The majority of us shoot bolt guns for DGRs. Surprisingly, many hunters do not practice quick shooting or even “rapid fire†shooting techniques. Probably even fewer hunters practice “rapid reloading†(or what law enforcement refers to as a combat reload) for their bolt action rifle.

The following is a good technique. Like anything else you need to practice it.

The technique works regardless of whether your gun has gone dry (something you should avoid) or even if there is one in the chamber and you have suddenly realized this would be a good time to top off. By the way, if there is a round in the chamber and you are in a hurry; just throw the bolt opened and eject the live round. You can pick it up after your gun is loaded and back in battery.

Starting point:

The gun has just been fired is still shouldered and you have thrown the bolt open

or

The gun is at the ready similar to a modified port arms position.

Spare ammunition is carried on your belt in the appendix position.

1)Push the butt forward and down so the muzzle is up (this aides in keeping the bolt back and getting the cartridge case head down into the magazine) at about 45 degrees and the butt is below your waist about even with your strong side thigh.

2)Your strong hand slides off the butt as you are pushing the butt down and goes to your spare ammo holder.

3)Spare ammo is grasped, pulled up, using your fingers curl it into the palm, thumb on top of the cartridge, fingers curled underneath the cartridge with the nose of the round protruding well out past your thumb. (sounds a little detailed/technical but do it once or twice and you will see how natural and easy it is)

4)Push the nose of cartridge in to the open action with nose actually going well into the chamber area as you open your fingers and then push down on the back of the cartridge seating it underneath the rails. This is all done in one smooth motion. (If you have done this properly you could actually close the bolt at this step and chamber the round if you needed to)

Then using your thumb, push the back end of the cartridge into the rear of the magazine. Since the muzzle is up gravity assists you.

5)Your hand is now already moving back to grab another round and repeat the process (remember if you have ejected a live round from the chamber you need to load at least 2 rounds to pick up 1 but such is the nature of a bolt.) or to grasp the bolt handle and put the rifle into battery as you bring the rifle up to your shoulder.

The above process for two rounds is faster than slowly openening the bolt, capturing the live round, orienting it in your hand, inserting it into the magazine and then getting another cartridge from your holder.

I can imagine some folks are saying sounds like a whole lot of intricate movement just to reload your rifle. However, those familiar with combat shooting techniques know that to do anything fast and reliably you have to break the process down into individual steps and the create economy of movement.

Per Pegleg, make sure you practice with dummy rounds to get the motions down and as MacD37 suggests you need to practice live also to understand the effects of recoil on the process.

Sounds fun but I'd better use dummy rounds for a while!

Reminds me of the oft touted need to bevel the extractor face on a Mauser so that you can slip one up the snout. I find it much faster to push a round into the magazine then slam the bolt home than to simply drop the round on the follower and hope it runs true. Ever tried to push a round into the chamber in a hurry?

I agree that few really practice loading in a hurry or even fast follow up shot for that matter. Hell, just for fun, look at some of the video's on Youtube of people firing their rifles. The big bore shoots really crack me up. Almost never do they work the bolt from a shouldered position.

Stripper clips.

I'm building a 9.3x62 Mauser on a 1909 Argentine action to test this concept, should work alright.

If you run the the magazine dry and need to keep shooting you should start single loading. Loading the magazine full actually gives you a slower rate of fire, unless of course you are using stripper clips or spare removable magazines. Refilling a fixed magazine should only be done when you can safely pause shooting.

Rem 720,

That's what the following is referring to:

quote:

(If you have done this properly you could actually close the bolt at this step and chamber the round if you needed to)

I certainly wouldn't suggest you fill your magazine if you need to be shooting.

When useing a bolt action rifle on dangerous game, one should never let his rifle run dry!

