Best Bolt Actions and designs

[fourfive8]

Win 70 crf. Superior 3 position safety and needs to have old style (pre 2006), Win 70 trigger- best ever designed for a hunting rifle.

 

[Rocco490]

Would like to handle a genuine Mauser 98 from what I have read they are fantastic. Wish CZ would have gotten new machines if needed and continued the 550 actions with a few good updates and focused on quality production with a higher price to cover it there would have been buyers. Less and less options being made off the 98 action design. Plenty of cheap to manufacture designs coming out but they don't tend to interest me.

 

[baxterb]

I have never handled an action better than a properly configured Mauser 98. Grab an FZH and work it a few times and its poetry.

 

[Doug3006]

Win 70 crf. Superior 3 position safety and needs to have old style (pre 2006), Win 70 trigger- best ever designed for a hunting rifle.

I agree that the M70 CRF is as good a hunting rifle as any made. I have owned quite a few over the years. Pre-64s, post-64 push feeds, post-64 CRFs made in New Haven and the latest version manufactured in Belgium and assembled in Portugal. IMHO the newest version is the best quality of all I have owned. The fit and finish of the 2 latest Super Grades I’ve bought is far superior to the vaunted pre-64s I’ve owned. Now about that trigger. I agree that the old version was better. However the old version too almost always needed work. I long ago started having trigger work done on my new rifles as a matter of course. With the new trigger Winchester is supplying their rifles, I just yank them and replace them with a Rifle Basix or Timney trigger.

 

[Sika98k]

It’s got to be a M98 action. I’ve owned a k98k in its original form. A bit rough but shot excellently. A Mauser made by some German gunsmith. The bolt was like a hot knife through butter, super slick.
Currently I own 3 Mauser actioned rifles, gotta love them ! Although I do recommend changing the original flag safety for a Gentry, Recknagel or similar.

 

[Joker12]

I agree that the M70 CRF is as good a hunting rifle as any made. I have owned quite a few over the years. Pre-64s, post-64 push feeds, post-64 CRFs made in New Haven and the latest version manufactured in Belgium and assembled in Portugal. IMHO the newest version is the best quality of all I have owned. The fit and finish of the 2 latest Super Grades I’ve bought is far superior to the vaunted pre-64s I’ve owned. Now about that trigger. I agree that the old version was better. However the old version too almost always needed work. I long ago started having trigger work done on my new rifles as a matter of course. With the new trigger Winchester is supplying their rifles, I just yank them and replace them with a Rifle Basix or Timney trigger.

They are very good, perhaps the best factory rifle built today. I have several pre64s and you are right as to that glorious trigger, easy to work on too. I do wish that Winchester had stayed with the one piece bolt of the older guns though.

 

[Jaegger]

I see you are stationed in germany. Should you ever come to croatia for summer holls, i will be glad to buy a drink and talk about hunting and rifles!

Hi @mark-hunter … indeed I am, & don’t be surprised IF I take you up on that fine invite! Cold drinks, maybe a cigar if my wife is not looking (!) & talking hunting & rifles would be proper evening & especially in Croatia! What a beautiful Country, a true hidden Gem in Europe! I rooted hard for Croatia in the last World Cup!

My Son-in-Law is German, his Mother has Holiday in Croatia since a Child & she took my Wife to Funtana last June. Easy 12-hrs drive via Germany - Austria - Slovenia then Croatia … definitely, will repeat that Holiday this year w/ easing COVID policies!

I’ve seen some amazing Mouflon trophy pics w/ sea cliffs & ocean as the backdrop! I believe, there is an Island you can hunt Mouflon & sheep … I have my Jagdschein/WBK + proper rifles!

 

[PerH]

Schultz&Larsen 65 and 68 .

 

[mark-hunter]

I’ve seen some amazing Mouflon trophy pics w/ sea cliffs & ocean as the backdrop!

An hour drive from my place!

 

[Jaegger]

An hour drive from my place!

@mark-hunter: OH MY … a near future PM & conservation could get real interesting! Thx.

Actions: I’m seriously looking @ Blaser SR 850/88 in .375 H&H & I’m new to straight pull designs. Earlier design/model & I’m fine w/ that: any help before the € coins drop would be greatly appreciated:

*Curious if you know meaning: 88?
* Interchangeable barrel - I know, Steel & Alloy options & cannot mix/match?
* This Straight Pull design:
Pro: more compact magazine box & smooth/quick rail action.
Con: there is always something _____?

Pic for ref. Thx!

 

[BeeMaa]

@mark-hunter: OH MY … a near future PM & conservation could get real interesting! Thx.

