I have been opening my bolts with my thumb and fingers for 40 years. I have gone to only rifles that have 60 degree turns because when wearing gloves on a 90 degree turn my glove gets stuck between the bolt and scope.

I am in the process of looking for a .338 win mag but can't find one I like in a 60 degree turn. I might hunt the big bears with this gun and I don't want to relearn using the palm of my hand as I will enough on my mind when shooting one of those big boys.

So I had the thought cross my mind about having the bolt handle made longer some how. So I started researching and I see they make longer after market bolt handles.

I like everything about the savage 16/116 weather warrior except the bolt turn. Do you think adding a longer bolt handle would solve the problem of getting my thumb stuck between the bolt handle and the scope?

I'm also going on a guided elk hunt on horse back. Would it be a problem fitting this longer bolt handle in scabbard?

Thanks
Adams

It would all depend on your scope ocular size and its height . They use to make offset scope bases , which place the scope to the left of center . Not a problem on a mid to short range hunt . Actually not a problem at any range , if sighted in correctly .

I went to a different technique. Slap up with the palm and then back middle and ring fingers. Forward with the bolt ball at the thumb root. Practice it and you can get quick.

I have done what Bobster suggested, use the palm of your hand to operate a bolt...

I hunt almost altogether horse back, I like a rifle as flat as I can get it..A butter knife bolt on a flat bolt action like a Brno mod 21 or 22 works well, A pre 64 Fwt Win works pretty well, but my Savage mod. 99 in .308 with a 3X Leupold works best by a long shot..Big bulky rifles and scopes in a saddle scabbard are hard on the knee in a 10 hour ride, depending on how you strap your saddle scabbard on..With barrel forward on right side of horse its more comfortable but seems like some lesser horseman have a lot of trouble getting a leg over the butt with that option on either side and do better with the butt forward on the left side. The other thing is a lighter rifle keeps the saddle from moving towards the gun and you having to continually stand in the opposite stirrup to keep the saddle centered. another reason for a Savage 99, a Browning lever gun or even a pump rifle or auto, needs to be flat and light IMO.

I won't go into packing a rifle on a sling while horse back that's incredibly dumb and dangerous if things go south.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
I went to a different technique. Slap up with the palm and then back middle and ring fingers. Forward with the bolt ball at the thumb root. Practice it and you can get quick.

Truth ^^^^^

I wrap my bolt handles with cloth electrical tape until it is way oversize. I grip with my thumb and curled forefinger; much faster than any other method I have used including the palm method.

Here is a video showing two shots in an elk; go to 6:20. It took a second to recover from the recoil, but you clearly hear me cycle the bolt in less than 1 second. If you go to 3:40 you can see my bolt handle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkBRlFb0mrE