My gun for Africa....
10-20-2006, 04:54 PM
#32
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
RE: My gun for Africa....
DM, why is it that when you have a custom rifle built on a 700, one of the first things the gunsmith wants to do is install a Sako extractor?
10-20-2006, 05:58 PM
#34
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
RE: My gun for Africa....
There are gunsmiths that believe that cutting away part of the bolt to install the sako extractor weakens it,so they won't do it.This topic has been discussed more than once at theaccurate reloading forums and at the 24hr campfire forums.
10-20-2006, 06:37 PM
#35
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 493
RE: My gun for Africa....
I have heard this argument about CR feed and braised on bolt handles many times. I my 30 plus years of shooting and reloading I've saw bolts jamed so tight by dummies who think the max loads are for starters in manuals, that a mallet was needed to drive open the bolt. I have never saw a bolt handle broken off, nor have I ever seen a stuck case left in the chamber after the bolt was open! I'm not saying this cannot or doesn't happen but I've never witnessed such. I still think that anyone who is planning an African saffari should be able to pre ship enough ammo to the PH whome they are going to hunt with, to make safe most any chambering they would choose. This sounds like a bunch of friendly bickering to me as opposed to trying to solve a real problem
10-20-2006, 09:35 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,813
RE: My gun for Africa....
DM, why is it that when you have a custom rifle built on a 700, one of the first things the gunsmith wants to do is install a Sako extractor?
The extractor BS mostly comes from the "floating extractor design" that the 721's and 22's had. They were more prone to problems. That was taken care of in the 700's... BUT, they "look" very much the same.
In the late 70's i had heard all the BS, and decided to do a "unscientific" test of my own and had a bolt converted to the above. I tested it along with a Mod 70 (old and new), 700 factory and converted, and a Ruger 77....
All i was looking for was "if" i could make any of the bolts pull off a case, and if one was better than the other.... In the end i could NOT make any of the extractors pull off a case with my hand by pulling on the bolt, or beating on the bolt with my bare hand. (all of these test was with an 06 "parent" case)
I then took a hammer handle and beat on the bolt handles to see what would happen. Every gun could be beat untill the bolt "lifted" and "opened". "If" beat on enough, every one of them would pull the rim off the case to some degree with the 700 stock extractor doing as good as or better than the rest.
NONE of the extractors were broken in my test, and the Rem. pulled off more rim that the new mod 70.... It was harder to pullthe Rem. off a case than it wasthe Ruger.... The Ruger would ruin LESS of the case rim than the Rem.... The Sako pulled off the case easier than the Rem. too, and i came to the conclusion it weakened the bolt and was not a conversion i'd want on my rifle.
Anyway, i'm sure some of you will discount my test, but for me it answered all of my questions, and put to rest all of my fears of a Rem. 700 extractor!!
A new "custom" brown bear rifle followed witha 700 Rem. action andstock extractor!
As for breaking a bolt handle off a 700.... I've seen it happen 3 or 4 times over the years. In EVERY case it was broken off when a hammer, or hammer handlewas used to beat the $hit out of the bolt handle, and i mean beat it!
There's no way i couldbreak one off useing my bare hands!!
BTW, many of my test were done more than once to my satisfaction....
DM
10-21-2006, 10:25 AM
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,813
RE: My gun for Africa....
For a critical application I'll take the non-standard extractor config. That said, I thinkI've jacked thisthread far enough, you're deadset on using factory standard rem 700's for dangerous game, And I think there are better options available.
I've spent more than a few hours crawling around in the alders looking for browns with my 700 Rem.in my hands, so for me, it's proven itself many times over the years...
Happy hunting with what ever you prefer to use!
DM