Push Feed Phobia
The SINGLE BIGGEST controversy of all time among hunters of dangerous game in the international shikar community is this : Is a push feed bolt rifle less reliable than a control round feed bolt rifle ? There are 2 schools of thought , regarding this subject. 1 school of thought is vehemently opposed to using push feed action rifles for the shikar of dangerous game. The other school of thought believes that push feed action rifles are equally as reliable as control round feed action rifles .
This hotly debated topic was 1st born in 1958 When Birmingham Small Arms replaced their .458 Winchester magnum calibre control round feed “ Monarch “ model with the .458 Winchester magnum calibre push feed “ Majestic “ model . For the novice , a quick and very basic definition of a push feed action and control round feed action is requisite.
A push feed action is 1 which uses a recessed bolt face and a “ plunger” type spring ejector to get the expended cartridge case out of the receiver . The most commonly recognized push feed action rifle in the world , is without a doubt ... the Remington Model 700 .
Below , is a photograph taken from the internet of the bolt face of a push feed action rifle.
A control round feed action is 1 which uses a long non rotating extracting claw , to get the expended cartridge case out of the receiver . The most commonly recognized control round feed action rifle in the world , is without doubt ... the Mauser 98 .
Below , is a photograph taken from the internet of the bolt face of a control round feed action .
Conventional wisdom dictates that the long extracting claw of a control round feed action makes for much more reliable extraction of expended cartridge cases , than the “ plunger “ type spring ejector of a push feed action . Critics of the push feed design allege that the design may experience issues with extracting expended cartridge cases if the operator “ short strokes “ the bolt . Other critics allege that the push feed action will not be reliably able to extract the expended cartridge cases if cycled UP SIDE DOWN . When your adversary happens to be dangerous game ... you want as much reliability as you can get . By contrast , these critics allege that the control round feed action is practically “ fool proof “ . The long non rotating extraction claw gives the operator extra insurance for extracting the expended cartridge case from the receiver , thus making the control round feed action the infinitely superior design for the shikar of dangerous game .
Proponents of the push feed action allege that ANY rifle action ( be it push feed , control round feed , lever action , fall block or double barreled ) is vulnerable to jamming if not properly taken care of . They also argue that a skilled operator who has enough experience not to “ short stroke “ the bolt of his rifle will have no problems hunting dangerous game , ever . They then go on to argue that no sensible hunter of dangerous game should ever put himself in a situation where he may need to cycle the action of his bolt rifle UP SIDE DOWN in the 1st place .
Below , is a photograph kindly provided to me by good , old Kawshik of 1 of his American clients who managed to dispatch a large male forest panther , with a single 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft point cartridge , fired from his 7 mm Remington magnum calibre Remington Model 700 push feed action bolt rifle .
I have done some research on this topic by reading multiple books on the subject , as well as articles on the internet . My research has led to the the conclusion that the very 1st proponent for the use of push feed action rifles for dangerous game used to be an American gentleman named John Bushmiller. This gentleman was an extremely skilled gun smith who personally shot 164 African elephants , for the game department in Tanganyika , Africa from 1955 to 1962 . What is even more remarkable is that he managed to lay low all of these elephants with rifles and cartridges of his OWN DESIGN ( I believe that the appropriate word , is “ Wild Cat “ ) . Initially , he would build all of his rifles on the French Brevex magnum Mauser 98 style ( control round feed ) action . He eventually discarded these rifles , and built new rifles on Weatherby Mark 5 ( push feed ) actions , which served him well. Mr. Bushmiller’s rationalization was that the traditional control round feed actions available at the time did not have enough clearance in the receiver to allow for a loose cartridge to simply be dropped right into the breech of the rifle . The only way an original Mauser 98 action rifle or French Brevex magnum Mauser action could feed a cartridge properly , was if the cartridge was fed up in to the breech via the rifle’s magazine .
By contrast , a push feed action ( such as the Weatherby Mark 5 action ) could allow a single loose cartridge to be simply dropped into the breech of the rifle’s receiver .
This feature could potentially prove useful , in a life or death situation where the operator has a bolt rifle with an empty magazine and quickly needs to load in a loose cartridge , to shoot a charging dangerous game animal.
Attempting to “ snap” the extractor over the rim of a cartridge ( which the operator is attempting to directly feed in to the breech of the rifle ) can actually break the ejector of the rifle . I am not merely saying that the ejector CAN break , in theory . No , I have actually seen it happen in 1966. It happened to an American client’s 9.3 x62mm Mauser calibre Mauser 98 action sporting rifle in Uttarakhand . The gentleman had booked a shikar for a royal Bengal tiger with Allwyn Cooper Limited and even though he had a fully loaded magazine filled with 286 grain German RWS soft point cartridges ... he decided that he could force the extractor over 1 extra cartridges , because “ More ammo never hurt anybody “ . Unfortunately , this gentleman ended up breaking the ejector of his beautiful Mauser 98 action bolt rifle . If this was not bad enough on it’s own , then let this sink in for a moment ...
