CRF vs. Push feed - myth?

[Benelli Shooter]

I have always read that a big advantage of controlled round feed over push feed was that the CRF allowed you to cycle the bolt and feed a round at any angle. So, if you stumbled while an animal was attacking you, you could chamber the round at odd angles if you needed...

I just tried chambering a round in my push feed Remington 700 at every angle you could imagine. I didn't have any problems. The round appears to leave the magazine lips while after the tip of the cartridge enters the chamber. Therefore, the bullet never falls out and chambers sideways, upside down ect...

Is the superiority of CRF in this situation just a myth?

 

[rbernie]

No, it's not. You did a static experiment.

Now try it while moving and jostling the rifle badly. Each of my Remmie 700s will drop a round or misfeed it if I try to strip-n-feed while canting the rifle to the right and bouncing it. My 77MkIIs will not.

 

[jmr40]

The primary advantage of CRF is in getting the empty case out of the chamber reliably. The large claw grips a much larger portion of the case and the blade ejector is a much more reliable way to eject rounds.

Unless you are feeding rounds very slowly or there is something wrong with your gun it should go in just as well with a PF, even at odd angles.

Also with a CRF once you strip the round from the magazine and if you do not fully chamber the round you can pull it back out and it will eject. With PF the extractor will not grip the rim until the bolt is fully closed.

Even though the CRF has a lot of theoretical advantages I have never had a problem with PF rifles and only have 2 CRF out of 14 rifles.

 

[Gila Jorge]

No myth...I have only two rifles which are push feed, one is a Marlin 39a and the other an AR-15..all the rest are CRF...wouldn;'t have any other type...

 

[Gator]

Myth???

NO.

 

[Charles S]

No it is no myth, but it is not really necessary in the vast majority of hunting situations.

I would want CRF if I was to choose to hunt dangerous game, otherwise to me it is really not big deal.

 

[berettashotgun]

Forget a CRF rifle for dangerous game, I require a double rifle with superior backup firepower.

Never noticed a difference, except my hunting partner had a heck of a time first time out shooting a runing deer with a win 70 after spending his entire adult (59 this year) life with rem 700's.
He jammed the win up severely. Still cannot figure that out.

 

[Benelli Shooter]

To those who answered no, if both guns feed at odd angles, why is CRF superior?

 

[Art Eatman]

Benelli Shooter, rbernie already answered your question.

I've used push-feed for decades, with never any sort of problems. However, it is indeed possible for all the various horribles to occur: If you're stumbling around and the rifle isn't held fairly steady during the cycle. And if buck fever strikes during the cycling, the results could vary from funny as all get out to watch--and with DG, to tragedy.

99.99% of the time with hunting in the Lower 48, it's not a problem...

Art