idahoguy,
I'm sorry I wasn't more specific about how a different rifle design might better withstand such treatment.
Because my friend did not have time to purchase a new rifle, scope, etc. and get it sighted in in time before his first hunters arrived, I gave him my Win. M70 .338 stainless classic that I used on my Brown Bear hunt, along with 40 rounds of handloads using 250 grain Swift Aframes. The rifle was sighted in for these loads and ready to go. It also had a VariX-III 2.5-8 scope on it. That was 9 years ago, I think, and he's been using it ever since in the same manner that he always has. He swears up and down that that rifle is the most reliable, dependable, best designed rifle ever made because he knows that he abuses his rifles and he is amazed that it still goes bang every time. Besides him carrying it for bear hunts, he uses it for moose, and takes it on every goat hunt that he guides since many of his clients are bow hunters. After seeing how difficult it is to arrow a billy, many of them readily use his .338 to shoot their goats. He cleans the rifle once a year, usually in December after all of his hunting is done. He claims he has never had to adjust the scope or do anything to it other than clean it up once a year. He still loads to the same handload recipe that I came up with originally and says it shoots to point of aim, usually within 1.5" at 100 yards. So, long story short, the M70 stainless seems to be capable of withstanding the same treatment as the Abolt for almost twice as long without any problems and it is still going strong.
I think BW has it right, since the biggest reason for the original failure of my friend's Abolt was the trigger group problem and failure. All of the other things that I mentioned would not really keep you from firing the rifle, they were just little things that can be annoying. The problem, as I see it, is the trigger group has a closed housing where dirt, sand, water, etc. can collect. Over time, pieces within the trigger group corrode and rust and then fail or bind up enough to prevent firing. The old M70 has an open trigger design that makes it extremely difficult to collect dirt in any part of the system and if it does, it is easily seen and can be cleaned readily. This is one reason, among others, that you have heard such an outcry on this board about the NEW MOA trigger on the SC Winchester M70's. The new trigger group is a closed system, very much like Brownings, which a lot of people see as potential for problems down the road.
I still say that for the average Joe hunter that cares for his rifle, keeps it clean, etc. and that may only hunt in inhospitable climates for 1-2 weeks in his life, that the Abolt will be just fine and will serve him well. They are very accurate rifles from my limited experience of only 2 Abolts. I just don't think it is the best rifle to have along with you if you're going to be carrying it everyday into the Alaskan bush (or similar) for years on end.
Hope this explains things and helps you out.
Test
