I have found that if you perform all of the usual "benchrest" blueprinting rituals on a CRF Model 70 action, install a premium barrel, and carefully bed the metalwork to a good stock, it will shoot just as well as a rifle based on the Model 700 action.

Add controlled-feed features, a direct-acting safety, a simpler and surer trigger, a better bolt handle arrangement, plus an ability to get the bolt apart without tools or gimmick proceedures, and it's easy for me to choose a Model 70 over a Model 700 or its ilk........

AD

In the past 40 yrs. I have owned and used almost 100 big game rifles for hunting and working alone in Grizzly country where I frequently encountered bears.

I have tried a few "pushfeed" rifles and currently own and use 39 rifles from .223 to .45-70; two are specialized autoloaders, all of the rest are CRF. I have seen more problems with the Remington 700 rifles and the older Savage 110s than all of the Mausers and "real" Mod. 70s combined.

I can regularly shoot groups as small with my "old" 70s as can be shot with 700s and have shot .5" groups with Nosler PTs in a .280 Rem.; this at 200 yds. End of story, IMO.

I own mostly cz's which are mauser varients and thus have CRF. I own a rem 700 push feed in 22/250 which is primarily for shooting foxes and rabbits. Thas about all these actions are good for IMHO. I would never trust them on an important big game hunt. They just do not work as well. For me it's a cz, M70, or mauser.

I'll use either on non-DG hunts.

George

This is interesting as I have hunted with a couple of PF's in all types of weather conditions and never had any type of problem. These had been totally reworked by a local smith but still worked without a flaw.

For non DG, I think a push feed is fine, I've used both. Also of the opinion most problems with either are in some cases more operator related. I've had good luck with all of them.

For a hunting rifle of non-DG which would you prefer? I have found that the Rem 700 will hold much better groups than my CRF Winchester's but just how important is that in a hunting rifle that will be used for say deer and elk within 400 yards.
I have a current Mod 70 CRF in the 300WSM that has been bedded and this gun will hold 1/2"groups all day long with factory 180's

I don't own as many rifles as everybody else, but seems that all of mine above 22 are CRF for some reason. I know that I am not a good shot and with an 03 springfield that I have, sporterized with a muzzle brake but original barrel it looks like, I shot a .5" group at 100. I don't really care for remington, that is why I wouldn't buy one, more than the fact that they are push feed. I'd buy a savage though, no problem with that. If the little 17hmr. I was shooting on sunday is any indication of what their other guns are like (and I hear that anything savage shoots great) then i would take one any day of the week.

so you can get a CRF rifle real accurate. How accurate do you like your hunting rifle? Can you shoot well enough in the field to take advantage of it? I know that I am not a great shot, and that on my hunting rifles I am happy if they will put in a 2" group at 100. Really, I try to get in a 5" zone, I put pie plates up (the small paper ones) and take shots at them at different distances. I am not able to shoot a tight pattern offhand, especially if my heart were racing and such.

Red