The rifle was a pre World War 2 piece . The client had to return to America empty handed , having only been able to shoot 15 water fowl ( of assorted species ) and a 4 horned buck with his 12 Bore Fabrique Nationale Browning A 5 semi automatic shot gun .
There actually IS a way to make the original Mauser 98 action bolt rifles capable of chambering a single loose cartridge directly being dropped into the rifle’s breech .
The rifle should be taken to a VERY COMPETENT gun smith , who is capable of beveling the extractor . This allows the extractor of an original Mauser 98 action bolt rifle to be capable of snapping over the rim of a cartridge directly being loaded in to the breech of the rifle . However , I must stress the words “ VERY COMPETENT “ repeatedly . The margin of error for performing such an arduous gun smithing task is nil. If even the slightest error is made , then all of a sudden ... you have a big stick in your hands which will serve you little better than a bludgeon .Only entrust this sort of work to a gun smith who is very well reputed and/or happens to be 1 whose standard of work you are quite familiar with.
So , which action is better for the shikar of dangerous game ?Is it the control round feed action or the push feed action ? Is the push feed action really as unreliable for the shikar of dangerous game , as it’s critics will have you believe ? Let me assess this hotly debated topic now , based on my personal experience.
It must be remembered that I used to be a professional shikaree for Allwyn Cooper Limited in Nagpur , India for 10 years , from 1961 to 1970 . It goes without saying that the 1960s era was the era of the push feed action . After the 2nd World War ended in 1945 , the original Mauser factory in Germany was no longer making Mauser 98 actions . Magnum length Mauser 98 actions were practically impossible to find after the 2nd World War and the only standard length Mauser 98 actions available on the market were invariably salvaged military surplus Mauser 98 actions .
In order to chamber magnum length cartridges such as the venerable .375 Holland & Holland magnum ... these standard length Mauser 98 military surplus actions had to be opened up quite a bit , and then re hardened ( a controversial procedure ... Nevertheless , I have not heard of any misfortunes caused by doing so . )
In 1958 , Birmingham Small Arms replaced their control round feed line of bolt rifles ( the "Monarch" series ) with their push feed line of bolt rifles ( the " Majestic " series ) .
In the same year of 1958 , Mr. Roy Weatherby began to use his Mark 5 push feed action design , to build his bolt rifles .
At the same time of 1958 , Colt began to manufacture their “ Sauer “ line of push feed action bolt rifles.
After 1960 , Steyr Mannlicher replaced their classic Mannlicher Schoenaur rotary magazine control round feed bolt rifles with a push feed variant , which used a plastic magazine .
In 1962 , Remington introduced their Model 700 line of push feed action bolt rifles .
In the same year of 1962 , Schultz & Larsen introduced their line of push feed action bolt rifles
In 1964 , Winchester altered the design of their original control round feed action Winchester Model 70 and turned it in to a push feed action .
In the same year of 1964 , Fabrique Nationale / Browning replaced their control round feed Mauser / Safari Hi Power bolt rifles with a push feed design .
In 1966 , Mauser began to produce their Model 66 line of push feed action bolt rifles .
I have personally had all of my international clients , at 1 time or other bring each of these rifles to India for shikar between 1961 to 1970 and therefore I do believe that my experience with push feed action bolt rifles is fair .
Let us attempt to analyze for a moment why so many push feed action bolt rifles were being manufactured in the 1960s ... and also why so many well known manufacturers , such as Winchester and Fabrique Nationale / Browning were altering their wares from control round feed action designs to push feed designs .
Back in those days , the manufacturers would have you believe that the push feed action is actually superior to the control round feed action . While there may be a grain of truth to this ( in the sense that the push feed action had a few perceived “ advantages “ over control round feed actions at the time ) , the real reason is that the manufacturers simply wanted to reduce manufacturing costs and the push feed action was more economic to manufacture than a control round feed action.
During my career I actually HAVE seen quite a few push feed action bolt rifles experience extraction failures in the field . I have seen post 64 Winchester Model 70 bolt rifles experience extraction problems ( 2 of which were chambered for the .458 Winchester magnum calibre ) . I have seen Remington Model 700 bolt rifles experience extraction problems ( admittedly , only in the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre ) . I have seen Weatherby Mark 5 bolt rifles experience extraction problems ( Mostly in , but not limited to the .460 Weatherby magnum calibre . )I have seen Birmingham Small Arms Majestic bolt rifles experience extraction problems ( admittedly , only in the .458 Winchester magnum calibre . )
I have seen Steyr Mannlicher push feed action bolt rifles experience extraction problems ( especially in the .458 Winchester magnum calibre . )
I have seen Fabrique Nationale / Browning Safari Hi Power push feed action bolt rifles experience extraction problems in the field ( especially in the .375 Holland & Holland magnum and .458 Winchester magnum calibres ).
