Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2007
- Messages
- 13,146
Yeah, I know - everyone else calls them "bolt" rifles - I call them turnbolts, since most all rifles are technically "bolt rifles" - that is, they have bolts.
Anyhow....Roughly in order:
1. Easy to Clean: Love being able to quickly pop the bolt out and clean from the rear with a straight shot through; no hassles. This advantage is possessed over leverguns, semis, and pumps. But single shot break actions have the same advantage. Having said that, turnbolts are yet easier to clean than break actions, since they can just rest in a simple bench rest on the cleaning bench, rather than having to be held in the open position by hand, or with a special rest with a tall support in the middle, to hold them in the open position.
2. Accuracy: Universally known as being the easiest/most likely to be capable of excellent accuracy, except for certain single shots. They possess this advantage over any other action type except said single shots. And as the saying goes, 'only accurate rifles are interesting.'
3. Easy to shoot from a bench: Unlike pumps, leverguns, break actions, and most semi-autos, they can shoot shot after shot without removing them from their cradles benchrest positions, saving time, economy of movement, and maximizing the chance of creating consistent shots from consistent holds. Break actions are pains in the rear end to shoot from a bench.
4. Reliability (including the very positive extraction): Hardcore reliability, going both ways (extracting/ejecting, and loading). I find reliability to be far superior to semi-autos, superior to leverguns, and even superior to single shots (chamber sticking issues). I find this to be true even with non-CRF actions. The only action that equals (but doesn't beat) the turnbolt in the reliability department (in my limited experience) is the PUMP. And even then, some say that the turnbolt is probably more reliable than a pump in extreme cold conditions, or when the action is gritty/dirty. The extraction abilities of a turnbolt in muddy/gritty conditions, or with overly hot rounds that have stuck in the chamber, is second to none. This could very well save your bacon or get you the game in the event of needing a 2nd shot.
5. Safety & Ability to hotrod for performance gains: Most turnbolt designs have very good strong lockups and a good system for holding together and diverting gases in the event of a dangerous overcharged load. You can push the envelope up to and past the SAAMI specs with most cartridges, without fear of losing your life or an extremity, provided you go slowly and watch for pressure signs as you go.
6. Beauty/"Classic-ness"/Tradition: It's just the rifles of many legends, real or imagined, espec. among African hunters. True the levergun is a much fabled and storied type as well, particularly here in America, but the turnbolt is not far behind. And few things better looking than a good wood & blued turnbolt (but this could be the chicken & egg thing - I think they're beautiful because I like their utility - which came first?).
What did I leave out?
In addition to the above 6 aspects, two areas where the turnbolt is not superior but is more or less equal (for all practical purposes), are capacity and speed. Capacity: More than single shots, roughly equal to levers and pumps, and equal or inferior to semi-autos. Speed: Superior to single shots, Almost as fast as a leverguns (esp. short 60 deg throws like Brownings, and esp. with short action cartridges), only slightly inferior to pumps, and inferior to semi-autos. The advantages above are far more important than these small disadvantages.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good semi-auto, pump, lever, or single shot as much as the next guy, but the best/most reliable - the one I'd reach for in a 1-gun only scenario - would be a turnbolt.
What can I say- I love turnbolts. That's why I have more of them than any other types, even though I have examples of all action types except for pump, at the moment. Oh, and when I say turnbolt, that INCLUDES straight-bolts like the Scmidt-Rubin, Steyr 95, etc. - after all, the bolt DOES turn, albeit with a straight pull, mechanically transformed into a turning motion.
YMMV.
Anyhow....Roughly in order:
1. Easy to Clean: Love being able to quickly pop the bolt out and clean from the rear with a straight shot through; no hassles. This advantage is possessed over leverguns, semis, and pumps. But single shot break actions have the same advantage. Having said that, turnbolts are yet easier to clean than break actions, since they can just rest in a simple bench rest on the cleaning bench, rather than having to be held in the open position by hand, or with a special rest with a tall support in the middle, to hold them in the open position.
2. Accuracy: Universally known as being the easiest/most likely to be capable of excellent accuracy, except for certain single shots. They possess this advantage over any other action type except said single shots. And as the saying goes, 'only accurate rifles are interesting.'
3. Easy to shoot from a bench: Unlike pumps, leverguns, break actions, and most semi-autos, they can shoot shot after shot without removing them from their cradles benchrest positions, saving time, economy of movement, and maximizing the chance of creating consistent shots from consistent holds. Break actions are pains in the rear end to shoot from a bench.
4. Reliability (including the very positive extraction): Hardcore reliability, going both ways (extracting/ejecting, and loading). I find reliability to be far superior to semi-autos, superior to leverguns, and even superior to single shots (chamber sticking issues). I find this to be true even with non-CRF actions. The only action that equals (but doesn't beat) the turnbolt in the reliability department (in my limited experience) is the PUMP. And even then, some say that the turnbolt is probably more reliable than a pump in extreme cold conditions, or when the action is gritty/dirty. The extraction abilities of a turnbolt in muddy/gritty conditions, or with overly hot rounds that have stuck in the chamber, is second to none. This could very well save your bacon or get you the game in the event of needing a 2nd shot.
5. Safety & Ability to hotrod for performance gains: Most turnbolt designs have very good strong lockups and a good system for holding together and diverting gases in the event of a dangerous overcharged load. You can push the envelope up to and past the SAAMI specs with most cartridges, without fear of losing your life or an extremity, provided you go slowly and watch for pressure signs as you go.
6. Beauty/"Classic-ness"/Tradition: It's just the rifles of many legends, real or imagined, espec. among African hunters. True the levergun is a much fabled and storied type as well, particularly here in America, but the turnbolt is not far behind. And few things better looking than a good wood & blued turnbolt (but this could be the chicken & egg thing - I think they're beautiful because I like their utility - which came first?).
What did I leave out?
In addition to the above 6 aspects, two areas where the turnbolt is not superior but is more or less equal (for all practical purposes), are capacity and speed. Capacity: More than single shots, roughly equal to levers and pumps, and equal or inferior to semi-autos. Speed: Superior to single shots, Almost as fast as a leverguns (esp. short 60 deg throws like Brownings, and esp. with short action cartridges), only slightly inferior to pumps, and inferior to semi-autos. The advantages above are far more important than these small disadvantages.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good semi-auto, pump, lever, or single shot as much as the next guy, but the best/most reliable - the one I'd reach for in a 1-gun only scenario - would be a turnbolt.
What can I say- I love turnbolts. That's why I have more of them than any other types, even though I have examples of all action types except for pump, at the moment. Oh, and when I say turnbolt, that INCLUDES straight-bolts like the Scmidt-Rubin, Steyr 95, etc. - after all, the bolt DOES turn, albeit with a straight pull, mechanically transformed into a turning motion.
YMMV.
