Working the bolt

[ARHinAK]

I’m a bolt handle grabber myself. I like the positive control it ensures, and I run it hard and fast while shouldered. No time for looky Lou’s in my book.
I’m amused by people who think because you shoot fast ya can’t shoot good. I don’t personally know anyone here but I’d wager there are guys on this very thread who can for example shoot a clean bill drill in less than 2 seconds and with the very same carry pistol hit 8 inch steel at 100 yards with boring regularity. I’m not saying that one discipline is the same as the other but only that what some people know, just isn’t so.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Just a discussion...
As I get close to my first trip to Africa, I watch buffalo hunting videos every day. I watched one yesterday where the hunter using a heavy recoiling cartridge had to go to work on adrenalin crazed, heart shot, charging buffalo and he handled the bolt rifle like an expert. And put 4 accurate shots in him very fast.
But that seems to be the exception, I see a good number of hunters in the videos struggle with the bolt on their magazine rifles. Some jamb things up from what must be a short stroke. Some seem like they aren't a 100% comfortable with the mechanics of their rifle art all. Some put the rifle all the way down to their hip to cycle the bolt, like the physical weight of the rifle effects their ability to cycle the action. Many struggle to refill the magazine and hand the rifle to the PH to refill.

My first thought is that I don't want that to happen to me. Facing a cape buffalo or elephant would certainly have an effect on a hunter. Especially a first timer like me! Of course I don't yet know what that is like and I'm not being critical of anyone. Just making an observation. Obviously anything can happen, to anyone and the best of rifles and ammo.

I have live fired and dry fired both the model 70 and my Mark V plains game rifle as fast as I can accurately shoot. And do so regularly, especially with the .416 . Neither rifle has failed once. The model 70 bolt handle is pretty close to the scope when working it fast, I have knocked my hand off the bolt on the scope, but can recover quickly. The Mark V keeps your hand away from the scope a little better. I'd maybe give the edge to the Weatherby on speed and reacquiring the target, but it also has less recoil.

I feel like under stress, the most subconscious and automatic thing for me is handling the rifle. I've been shooting a lot with a model 70 .416. Part of each session is some quick follow up shots. I might fumble a bit trying to keep the empties from hitting the concrete floor to hard. But otherwise the rifles cycle great.

Am I seeing videos where hunters haven't practiced enough? Do some brands not cycle well. Is it Buffalo fever? Is it too much recoil? Are the long throws of the magnum length actions messing some people up?



TD

@Tdruck
Whilst some rifles (very few) may not be 100% the majority will work well.
Bolt operation is a matter of practice, practice and even more practice until it becomes a totally natural operation..
I am still amazed at the number of people that still remove the rifle from the shoulder to cycle the bolt even on the humble 22 because they find it hard to do shouldered. When asked how come I make it look easy my answer is simple. Practice until it becomes 2nd nature.
Bob

 

[Ontario Hunter]

@Tdruck
Whilst some rifles (very few) may not be 100% the majority will work well.
Bolt operation is a matter of practice, practice and even more practice until it becomes a totally natural operation..
I am still amazed at the number of people that still remove the rifle from the shoulder to cycle the bolt even on the humble 22 because they find it hard to do shouldered. When asked how come I make it look easy my answer is simple. Practice until it becomes 2nd nature.
Bob

Bob, it's not about lack of agility or muscle memory. Well, not entirely. I know my t guns well enough to work the bolt on my shoulder. But I don't want my hand and the bolt obscuring ANY part of my vision.

Some years ago I was having a rough season bird hunting that really wasn't making sense. One afternoon my previous Lab was birdy right in front of me and then suddenly went on point. She would do that IF she could see the bird and IF it didn't move. She held that rooster for a couple of minutes before he flushed ... and mistakenly flew right past me. Easy peasy. Three shots and I never touched him. Next day same dog gets birdy while we were working a ditch full of cattails and a forest of willows on the opposite bank. Up goes two roosters flying through the willows and I dropped them both, bang bang. Impossible shots but bagged both almost without seeing them. That night I sent an email to a well known shotgun editor asking if he could explain it. He suggested I was overthinking the shot. Keep the gun down long enough to force a quicker shot. Shoot fast and you'll shoot well. No time for overthinking. Mount the gun, acquire the target, and fire all in one smooth motion. Works with a rifle as well as shotgun. The day I stopped shooting skeet high gun my score jumped 4.5 per round. My PH wonders if I don't shoot better at animals on the fly than i do on the sticks at standing animals.

Besides the risk of overthinking, a gun and hand in my face while trying to work the bolt is distracting and obstructs my vision. Just that simple.