I'd take the Chapuis DR in 9.3x74R that is hiding in the closet....

If I could only take one to Africa it would probably be the Mod 70. However that has nothing to do with it being CRF. That part I could careless about as I have always hunted with Mod 700's most of my life and a few others just to play around with.

My reason for picking the Mod 70 is because back when I was a freshmen in high school my science teacher/ now friend gave me a copy of Death in the Long Grass and a late family friend had a Pre64 in 375 I always wanted the rifle.
So the Mod 70, 375 is just want I want to kill my first Cape Buffalo with.
What I would like to do is take 2, 375's to Africa in 375 and kill a Cape Buffalo with the Mod 70 and the 2nd with a Mod 700. Also with the 375 I could hunt everything else on the hunt with it with no need for another cartridge.

I would take my Model 70 in .416 Remington, loaded with North Fork 370 grain softs first and solids following, just like I used in the Selous my first trip. Good shooting.

If I didn't already have one, I'd take the M70 for no other reason than I already have 2 others besides my 375. Kind of boring, but I like the idea of having the same type of rifle in multiple chamberings. Never run into the problem of having to look down and see where the safety is like I sometimes do when swithcing between Remington and Winchester shotguns.

Remington 700 in 375 H + H, purchased in the early 80's -- fitted with a Remington synthetic stock, factory wood in the foreground. I've killed 129 deer with a remington 700 in 308 winchester over 39 years. I don't have to think where the controls are. I have 3 winchester 70's and I really, really dislike the flag safety. This is not even a choice in my book, very easy decision.

M 70. Controled feed. Safety. Familiarity.

I have never owned a 375 but it would be the Winchester. Of the various rem & Win rifles I owned, I loved the Win feel & the old trigger. I hear that the new NC trigger is also good.

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:

Remington extractor = junk

I've had a CRF claw break on me, never a remington extractor

Model 70: nobody has ever written an article about the superiority of the 700, or waxed poetic about its merits, or called it "The Rifleman's Rifle" or anything except how much cheaper it is to make.

Ask me if I'd rather have a Taurus station wagon because it has a bigger back seat or more storage room than my Jag convertible. The Jag just came back from a 2100+ mile drive to Eastern Montana and got over 26 miles to the gallon.

Rich
DRSS

I have a Rem 700 classic in 375 H&H that has been used on several African hunts and has accounted for two Cape Buffalo. It has never let me down. I'd use whatever gun fits you the best and you're most comfortable shooting. BTW the older 700's had bolts that locked when the safety was on, but Remington changed that on the later models. The bolt on my 375 didn't lock down, but I had a gunsmith change it so it did when the safety was engaged, several years ago, for all of $10.00 and he did it while I waited.

Remington!

chocolate or vanilla?

take them both!

Remington=Cheap China made. I'm boycotting the walleyworld club. I guess its a Win for me.

quote:

Originally posted by phurley5:
I would take my Model 70 in .416 Remington, loaded with North Fork 370 grain softs first and solids following, just like I used in the Selous my first trip. Good shooting.

+1

M70, hands down. I'm a CRF fan as well. I know all manner of people will tell you that a M700 is just fine and will work perfectly, but I still prefer the M70 - just in case.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
You are headed to Zimbabwe to Dande North. You are going to hunt buffalo.

I am going to give you your choice of a new, in the box, Winchester Model 70 (South Carolina, FN made) or a Remington 700 in any configuration you like - in a .375 H&H with a 1.75 x 6 scope.


Which do you want and why?

I'm not wowed by the machining of the new M70 actions (compare it to a new out of the box Kimber action........not even comparable). The rear sight sucks as well. I like CRF and 3 position safeties, so I guess the Winchester with some customization. Really I'd rather have something else. Ruger, CZ, Kimber, Dakota.........

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Model 70. I prefer controlled round feed and the three position safety. I have both makes, but Winchester is far and away my favorite, and the vast majority of my rifles are Model 70's, or are built on the Model 70 action.

