Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Preferred Action?

I've really enjoyed packing my Borden over the past couple of seasons.

I would build on another!

Stiller was a good one I had, shot 1/4" at 200 yds...a 6BR
Alpines, all been great.
I would also consider Defiance strongly and Pierce.

My last three rifles have been built on Defiance actions. Really like the action but one down fall at least when I use Swarovski scopes is that I have to go to medium Talley's so I have enough clearance so the bolt will clear the scope. Don't have these issues on the 700 actions.

you don't need CRF if its a big game rifle, is that deer going to run you over and kill you?? building on a mauser is not very smart IMO they are almost always tired and worn out. The bolts have tons of slop in them and often things are ground off or otherwise monkeyed with. To build a rifle off one where there is a high level of accuracy expected is foolish. If better than factory accuracy is desired a mauser makes no sense, just buy a factory rifle there are plenty that are MOA or less.

I say YES do use one of the many remington clones, further I also say get one with a pic rail and recoil lug built in, defiance deviant or bat pic action, You get insane bomb proof scope mounting and an action that is insanely stiffer. so what if the action is 4oz heavier after the savings in scope base weight. you get an action to be proud of not a gunsmith hacked "trued" remington or mauser.

This build would be big game build, moose, elk, deer, hogs, black bear. Nothing seriously dangerous like brown bear or African game. Thanks the Borden Alpine looks like the action I want if I'm going to build a LR gun for sure!! Think I may go back to a Ruger or Winchester action for a general purpose build?

I like Howa's more than anything else.


Travis

BAT.......

Either of those will be fine.

I've never passed up a shot on an animal that I would have taken if my rifle had been built on a Remington clone action instead of a factory action.

I.E. all this mental masturbation over gear selection doesn't really matter in the field. The small amount of precision you may or may not gain with the custom action will be lost in about a thousand other variables that carry more weight.

One may argue that CRF really isn't needed in a deer rifle, but that's not all there is to that by any means.
The classic CRF actions have some really desirable features besides the fact that they are CRF.
For one, you usually have the famous non rotating mauser "claw" for an extractor. Over my 56 yrs. of reloading ammo, I've managed, with a really hot load, to blow a primer out of the case on two occasions. Both times it happend with rifles that used this extractor. Both allowed me to open the bolt and extract the case. No hammering the bolt, etc. Try that sometime with a hook or Remington style extractor.
I really like the fixed blade ejector as well. Never saw one fail. I've had a few brass shavings jam Remington's design.
I really like open style triggers that can be easily cleaned and don't tend to collect debris. The older pre-64 Winchester system is my idea of a proper hunting rifle trigger. Remingtons, however, collect debris thanks to the safety lever location.
And I much appreciate the Winchester M70 safety. Ruger's not as much. But the Ruger can be slicked up enough to make them work w/o much effort.
I like one piece bolts or at least the collar system used on the current M70's.
I might add that some or many of these features can be found on actions which are push feed designs. The Winchester push feed M70's have the safety and trigger of the pre-64's. The tang safety rugers have the mauser claw extractor as well as a one piece bolt. And an open, fully adjustable trigger design. My L579 Sako has a fixed blade extractor as well as a one piece bolt.
While we are on the subject, don't let anyone tell you a custom mauser won't shoot well under 1 MOA with a sporter weight barrel. I've got a group with eight rds. into .8 MOA and six of those were .6 MOA from mine. Does that all the time with a couple of loads. Even the so called less than really accurate Nosler Partition shoots under MOA. E

I prefer a handsome hunting rifle with CRF and a three position wing safety that controls the firing pin. The BAT action shown above is not what I like.

Here is what I prefer. This rifle has a pre-64 M70 action with an aftermarket bbl. in 300 WM. Last Monday it put the first two shots from a cold bbl. into 2" at 200 yds right on. Then the next two into a single hole 1.5" higher with a grain more powder.

I have used Remington, Ruger, Sako and I am about to use a Tikka action for a build.

I would probably pick the Sako as my favorite followed closely by the Remington. I agree with John on the feeding issue's. I have a Wyatt box on my Remington 223 AI and it is a pain the in ass to load.

Borden Alpine

^^this^^

Plus:

I like the easy to disassemble bolts of the various CRF actions and the M70 push feed for inspection and cleaning. I had a Remington misfire on a cold weather deer hunt due to moisture / ice in there. Yes, it was just a deer hunt, but it was a deer hunt in grizzly country. The day before taking the deer that took four tries to make the rifle fire I'd skirted around an elk calf kill very carefully with the rifle at, I thought at the ready, just in case the bear still thought I was too close to his plate. If the bear had been around and cranky, I doubt that it would have waited for those four tries to make the Remington fire.

Where you hunt can be as important as what you hunt in rifle choices.

Mauser actions aren't 'born' tired, some just get shot there. On the other hand, many factory remington 700 actions are abortions from day one. I'd be Leary of taking one 'stock' for any build, if made post '91. It's probably why there are so many custom clones available. I don't discriminate, but prefer CRF Winchesters or commercial mausers for most stuff, though push feeds can usually go lighter.

Are you saying that a CRF won't freeze up?

No, just that their design makes it less likely and that their easy, quick, and tool free to disassemble bolts make it easier to prevent.

Yup, that's a byproduct of having a 1/4 inch of play between the bolt and receiver raceway.

aalf, why BAT over other Rem clones?

I realize BAT makes very good actions, just wondered if there was something special about them.

Beats a 1/4" of play between 700 lugs and their recesses, when locked.

Bat is my favorite action for 1K BR shooting, so the favoritism carries over to the hunting side. When I decided to build my ultimate coyote rifle, I bought the above action for the foundation. Nothing special per se, just my choice.