Why Aren't Pump Action Rifles Popular?

[Skylerbone]

Misconceptions may be precisely that but they do answer the OP's question nicely. Setting those aside, personal preference and experience seem popular answers as well and whether some prefer to believe one shot hunters are liars or the stuff of mythology I file myself squarely into that category. We don't all live on the open plain or shoot over valleys to the next ridge. Not everyone stalks cornfields or dense hardwoods so having a preference for another action seems both expected and reasonable even if the original rationale is flawed.

I consider myself a good shot but at the average distance required to fill a tag the accuracy needs aren't the most stringent. Having a few more options in regards to manufacturer might also help the cause.

 

[Haxby]

One of the reasons that pumps have not been popular is that, since the beginning of gunwriting, gunwriters have been preaching that only bolt actions are cool and accurate. It used to be that they had to have nice walnut stocks, too.

Would a pump 300 blackout or 10mm sell? No way. Who'd buy it? Not the old-school guys. Not the tacticool guys. They'd sell about three nationwide.

Then again, I thought the same thing about those ridiculous 410 revolver rifle rifles, so who knows.

 

[BBDartCA]

The comment that pumps are everything that a semi auto is without any of the benefits of a semi auto are strange. Rem 742 / 740 can be a real temperamental PITA for what ammo it likes to eat. Fail to feed and FTF are not uncommon. All my 760's feed without any problems, and I always neck size my handloads (an alleged no-no with pumps). Want a trouble free auto - spend the big bucks on a BAR or be a real man and hunt with a Garand. I'm no Annie Oakley, but friends who shoot my pumps all comment they are just as accurate as their higher dollar single shot T/Cs or bolt actions. Get into a zombie battle or a heard of dangerous game charging at you, I'll take my pump over a bolt or Remington 7400 JambMaster any day.

 

[T.R.]

I love my Remington 243!

TR

 

[eastbank]

i own and shoot four rem pumps, one 760 in 3006,three 7600,s in 260,280 and a 3006 carbine. here is the worst shooting one,my 7600 carbine with the target shot last week. four shots at 150yds from a bench, it had a 2x7 leupold on it ,but i just put a 1.5x5 leupold on it and had to resight it in for mondays opening day.. the load is 57grs imr 4350 and a 165gr nosler ballistic tip for a honest 2700fps. it will not win many rifle matches,but its damn deadly on deer in the mountins of pa. eastbank.

 

[Elkins45]

In the case of the Remington 7600 this is fundamentally incorrect.

The slide and action bars hang from a stub prodruding from the reciever below and never touches the bbl at all.

The bbl on a Remington pump is free floated enough to not only slide a dollar bill between it and the forend but an entire catalog too




This single and critical difference is why rem autoloaders shoot like crap and 7600's shoot as good or better than 700's

I find it eternally amusing that folks with no experience will bash pumps based purely on false assumptions while at the same time talk up the mythological virtues of the straight pull bolt action. Even though they're THE SAME action just operated w a different arm
posted via tapatalk using android.

Thanks for that explanation. I had copied this from another post

Far more accurate then the Remington autos and far more reliable.

and was going to ask why the autos would be less accurate than the pumps, but now you've explained it for me.

 

[pumpgun]

i am a big fan of the remington pumps. i have every centerfire model ever made. i also agree that the triggers, especially on the 7600's need work. but i had my 35 whelen carbine 7600 trigger re-worked by ASI and it is the most accurate rifle i own. 1 MOA at 100 yards and one hole at 50. i had my 7615P trigger lightened and it is delightful. i wish they made the same gun in 243.

 

[BBDartCA]

Lets keep all this negative talk about Remington pumps going so I can still pick up great examples for low prices.

 

[nipprdog]

I've only shot it at 50yds with the ghost ring sights. The ghost ring sight is a little large, about the same as the large ring on a dual AR sight. So it's not the best for tight groups with my eyes. My best 5 shot group was about 1 1/2".

Haven't had a chance to slap a scope on it to see what it can do. Tried it once with an old scope, but it didn't work out since the scope puked.

I hope to get it out to the range next week with a different scope.

I finaly got to try it with a scope. Got it close to zero, and then shot these two 3rd groups using Black hills 69gr match;



Then, I removed the scope.

 

[KevininPa]

Sweet! I've got to get a scope for mine. Just got some 20 rounders from Brownells that I have to test run yet. I got mine in trade so I didn't get the rail with it. Have to search for that as well.

 

[T.R.]

Its abusrb to state that Remington 760 and 7600 rifles are inaccurate. These rifles have proven their worth as hunting tools for several decades. Triggers are slightly spongy but very easy to master with a little practice.