Actions: I’m seriously looking @ Blaser SR 850/88 in .375 H&H & I’m new to straight pull designs. Earlier design/model & I’m fine w/ that: any help before the € coins drop would be greatly appreciated:

*Curious if you know meaning: 88?
* Interchangeable barrel - I know, Steel & Alloy options & cannot mix/match?
* This Straight Pull design:
Pro: more compact magazine box & smooth/quick rail action.
Con: there is always something _____?

Pic for ref. Thx!View attachment 455712

The Blaser SR 850/88 was discontinued in the early 1990's and replaced by the R93 in 1993. I believe the SR850/88 was the first straight pull rifle for Blaser. Like any good company, they continued to make refinements and upgrades from what they learned from the original design. Meaning of "88" is possibly a reference to the year it was released.

The R93 was replaced by the R8 in 2008 and is their current straight pull offering. I know of no first hand accounts of the R93 failures, but internet rumors abound. There are many here on AH who own and continue to shoot the R93 and speak very highly of them.

There are lots of pros and cons to the straight pull action. One of the biggest for Blaser is placing the magazine on top of the trigger group making the rifle about 4" shorter than any other bolt action design with the same stock and barrel length. The biggest con is price. Finding a good used rifle is the best way to get into the Blaser game without breaking the bank.

I'd be happy to help with any other questions you have, but unfortunately my knowledge on the earlier Blaser designs isn't the best. Send a PM if you would like to discuss more.

 

[mark-hunter]

I am not expert on straight pull, tried few of them. Not used them extensively.
On the other hand @Red Leg and @One Day... and @Philip Glass may provide better answer as they use R8 frequently, and in Africa as well.

Now, on SR 830/88 I know very little, and only from my library, can say only a bit of history.
It is the last Blaser rifle designed by mr Blaser. Later blaser straight pull rifles were designed by other people in the design team. Came out in 1983, so I am not sure what 88 stands for

Horst Blaser is founder of this company in 1957. From the begging, he choosed machine supported production, not manufacturing by hand fitting rifles by gunsmith for fine guns. Strange for time, and for small workshop of the time, and even more strange for double barreled guns: He started with combination rifles, and drillings etc. (those rifles even today are handfitted in best models in famous workshops)

First machinery produced combination gun in Germany was Blaser r60. All guns were produced with best materials, and for high class market.

Horst Blaser sold the company in 1986 to Gerhard Blenk. Blenk invested more in most modern machinery of the time, and increased productions, with increse of employed higlhy skilled personnel. Vision is the same, machinery produced, high end rifles for high class, and most modern in design solutions. They started with CAD program and CNC machines, about that time.

As a base design for developping new rifle to come (r93) they used model SR 830/88, in order to develop new and better model.

Development took few years, and blaser r93 was marketed in 1993. (designed in 92)

So, what I know about SR 830/88 is that it is rifle used as a base model for next r93.
SR 830/30 was introduced by Blaser (I mean by Horst Blaser) in 1983.
He sold the company, in 1986, but remained around in his design office, but was not involved in development of r93. A russian deisgner was involved, as I will note below

R93 later made a world wide acceptance and significant global approval of straight pulls in hunting world.

History on modern Blasers:

There have been reports of serious bolt failures on earlier model r93, but r8 has improved bolt locking system, for which one of constructor team designers was Sergey V. Popikov, a russian immigrant and one of best firearm designers in the world (now retired), and had helped in design of the bolt of r93 and designed the bolt for r8. (he also designed for blaser: Blaser F3 - and excellent over under shotgun, blaser drilling D99, and designed now phased out modular turn bolt action mauser m03 as Blaser company also bought mauser company around the time.)

Buying the rifle, is rational decision, but it is also very individual. Nobody will buy "the best rifle in the world", if they dont like its appearance. If you are inclined to modern design, and you are in love in this rifle, having known a bit of its histroy then you will enjoy this rifle very much. Buy it! Dont think twice!

There are two typical ways of locking straight pull. 1) Rotational bolt head, or 2) with radial pin lockig. For blaser, radial system is typical. (again, personally I woud prefer rotational bolt head, as it is more traddional and proven in many semi auto rifles. But thats just me, and part of my irrational bias against straight pulls)

Another thing that makes new blaser different, is compact size with standard barrel lenghts, as mag is positioned above trigger.

Third, it is the mount system on the barrel. So if you change the barrels having separate scopes, you dont need to re- zero.

Down side, of course is the price. (2 x scopes swarovski, if you want), plus each barrel with the price of budget rifle.

So, with noumeorus features, modern blaser is arguably the rifle with best ergonomic solutions made for hunter, and with great pedigree of innovavtion as a brend policy.

There is a system of safety, forspanung, when safe firing pin is relaxed from tension and cannot fire accidntaly, even with round in chamber, which is arguably the best safety system today, and copied in other rifle designes.

