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The_Dunedan · 04-21-2010, 07:07 PM

Go with the Remington, if you're after a boltgun. Ruger's bolt-action rifles are OK, but only just. The trigger has always been a particular weak point; Ruger pioneered the "Lawyer-proof" 9lb trigger back in the day. The M77 no longer exists (it's the "Hawkeye" now), and it may be that the new generation of post-Ruger-family rifles are abit better. I'd still hold off. Weatherby makes a fine rifle, but ammo is extremely expensive and frequently difficult to locate, plus reloading is a colossal PITA thanks to the Weatherby's rounded case shoulder which requires very expensive Weatherby-specific tools. And that's -before- you get to the recoil, which runs the gamut from the extremely unpleasant to the nigh-on-intolerable.

Ruger does make a very nice single-shot. However, the type of action has nothing to do with the chamber of the bbl per se. What you're looking for here is a tight lockup between bolt, cartridge, and chamber. Especially important is the bolt/chamber interface, where the bolt locks into the rear of the barrel.

Boltguns and falling-block rifles may -start- with similarly tight lockups, but the falling-block weapon will lose that tightness earlier and with greater severity, since it primarily locks into the receiver of the weapon and not the barrel, and will get battered by recoil and chamber pressure spikes. This can be avoided with a dual lockup and proper bolstering, but to get -that- kind of detail you're looking at Dakota Arms or something in that neighborhood: real "arm and a leg" territory.

Consider: if falling-block weapons -were- more accurate than boltguns, 1000yrd+ centerfire match shooters would be using them. They're not. The only long-range competitors who use falling-block guns are the "Creedmore" style blackpowder guys, who (no surprise) love the Sharps and Remington Rolling Block. If those types of actions could outperform boltguns with modern cartridges, they'd be a -lot- more prevalent than they are. Where falling-block guns -do- still have a following is among Dangerous Game hunters, who are sometimes willing to sacrifice the SxS double's extra round in order to chamber a more powerful round (pressure-wise) than most doubles can reliably fire in a lighter and more maneuverable rig than a heavy bolt rifle. This is why the Ruger falling-block rifles come in chamberings like .458 Lott, .458 3" Nitro Express, and .404 Jeffrey.

If long-range accuracy from a modern rifle and round is what you're after, go with the turnbolt. If you need to stop something large and angry RIGHTNOW, get the falling-block in something stompy and save up for a big Mauser or a SxS. If you want to save weight, invest in the falling-block, lots of ammo, and LOTS of practice.

All just my opinion; YMMV.

04-21-2010, 07:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
The_Dunedan Junkie	Go with the Remington, if you're after a boltgun. Ruger's bolt-action rifles are OK, but only just. The trigger has always been a particular weak point; Ruger pioneered the "Lawyer-proof" 9lb trigger back in the day. The M77 no longer exists (it's the "Hawkeye" now), and it may be that the new generation of post-Ruger-family rifles are abit better. I'd still hold off. Weatherby makes a fine rifle, but ammo is extremely expensive and frequently difficult to locate, plus reloading is a colossal PITA thanks to the Weatherby's rounded case shoulder which requires very expensive Weatherby-specific tools. And that's -before- you get to the recoil, which runs the gamut from the extremely unpleasant to the nigh-on-intolerable. Ruger does make a very nice single-shot. However, the type of action has nothing to do with the chamber of the bbl per se. What you're looking for here is a tight lockup between bolt, cartridge, and chamber. Especially important is the bolt/chamber interface, where the bolt locks into the rear of the barrel. Boltguns and falling-block rifles may -start- with similarly tight lockups, but the falling-block weapon will lose that tightness earlier and with greater severity, since it primarily locks into the receiver of the weapon and not the barrel, and will get battered by recoil and chamber pressure spikes. This can be avoided with a dual lockup and proper bolstering, but to get -that- kind of detail you're looking at Dakota Arms or something in that neighborhood: real "arm and a leg" territory. Consider: if falling-block weapons -were- more accurate than boltguns, 1000yrd+ centerfire match shooters would be using them. They're not. The only long-range competitors who use falling-block guns are the "Creedmore" style blackpowder guys, who (no surprise) love the Sharps and Remington Rolling Block. If those types of actions could outperform boltguns with modern cartridges, they'd be a -lot- more prevalent than they are. Where falling-block guns -do- still have a following is among Dangerous Game hunters, who are sometimes willing to sacrifice the SxS double's extra round in order to chamber a more powerful round (pressure-wise) than most doubles can reliably fire in a lighter and more maneuverable rig than a heavy bolt rifle. This is why the Ruger falling-block rifles come in chamberings like .458 Lott, .458 3" Nitro Express, and .404 Jeffrey. If long-range accuracy from a modern rifle and round is what you're after, go with the turnbolt. If you need to stop something large and angry RIGHTNOW, get the falling-block in something stompy and save up for a big Mauser or a SxS. If you want to save weight, invest in the falling-block, lots of ammo, and LOTS of practice. All just my opinion; YMMV. Last edited by The_Dunedan; 04-21-2010 at 08:16 PM..