All my Mauser rifle will load a single round if I need to, but I've never needed to! I fire one or two, then load one or two, and so on! The bolt is already open when you kick the second shot out, and with one in your left hand( for a right hand shooter)take it with your right hand, and load that round before closeing the bolt! Of course, as Mike says, one must practice, and not with dummies! This is a practice done while stump shooting in the woods,at random targets, because the recoil has a lot to do with your ability to load fast, and the practice gets you to shooting on target instinctively, as well!
One thing it is better to get used to loading into the magazine, because loading directly into the chamber, while running, or moveing to get clear, is a recipe for a jam,one of the few places where a jam occures in a CRF Mauser actioned rifle! This because with the bolt all the way open, it will strip another round off the top of the magazine. Single loading in the chamber is for when the rifle is completely dry!

If you want an example of this method, watch Saeed's last hunt video, he does the same as I do. However, Saeed is useing a PF rifle, being the only difference!

When useing a bolt action rifle on dangerous game, one should never let his rifle run dry!

All my Mauser rifle will load a single round if I need to, but I've never needed to! I fire one or two, then load one or two, and so on! The bolt is already open when you kick the second shot out, and with one in your left hand( for a right hand shooter)take it with your right hand, and load that round before closeing the bolt! Of course, as Mike says, one must practice, and not with dummies! This is a practice done while stump shooting in the woods,at random targets, because the recoil has a lot to do with your ability to load fast, and the practice gets you to shooting on target instinctively, as well!
One thing it is better to get used to loading into the magazine, because loading directly into the chamber, while running, or moveing to get clear, is a recipe for a jam,one of the few places where a jam occures in a CRF Mauser actioned rifle! This because with the bolt all the way open, it will strip another round off the top of the magazine. Single loading in the chamber is for when the rifle is completely dry!

If you want an example of this method, watch Saeed's last hunt video, he does the same as I do.

Mike-D,
I should have read your post a bit closer. I concur with other posters about the desirability of snapping rounds into the magazine when single loading a CRF.

Good post Mike. To add even more realism to the senario, shoot 2 or 3 rounds then run 50 yards through the woods while reloading per the above, then shoot 2 or three more. The old buffalo Run and Gun!

quote:

Originally posted by Remington720:
If you run the the magazine dry and need to keep shooting you should start single loading. Loading the magazine full actually gives you a slower rate of fire, unless of course you are using stripper clips or spare removable magazines. Refilling a fixed magazine should only be done when you can safely pause shooting.

That doesnt always work because if you are getting ready to shoot an alert standing animal the next shot you take may make the animal/animals move off. In this scenario you dont want to be single loading but have a magazine full. I am talking here in mainly a culling or multiple target scene.

Every scenario is different but I find if you have a small amount of time you are better to concentrate on filling your magazine and then concentrate on accurate shooting rather than trying to do both when single firing.

In some situations things can turn pear-shaped as they say too and then you dont want to be fumbling for single-fire.

Another thing is if I am moving through the bush I will draw the required number of rounds (3-4) from the storage and have them all in my hand when stacking the magazine. Doesn't work for everyone.... gotta have big hands!!

Thanks for the great post Mike...
Practice lots!!

quote:

Originally posted by z1r:
Reminds me of the oft touted need to bevel the extractor face on a Mauser so that you can slip one up the snout. I find it much faster to push a round into the magazine then slam the bolt home than to simply drop the round on the follower and hope it runs true. Ever tried to push a round into the chamber in a hurry?

I agree that few really practice loading in a hurry or even fast follow up shot for that matter. Hell, just for fun, look at some of the video's on Youtube of people firing their rifles. The big bore shoots really crack me up. Almost never do they work the bolt from a shouldered position.

Yeah that cracks me up to.
Most shooters take their big bore rifle down - like if they where to play the bonjo - what is that?

I can reload my CRF rifle at the shoulder!!!!!! and fast to. I will make a video clip of this next time I go to the range and practice the rapid fire.
SWAT hunting style

I also have a big bore 10,75x68 that can be loaded with the 5 cartridge Mauser strip clips. THAT IS SAST.

Cheers,

André