My long rangle antelope and mule deer rifle (.243) is shown below. Many animals have been toppled in excess of 300 yards. If it were inaccurate, I'd have traded it long ago.

TR

 

[cleardiddion]

I'd love to have a pump action rifle due to the fact that (with the exception of my love for my M1) I'm in the crowd that believes semi-autos are a passing fad

I've only gotten to handle them but I do rather like the feel, except for the LOP on most models (which could be easily fixed). The thing that kills the deal, as mentioned before, is the price. Not too many people seem to own pump actions up here and those that do are reluctant to give them up for the used market. But, if one came along at the right price in a caliber I'm happy with I'd be more than likely to pick it up.

 

[T.R.]

This local shop has four used Remington pumps for sale:

Musser's Outdoors
438 N. Reading Rd.
Ephrata, PA 17522

717 738 4800​

owner: Jamie Musser

open: Tues - Sat

Hoping this is helpful.

TR

 

[Ranger30-06]

Sweet! I've got to get a scope for mine. Just got some 20 rounders from Brownells that I have to test run yet. I got mine in trade so I didn't get the rail with it. Have to search for that as well.

I'm 99% sure that a 20ga Remington 870 rail fits the holes already drilled. As far as I know all of the pump rifles take 20 gauge 870 accessories except for the forend.

 

[nipprdog]

Originally Posted by KevininPaI got mine in trade so I didn't get the rail with it. Have to search for that as well.

http://www.weaveroptics.com/rings_bases/bases/multi-slot_base/

It's not the one I have, but less expensive than some others that I've seen. I would check with them to make sure it fits the 7615.

 

[leeroy71]

I have a Rem 760 30.06 that my dad bought new in '79. LOVE it. At one time I had two, BDL and ADL, both 30.06. Mine only seems mildly unpleasent to shoot when I use 180gr slugs. 150's or lighter are not bad at all.

It seems, IMO, that the AR fellas do not like anything but semi autos. The bolt guys think they have the accuracy market cornered. Lever guys (like me)
are a little loony. And the sliders are a lonely bunch who keep piling up the deer steaks.

Most of my shotguns are pumps, so my 760 is second nature.

Most tacticool folks around hear recommend a pump shotgun when recommending shotguns. So.... why not a pump rifle?

 

[KevininPa]

Ranger30-06 and nipprdog

I know that a lot of the 20g accessories fit and can imagine the rail in the link should work. Can't see Remington retooling at extra cost. Already put a Choate adjustable stock on. The kind with the spacers. This way my wife can trade it back and forth. I don't even put the spacers back in for me. The slightly shorter length doesn't bother me.

 

[Ranger30-06]

I know that a lot of the 20g accessories fit and can imagine the rail in the link should work. Can't see Remington retooling at extra cost. Already put a Choate adjustable stock on. The kind with the spacers. This way my wife can trade it back and forth. I don't even put the spacers back in for me. The slightly shorter length doesn't bother me.

Does Knoxx make their recoil suppressing stock for 20 ga 870's? Because that would be awesome on a 30-06 pump rifle...

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

Nobody has mentioned that Browning had made a pump action rifle. The BPR looks much like a BAR. It has quirky way of working the action too. I have one in .308 Win. Never fired, it is a safe queen.

 

[T Bran]

Love my 760 in 30/06 and yes I have several semi's and bolt guns. When I'm serious about gettin some meat the 760 goes with me to the woods. If I'm small game hunting my Rossi pump 22 is in hand just something about a pump. My little Rossi will shoot circles arround my 10/22 but to be fair it gets shot a lot more.
T

 

[Ranger30-06]

Nobody has mentioned that Browning had made a pump action rifle. The BPR looks much like a BAR. It has quirky way of working the action too. I have one in .308 Win. Never fired, it is a safe queen.

Yes, but Browning felt the need to restrict all of their guns to 5 or less rounds with that magazine cap thing, which doesn't make it practical for plinking or defense because no one can make larger magazines for them. If they took the cap off and made some larger mags, it would shoot circles around the 7600 family!

 

[Zeke/PA]

When I had an FFL and did a lot of rifle work, the Remington 760's were popular here in PA.
An "out of the box" 760 with merely a 4X Weaver scope and factory ammo shot FANTASTIC , and I'm talking 1&1/4 to 1&1/2 groups at 100 yds.
I still do work on a few friends 760's but I guess many hunters are falling prey to the "Super Duper, Humpty Dumpty, Mumbo Jumbo" Magnum craze.