These occurrences would have you believe that the push feed action is inherently unreliable for hunting any game which can potentially hunt you back . However , this would be a very generic statement , which is undeservedly critical of the push feed action design. While extraction issues CAN , HAVE and DO occur with push feed action bolt rifles ... The truth is that these occurrences happen A LOT less than critics of the push feed action design will have you think . And they occur under a very specific set of circumstances.
1stly , ALL of the above mentioned push feed action bolt rifles which experienced extraction issues , worked in " apple pie order "once again after being taken to the shikar camp and given a good cleaning .
Make no mistake about it . When kept very clean , these push feed action bolt rifles were extremely reliable and did not fail to extract an expended cartridge case . I have personally cleaned countless rifles belonging to my clients at the shikar camp every evening after a successful shikar. Therefore , I have been able to identify the reason why all of the aforementioned push feed action rifles had experienced extraction problems .
The extractors of these push feed action bolt rifles would often give out , due to dust and dirt accumulating unseen under them . A thorough cleaning and taking proper care to ensure that no foreign particles got in under the extractors almost guaranteed you a flawlessly functioning rifle.
( An interesting side note : I have never ever seen a Colt Sauer push feed action bolt rifle experience any extraction problems . I have never ever seen a Mauser Model 66 push feed action bolt rifle ever experience any extraction problems. Nor have I ever seen any Schultz & Larsen push feed action bolt rifles experience any extraction problems . )
A more in depth understanding is required to understand the difference between a control round feed action rifle and a push feed action rifle .
A control round feed action rifle has a non rotating extraction claw .This extraction claw grabs on to the rim of the cartridge and guides it into the chamber. Where ever that bolt goes , the cartridge goes.
In a push feed action , the bolt does not have complete control of the cartridge and merely “ pushes “ it into the chamber .
A little known fact ( except among those operators who actually use push feed action rifles ) is that the push feed bolt has an extraction claw too. However , instead of being a stationary piece in the receiver part , it is a small spring loaded piece on the bolt face , itself. Such an extraction claw is far smaller than the one on the control round feed action rifle variety.
Let us discuss a strength of the control round feed action rifle , shall we ?
That large non rotating extraction claw is an added insurance to remove empty cartridge cases in almost any scenario . Why is this an advantage ? We will get to that momentarily.
Let us discuss a perceived “ weakness “ of the control round feed action rifle .
The traditional Mauser rifles ( the definitive control round feed ) of my time were designed to strictly feed only those cartridges which were loaded into the rifle THROUGH the magazine . If you fill the magazine and then attempt to load one extra cartridge from the top by trying to get the ejector to slip over the rim of the extra cartridge , then you will probably be fine for a while...until you eventually break the extracting device . This is because , whenever you are attempting to get the ejector to slip over the rim of an extra cartridge , you are placing increased strain on the ejector , which can never be a good thing.
Let us discuss a strength of the push feed action rifle , now .
The push feed action rifle , on account of the lack of the non rotating extraction claw , lends itself to a simpler loading by putting cartridges directly into the rifle from the top , without the need for the cartridges to always necessarily come vertically up through the magazine always.
Let us now discuss a perceived " weakness " of the push feed configuration rifle . Push feed mechanisms are susceptible to a type of double-feed malfunction that does NOT occur with controlled feed mechanisms. In a push feed rifle, if the bolt goes
MOST of the way forward, but not completely, it is possible to bring the bolt back (leaving the cartridge sitting loosely in the chamber) and start feeding another cartridge. The result is a double-feed where the second cartridge is blocked by the first cartridge .
Now , under most normal circumstances , this will not occur . Under what circumstances then , can this problem occur ? The answer is STRESS .
If you introduce stress , into the equation , then it becomes evident how a shooter may operate the bolt erroneously in a highly stressful situation .
Allow me to elaborate , gentlemen .
If you are shooting targets at the local firing range , one is typically relaxed and is operating his rifle in a calm , collected manner .
The same applies when one is in a macchan ( or " blind " ) and calmly taking a shot at a cheetal deer or sambhar deer . As challenging as these situations are , they are not typically stressful situations .A push feed action rifle here will certainly not leave anything to be desired .
However , suppose you are now pursuing a 200 pound forest panther , 500 pound royal Bengal tiger or a 2000 pound gaur , and you ( by some misfortune ) are suddenly facing a charging brute. Very ugly and very determined to exterminate your existence . Unless one is an unusually cool customer who has years of practice of operating that bolt instinctively , under his belt , chances are that stress becomes an uninvited guest to your otherwise finely tuned senses . This is where one might experience errors in operating the bolt of his rifle and a double - feed problem may invariably occur .