 

[Jaegger]

@BeeMaa & @mark-hunter … I greatly appreciate your time, response & insight on this straight pull bolt action rifle. Yes, some history on the Make & Model is always welcome!

I did find the cartridge magazine design above the trigger mechanism a ‘huh’ moment. There is always a Rhyme to the Reason - I can see the more compact design having aim/handing advantages during European Drive Hunts.

There is an added bonus to owning a nicely crafted rifle with a cool backstory & abit of nostalgia - this model started a popular trend w/ the newer & improved R93 & R8. I will admit this models receiver design will not appeal to everyone with similarities to a Browning BAR & that has a Luv or Hate following.

Bonus: near excellent condition, unique stock & metal engraving, Swarovski
1.5x6x42 w/ schwenkmontage mounts. Nice pkg @ competitive price.

Just poured a stiff 3-finger quality cocktail & decisions - decisions!

Thank-you gentlemen!

 

[BeeMaa]

@BeeMaa & @mark-hunter … I greatly appreciate your time, response & insight on this straight pull bolt action rifle. Yes, some history on the Make & Model is always welcome!

I did find the cartridge magazine design above the trigger mechanism a ‘huh’ moment. There is always a Rhyme to the Reason - I can see the more compact design having aim/handing advantages during European Drive Hunts.

There is an added bonus to owning a nicely crafted rifle with a cool backstory & abit of nostalgia - this model started a popular trend w/ the newer & improved R93 & R8. I will admit this models receiver design will not appeal to everyone with similarities to a Browning BAR & that has a Luv or Hate following.

Bonus: near excellent condition, unique stock & metal engraving, Swarovski
1.5x6x42 w/ schwenkmontage mounts. Nice pkg @ competitive price.

Just poured a stiff 3-finger quality cocktail & decisions - decisions!

Thank-you gentlemen!

High quality spirits and buying high quality firearms seem to go together quite nicely. Best of luck with your decision.

BTW - We all know what the decision will be. Let us know when it shows up and how it shoots.

 

[Aaron N]

I’m sure this has been performed in the past, but does anyone have any results of a failure test by manufacturer? Someone at some point and time has had to have put a Mauser, Winchester, Remington, Blaser, CZ, Weatherby, etc side by side and upped the loads until they blew, no?

 

[Jaegger]

High quality spirits and buying high quality firearms seem to go together quite nicely. Best of luck with your decision.

BTW - We all know what the decision will be. Let us know when it shows up and how it shoots.

@BeeMaa - yea spot on & high quality spirits eases the decision on purchasing high quality firearms … in a good way!

BUSTED!

 

[Tom Leoni]

I have a genuine Mauser 98 Sporter by Cogswell & Harrison chambered for the .318 WR. After you handle a rifle like that, no other bolt action stacks up--at least in my book. That and the Steyr-Mannlicher M. 1903 (totally different design but equally awesome) are hard to beat, no matter how many thousands of dollars you put into a bolt rifle. YMMV

 

[Rocco490]

I’m sure this has been performed in the past, but does anyone have any results of a failure test by manufacturer? Someone at some point and time has had to have put a Mauser, Winchester, Remington, Blaser, CZ, Weatherby, etc side by side and upped the loads until they blew, no?

Weatherby if I remember correctly tested their mark v action and compared it to another action possibly a mauser 98 and it I believe went up to 200k psi. A very strong action for sure (I bet as long as all the 9 lugs make even contact to share load) Ultimate action strength is not what makes an action the best for me.

 

[Aaron N]

Weatherby if I remember correctly tested their mark v action and compared it to another action possibly a mauser 98 and it I believe went up to 200k psi. A very strong action for sure (I bet as long as all the 9 lugs make even contact to share load) Ultimate action strength is not what makes an action the best for me.

Sorry I got this thread mixed up with the one which was asking about which action handled gasses the best!

 

[Inline6]

It's like asking which car is better. Everyone will point out cherries and most are quick to point out failures.

The thing that most people don't understand or maybe comprehend anything can fail.

One of my Accuracy International rifle has 20k rounds on it, 200k dry fires (that's s very low estimate) would trust my life to it no questions asked. It's a push feed.

Have CRF rifles win 70 had a Dakota Arms, both are fine no problems only have a couple hundred on them. Would trust my life to them.

Have a R8, now I need to get more time behind it for sure. Not willing to bet my life on it yet needs a little more run time before I'm willing to say I trust it. So far I like the system it seems to be what respected members have claimed it to be. No reason to doubt it will perform, it's a personal thing for me.

We live in a time that engineering and manufacturing capabilities have done wonders in rifle and ammo quality.