Which rifles (new or old) have the controlled round feeding? I know there is the Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70, but what are the others? I'm interested in a bolt action .308 but I'd consider anything. Does Ruger make one? How about the new Frontier? Any opinions?

Dave Sinko

Which rifles (new or old) have the controlled round feeding? I know there is the Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70, but what are the others? I'm interested in a bolt action .308 but I'd consider anything. Does Ruger make one? How about the new Frontier? Any opinions?

Dave Sinko

I think the CZ rifles use a Mauser style extractor also.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I don't think they ever really sold well, since they're not listed in the 2009 site, but the Remington 798 was available in .308 and has a Mauser-style action.

http://www.remington.com/produ...re_rifles/model_798/

All Winchester M70's with the Pre64 style action including current production and Ruger M77's, I do believe.

Bruce

Winchester 70's both the pre-64, later Classic actions and the current production. Later Ruger 77's, the earlier sliding tang safeties do have a Mauser style extractor, but the shape of the bolt face does not allow for controlled round feeding. Current CZ's are a controlled round feed Mauser action. Kimber 84 and 8400 rifles. Sako 85's. Remington 798's are a controlled round action but the smaller caliber 799's are not. There's also a lot of Mauser actions out there, Interarms, Charles Daly, etc.

Then there's always a Ruger No. 1, it doesn;t get to be much more controlled round feed than that.

I believe controlled round feed is highly over rated. When Winchester came out with the M70 classic left hand I purchased one. While a nice rifle the controlled feed/claw extractor at least to me wasn’t significant. Maybe I’ve spent too many decades using a push feed Remington 700/40X series rifles. Much is made of short stroking the action but that is operator error. One thing I did do with the M70 was replace the claw extractor. The Winchester part was produced by the MIM process which is not good for the application

My favorite controlled feed rifle is no longer made. The commercial FN is one of my favorite choices and I've run across a few which I enjoy shooting.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I have a controlled feed Winchester 70 with the pre-64 style action in .308 caliber. I'm pleased with it. This doesn't answer your specific question but might be of interest.

Model 98 mauser. The one all the others are designed after.

I have a Savage Model 99E with the rotary magazine. Is that considered controlled round feeding? It seems to be and is the most reliable rifle I have ever used. It will flawlessly feed lead SWCs when the rifle is held upside down.

Yesterday at a restaurant I happened to see an Ed Brown catalog. Apparently his rifles are controlled round feed also, but I don't have $3500 burning a hole in my pocket.

Dave Sinko

The later non classic Winchester M-70s had "controlled round push feed" which was supposed to be the best of both worlds. I had one in a M-70 25 WSSM and really liked it. You could easily drop rounds in the chamber which was nice for quick loading or shooting off the bench, and it had controlled ejections so you could gently eject on the bench or in your hand. I liked how the rounds were always controlled in and out of the magazine and never liked the spring loaded ejector with the case mouth dragging on the chamber and bolt interior on regular push feed actions. Sadly the Winchester "controlled round push feed" action is no longer made.

As I recall, the only valid reason for controlled round feed (other than if you shoot a bolt action rifle while hanging upside down in a tree AND need more than one shot) is because of the danger of short stroking during the excitement of a dangerous game hunt.

Mauser originated the controlled round because their military rifles were going to be used by scared, conscript soldiers who had no experience with guns and were likely to short stroke the action when excited.

I recall an article by John Barsness in which he talks toungue in cheek about certain "cults" and of course that old devil, Double Loading, is mentioned. He claimed that 90 percent of the guides in Africa, Australia and Alaska use Weatherbys, Post-64 Winchesters, or Ruger 77's, usually chambered for 460, 458, or (in the Ruger) 338. The reason? Price. And availability. And, when asked about double loading, the answer was "They simply don't short-stroke the action."

I'm guessing there are other factors involved with controlled round feed that I am unaware of but I haven't found the lack of it to seriously restrict my hunting to date.

Dan R

Not

Mr. Mauser perfected the bolt rifle over 110 years ago. A few attempts have been made to make it prettier, cheaper to produce, etc., but it has not been improved upon. I doubt it ever will.

I like either the M98 or the '03 Springfield actions to build on.

As far as I know, most of the various model military Mauser bolt actions of the 1890s period including the big dog of them all, the 98 Mauser and its derivatives. Here's only a few.

Model 1903 Springfield
P '14/Model 1917 Enfield
Remington Model 30
Winchester Model 54
Winchester Model 70 (pre '64)
F/N Supreme
Interarms Mark X

I have push feed bolt action rifles but don't think as much of them as I do the neato controlled feed designs. I love to use pre-64 Winchester Model 70s, 98 Mauser sporters, or custom '03 Springfields best. They're all three as slick as a whistle!

It's just personal preference.

Yup,
Peter and Paul got it right 100+ years ago. All others thereafter have had delusions of grandeur.

Kimber.

I love my old 308 Model 70, but if I had to start over, I'd probably get a Kimber Montana in 308.


Okie John

I have a Steyr Model 1961 MCA 1/2 stock rifle, 270 win cal. that has the rotary magazine and will only chamber a round after it is first loaded into the magazine. It will chamber with the rifle upside down. btw it is for sale.

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PETER HOVIND

My Kimber .22 Hunter has a Mauser style extractor for controlled feed. It's good to have when I'm hanging upside down in a tree squirrel hunting.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II