Sadly enough , this is the one situation where your choice of a push feed rifle may lead to your death or injury or a similar fate to anyone in your party .
Now , yes . There are probably thousands of gentlemen who have gone about their entire lives ( or shikar careers ) by using push feed action bolt rifles to lay low dangerous game , by the 6 figure sum . These gentlemen are no doubt unusually cool customers , who treat cycling a rifle bolt as if it is 2nd nature to them . However , at the end of the day ... man is not machine .
I have done my research on the previous threads of African Hunting Forums and I came across a most depressing incident , which I wish to use as an example for further illustrating my point .
There was a professional White Hunter in Africa by the name of Ian Gibson who was killed by a wounded bull elephant . This unfortunate gentleman was known to carry a .458 Winchester magnum calibre post 64 Winchester Model 70 bolt rifle , as his dangerous game back up rifle . The story of that fateful day goes like this :
A client of Mr. Gibson’s had wounded a 6 ton bull elephant which had charged the safari party . Mr. Gibson attempted a frontal brain shot on the charging brute , but the 500 grain solid metal covered bullet did not penetrate into the elephant’s brain . As Mr. Gibson attempted to cycle the bolt of his push feed action Winchester Model 70 , he experienced an extraction failure . The wounded bull elephant managed to get ahold of this unfortunate White Hunter... and the rest was a foregone conclusion .
Here is a photograph taken from the internet of the dearly departed , Mr. Gibson . May He Rest In Peace .
Now , it must be remembered that Mr. Gibson used to be a professional White Hunter , who had years of field experience with that rifle . He knew how to cycle the bolt of that post 64 Winchester Model 70 , as if it was 2nd nature to him . However , on that fateful day when the wounded bull elephant had charged the safari party ... fate had played a fatally cruel trick upon Mr. Gibson.
My verdict , thus is this : A push feed action bolt rifle is a perfectly adequate choice for a client hunter , even when used on dangerous game . A client hunter’s philosophy should be to always place his very 1st shot accurately on a game animal . Doing this essentially negates the need to give the animal a 2nd shot .
However , professional hunters who use bolt rifles would indeed benefit from the added insurance of a control round feed action . This is because the professional hunter always needs to open fire , either when :
1) The wounded animal is making good it’s escape.
2) The wounded animal is charging the hunting party .
In both of these situations, the professional hunter will not usually be able to opt for a picked shot .He must take the shot available to him quickly and thus may need to cycle the bolt in a hurry in order to give the brute a 2nd ( or even a 3rd ) bullet to anchor it . In such situations , a control round feed action is preferred , because it essentially takes the element of human error out of the equation .
For the pursuit of non dangerous game ( for example : Muntjac Deer) , it goes without saying that a push feed action bolt rifle leaves nothing to be desired , under any circumstances.
In modern times , control round feed actions are MUCH more widely available than they were , in the 1960s . Magnum length Mauser 98 actions are once again being manufactured by excellent companies , such as Mayfair Magnum Mauser , Granite Mountain Arms and of course ... the original Mauser company .
Winchester has ( since 1992 ) re introduced their beautiful pre 64 style control round feed action for their new Winchester Model 70 " Safari Express " line of bolt rifles .
However , “ Push Feed Phobia “ in recent years has ( fortunately ) dwindled . While many sports men ( myself included ) prefer a control round feed action bolt rifle for use against dangerous game ... It is now almost universally recognized that blanket statements which decry all push feed action bolt rifles as being inherently unreliable should be avoided .
In recent years , a revolutionary push feed action bolt rifle has appeared on the market ; The Model R 8 from the German company , Blaser . This make and model of rifle is known for being extremely reliable ( aside from having other advantages ) in the field , and is a heavily praised rifle , even by professional White Hunters in Africa for follow up work on dangerous game . 1 of my favorite fire arms writers and professional hunters of all time , the late Don Heath / “ Ganyana “ in fact , in 1 of the final articles which he had written prior to his death mentioned that his dream rifle to back up clients on elephant and lion hunts would be a Blaser Model R8 , chambered in .500 Jeffery . The fact that several knowledgeable and experienced members of African Hunting Forums , such as
@BeeMaa and
@Red Leg have successfully used these rifles on dangerous game without even the slightest misfortune only serves to further demonstrate the commendable qualities of the Blaser Model R8 .
Below , is a photograph taken from the internet of a Blaser Model R8 push feed action bolt rifle , chambered in .500 Jeffery for reference .
I sincerely apologise for the delay I faced , in completing this portion of my article , dear readers . It was an area which required a great deal of thoroughness on my part , along with a great deal of research regarding some of the more modern fire arms .
Coming up next .... " Stocks Splitting "