Pretty well sums it up for me. I have no problems with PF rifles, I'm a Weatherby user as well, but between those two, easy choice. jorge

My .375 H 7 H is a Sako and I like it better than either choice mentioned.

Probably wouldn't ever own a Remington anything, just me. I have a pre 64 Mod 70 in .300 H 7 H and it's great.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I think there is separate issue to the CRF vs. push feed argument; that is the extractor.

Personally, I prefer the Mauser and its derivatives. But I also don't think there is that much wrong with push feed rifles, per se.

There are lots of great push feed rifles that have adequate extractors: H-S Precision, post-64 Winchester, Sako, Weatherby, Browning, Blaser, old Rugers, Sauer, etc.

And as Mike Dettorre reminds us, the M-16, M-4, Garand, M-14, M1A etc. all are push feed.

But if there is any rifle made with such a POS extractor as the Remington 700 I've yet to see it. In my mind, the Rem 700 is a good and very accurate rifle with a tiny, lousy extractor. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think there is any other rifle with that little piece of spring steel as the extractor.

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:
I think there is separate issue to the CRF vs. push feed argument; that is the extractor.<<SNIP

>>SNIPBut if there is any rifle made with such a POS extractor as the Remington 700 I've yet to see it. In my mind, the Rem 700 is a good and very accurate rifle with a tiny, lousy extractor. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think there is any other rifle with that little piece of spring steel as the extractor.

I agree with the extractor on the 700 as being a POS, and should be replaced with something a little more substancial. However, the KEY word to define the critical difference between the Push feed, and the controled feed is not "EXTRACTOR" but "CONTROL" of the cartridge from the time it leaves the magazine till it is EJECTED, unfired, or as an empty after being fired. The difference is that the push feed never takes control of the cartridge till it is chambered and the bolt handle turned down. With the CONTROL FEED rifle the bolt has control of the cartridge even BEFORE it is totally released from the magazine, and no matter which way the shooter moves that bolt, or whether the cartridge is even chambered if the bolt is pulled back, the loaded, or empty is ejected before another round can be stripped off the top of the magazine. This is not the case with the push feed rifle. The cartredge is free of any control between the release by the magazine till the bolt handle it pushed all the way forward and the handle turned down.

IMO, the push feed rifle should never be chambered for a cartridge that will be used to hunt any dangerous game. If one is hunting deer, fine nothing is lost but a shot if anything goes wrong with the feeding. The loss it consideranly more when faced by a charge of something that wants to kill you!

No my friend the key difference between PF, and CRF is not "EXTRACTOR", but "CONTROL"!

Mac, I agree 100%.

All my rifles except an H-S Precision .308 are Mausers or other CRF rifles.

I just think instead of two categories in the debate: (1) CRF rifles vs. (2) push feed rifles

there ought to be three categories:

(1) CRF rifles vs. (2) push feed rifles with decent extractors vs. (3) push feed rifles with crappy extractors, e.g., Remington 700.

I agree with the extractor needing some attention on the Rem 700. A lot of guys have addapted the SAKO ejector to the Rem700 which is a lot stronger. The problem is an extractor on a push feed rifle is designed only to pull the cartridge,or empty "OUT" of the chamber,not get a round into the chamber, unlike the extractor on a CRF rifle which plays a part in chambering the round as well as extracting it after it has been fired or there is a need to un-load the chamber.
But even that good SAKO ejector didn't help the Alaska bear guide that was useing a Sako 375 H&H that he had used for years, when he inadvertenly double shuffeled the Sako, and ended up with two live rounds on the rails and only one chamber to accomidate them. When he pushed the bolt closed the bullets from both cartredges went into the begining of the chamber hopelessly jaming the rifle. He barely survived the mauling he took before the wounded bear sucumed to his wounds the client had given him. This guy had always claimed that the SAKO had never failed him in 20 yrs of hunting Brown bear on Kodiak Island. The rifle didn't fail that time either, but the shooter did, by double shuffeling it. If this rifle had been CRF the first round would have been ejected, and the next round would have been chambered and no jam would have occured.

He now uses a CRF rifle, because once is all it takes to get the message across!