vern just said, 'cepting the insanity of a left mounted safety.

 

[skinewmexico]

Down range performance. As long as it's safe and cycles, I could care less about the rest of that.

 

[mossberg]

I don't like hinged floor plates. Removable box mag, all the way!

 

[onemsumba]

Items I like

a straight pull bolt, that is easily to disassemble for cleaning.

A removable box mag

I prefer a 3 position saftey

An open top reciever for easy access

M1 garand style claw extractor

Fixed blade ejector

just what i like....

 

[Slamfire]

Do you like controlled round feed or push feed?

Prefer controlled round

Do you like a safety that locks the bolt?

I want a safety that locks the bolt and holds the firing pin back. Since all commercial bolt actions use override triggers, I want something more than a sear blocking safety. The M70 three position safety is about the best design I have used.

Do you care how many lugs the bolt has or whether they're at the front or rear?

Two lugs is the optimum number of lugs. Three lug designs rotate less than 90 degrees which means the bolt lift is stiffer than a two lug action. I want a front locker, rear locking actions stretch cases too much.

What kind of magazine do you like; blind, or removable?

I would like a five or ten round detachable magazine.

Do you care for a hinged floorplate?

If the action is the typical four magazine, I would prefer emptying the magazine from the bottom. So, I like a hinged floorplate over no floorplate.

Where do you like the safety; on the bolt shroud, the tang, to the side of the action, etc.?

M70 safety with M98 gas protecting shroud.

What style bolt handle do you prefer?

Smooth round or pear shaped. And I want enough clearance to operate the action from the shoulder.

Does it matter if the rear bridge is split or solid?

Solid bridge.

Also, I would prefer a M98 C type inner collar with all the safety features to be found with a M98 firing pin interlock flange, side flats, and cocking piece lugs.

 

[AtticusThraxx]

A big bolt handle like the Badger Ordinance Tactical Bolt Knob. My Rem700 PSS had that little crappy knob Remington uses and boy the difference especially if you have an extended bolt handled and have it canted back a bit.

 

[Cosmoline]

I look for:

--Balance
--Reliability
--Speed of throw
--Speed to the shoulder
--Quality of iron sights
--Ease of carry
--Strength of design

Do you like controlled round feed or push feed?
As long as it works reliably, either

Do you like a safety that locks the bolt?
Yes

Do you care how many lugs the bolt has or whether they're at the front or rear?
At least two with a safety lug should be there. With a bolt they should be at or near the front, but there are exceptions

What kind of magazine do you like; blind, or removable?
Removable, but it's not all that critical with a bolt gun.

Do you care for a hinged floorplate?
Sure.

Where do you like the safety; on the bolt shroud, the tang, to the side of the action, etc.?
Tang or on the back of the bolt.

What style bolt handle do you prefer?'
Short and straight.

Does it matter if the rear bridge is split or solid?
No, but people underestimate the split bridge.

 

[USSR]

Do you like controlled round feed or push feed?

Prefer CRF, but have both.

Do you like a safety that locks the bolt?

Winchester's 3 position safety is the best.

Do you care how many lugs the bolt has or whether they're at the front or rear?

Don't care how many lugs, as long as they're at the front. Rear locking actions are tough on brass.

What kind of magazine do you like; blind, or removable?

Hinged floorplate.

Do you care for a hinged floorplate?

Yes.

Where do you like the safety; on the bolt shroud, the tang, to the side of the action, etc.?

On the bolt shroud ala Winchester.

What style bolt handle do you prefer?

Badger Tactical Bolt Knob.

Does it matter if the rear bridge is split or solid?

Solid. Split rear bridges are for sissies.

Don

 

[dmazur]

I like CRF better. (Reduced chance of failure to extract, double feed)
Winchester 3-position safety
Front locking lugs
Hinged floorplate (that can be operated easily)
On bolt shroud (Winchester) or on action beside bolt (Ruger M77 MkII)
Round knob so you can spin it in your palm
Solid rear bridge so you can easily mount a scope -- doesn't have to be same ht as front bridge

(By the way, Montana Rifle Company's 1999 action is a pretty good copy of a Winchester M70...)

 

[Vern Humphrey]

'cepting the insanity of a left mounted safety.

Where do you put your thumb when you shoot?

The old-timers, who learned on the '03 Springfield, with it's short length of pull held the right thumb on the right side of the stock -- to keep it from smacking them in the nose.

But with a properly-fitted stock, the thumb encircles the wrist of the stock. So for maximum speed and efficiency, the safety -- which you push off with your thumb -- should be where you want your thumb when you shoot.

 

[cracked butt]

Do you like controlled round feed or push feed?
Doesn't matter to me, though I'll favor a CRF if it has a fixed ejector and solely for that reason.

Do you like a safety that locks the bolt?
Yes.
Do you care how many lugs the bolt has or whether they're at the front or rear?
Number of lugs not important, Locking in the front is fairly important to me.

What kind of magazine do you like; blind, or removable?
Do you care for a hinged floorplate?
I prefer a removable magazine simply because it makes unloading and reloading much easier. I like the hinged floorplate 2nd best because it makes unloading easier.

Where do you like the safety; on the bolt shroud, the tang, to the side of the action, etc.?
Bolt shroud, I prefer that the safety locks back the striker. I have zero faith in a safety that only locks the trigger.

What style bolt handle do you prefer?

Smooth round end with no checkering or other embelishments.

Does it matter if the rear bridge is split or solid?

Yes, Prefer a solid bridge for easy scope mounting and the fact that split bridge designs have long been obsolete.

 

[LAK]

Reliable feed, extraction and ejection. And the trigger. The trigger is the element on which shootability hinges.

All else is secondary, cosmetic and subject to change