Any accuracy difference between push feed and CRF actions?

[Blueridgeguy]

I've always been a big fan of controlled round feed rifles. Getting ready to order parts for my first custom build. In talking with a very knowledgeable smith and some bench rest guys most say push feed for best accuracy and the least temperamental rifle. Their reasoning is mainly the side case pressure of the extractor. What are your guys thoughts? For info looking at a 28 Nosler on a Defiance. Thanks!

 

[Scott E Ames]

You can get controlled round feed with NO case head ejector pressure and incredible precision all with the Bighorn actions. I have 2 rifles built on them and they are incredible. The only drawback is you will need to load from the magazine. No drop one in the chamber and close the bolt on most of the controlled feed actions. Either type action will be very accurate if it is from a reputable manufacturer and built by a quality gun smith. Both of mine shoot 0.25 MOA.

 

[David Emerson]

Lol. Side pressure from the extractor? Fumes must be too strong in the bathroom. I have built many CRF actions that are drills. If there is a difference in accuracy it is in the stiffness of the action itself. I have made 17 and 14 enfields, Defiance CRF, model 70,s, springfields, shoot like crazy. Are they as accurate as a bat M? Of course not but that is a different animal. Also if you cut the extractor right it will slip over one in the chamber. I forgot to add the mausers. I built a 28 for a kid with a lilja on a dumoulin double square bridge mauser. He sent me pictures of 1/2 inch groups at 300. I think that is accurate enough for a hunting rifle.

 

[L.Sherm]

I rhink you need to ask yourself, can you shoot the difference.
More often than not its the Smith who puts it together for a hunting rifle that makes the difference.

 

[Blueridgeguy]

Thanks guys! My thinking as well. I appreciate the reassurance! Sinking a lot into a build just want to make sure I do it right.

 

[Deleted member 115654]

If you hunt "long range", why would you need CRF ? A'int like that Elk is gonna run 700 yards and gore you.

There has yet to be a documented incident of any hunter being killed because he used a pusg feed rifle.

A lot less expensive to build an accurate rifle with a floating push feed bolt head. Savage shooters know that.

 

[Rifleman97]

If you hunt "long range", why would you need CRF ? A'int like that Elk is gonna run 700 yards and gore you.

There has yet to be a documented incident of any hunter being killed because he used a pusg feed rifle.

A lot less expensive to build an accurate rifle with a floating push feed bolt head. Savage shooters know that.

Being that he's building with a custom action I don't think he's worried about the higher price.

I know that most of my guns will never be in a dangerous game situation at all. But I still like controlled feed. I don't need it, but I like them. There are certain things I like about them, like being able to push the bolt just a little forward and then pulling it back to take the round out of the gun without having to fully chamber it, but it's not necessary. If you like it you like it.

Also to answer OP, I've had 3 CRF guns, and 2 of them were tack drivers. The third was a Mauser 98 with almost no rifling left in the barrel lol, but that doesn't count

 

[HARPERC]

..........,.,Also if you cut the extractor right it will slip over one in the chamber. I forgot to add the mausers....,,

It seems what used to be common, gets largely forgotten.

I can't answer for bench rest, but in a hunting rifle, even a long range hunting rifle more than adequate accuracy can be achieved.

My safe holds a few such examples.

 

[L.Sherm]

I have some CZ 527's that are that way on my sage rat stuff, shoot them single shot with a single shot follower.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

If the question is simply revolving around raw accuracy, I would listen to the benchrest guys who actually compete in a sport where the main goal is raw accuracy.

Then decide if the application you're building the tool for fits it's pros and cons.

 

[Quintus]

If you hunt "long range", why would you need CRF ? A'int like that Elk is gonna run 700 yards and gore you.

There has yet to be a documented incident of any hunter being killed because he used a pusg feed rifle.

A lot less expensive to build an accurate rifle with a floating push feed bolt head. Savage shooters know that.

Sounds like he might like CRF actions. 'Need' never really enters into a custom hunting rifle.
That said I have 2 M70s that shoot 1/2 and 3/4 MOA stock. One of them is even on a belted case! Blasphemy!

 

[ButterBean]

I rhink you need to ask yourself, can you shoot the difference.
More often than not its the Smith who puts it together for a hunting rifle that makes the difference.

I concur

 

[Mike Matteson]

If the rifle is built right, it's hard to out shoot. I would be more concern about putting a cartridge together to push the bullet down the tube. That will cleanup a lot of problems if any. I have gotten several rifles out of the box, that with a good hand loaded cartridge put together that shot about 1/2 minutes groups at 100yds. At 300yds they were about 1". A lot of those loads were from reloading manual info only without any special case work other that resize and shot. 2 of those rifles were Rem 700 BDL in 7mm Rem. Mag. A belted cartridge to boot.

 

[iShoot17]

Excuse my ignorance on this, but it makes me wonder - with the round being supported by the bolt / chamber / etc. and the bullet not jammed into the lands, how could having a small amount of pressure on the case head make any difference?

Once ignited, the bullet still has to enter the rifling. I would think that once this happens, would any previous pressure even matter? The bullet still enters the rifling the same way. It would seem to me that the bullet to rifling fit would have to be extremely loose for something like this to ever matter (e.g. so it could bounce around in the barrel, rather than fly true through the barrel). If the bore is cut to the right size, the appropriate bullets are being used, how does something like this have any impact?

Thanks y'all! Just trying to learn!