Harrison S wrote:If we circle back to the action on this being a pump... what would you say the best (non shotgun) centre fire pump action rifle is that is currently on the market, or has only recently retired?
Browning made a pump called a BPR... which was supposed to take on the 7600 especially in the US states where hunters shoot in brush and can't use semis for that hunting. Here in Aus there was a bit of fanfare when they came here and I took a look at one but they didn't have anything the Rems had.
Never owned one so can't say. Suffice to mention they never sold well.
My opinion on the others recently made, well you do some online research mate. I saw a few reviews where the aluminium actions were chunking out where the cam pins on the bolts rode in the machined in grooves, in fact I saw that in some button release brands too. As far as I'm concerned, those designs are not to my liking and corner-cutting.
7600's and 7615's have rotary bolt heads that don't use their steel recievers to cam locked/unlocked, in fact my 308's are so smooth they self eject the cases if fired with one hand. Nothing's faster if you learn to use the recoil to open and eject the case, and use the forward motion coming back on target to chamber the next cartridge. Steel riding on hardened steel is glass-smooth.
Aluminium is lighter yes, but it cannot be used against steel when camming without mashing, simple. It's a cheap corner-cut.
I remember when introducing some friends from Taikwondo to hunting 20 years ago now, there was a mob of pigs that came in front of their wagon when we were getting about in a scrubby paddock and I bailed out and starting from the back, shot all 10 with the 22" 308 7600 I bought just after having to get rid of my semi autos after '96. It was all arse, not class.
Suffice to say, my mate went straight out and bought the 7600 Patrol new he was so impressed, and still has it and damn that thing shoots 5 shots under 1/2 MOA with 168gn matchings and his stash of 150gn Taipan HP's and 2206H powder. The 16" barrel is so stiff, it is a gem. And I still have that original rifle of mine and it just got smoother and smoother.
And there's no gas system to hang off the barrel like the button releases, these barrels are completely free-floating.
I see the Wedgetails are too, but they do not point like shotguns. But they are more "modern" . U n
Yeah I'm a fan, because these things are unreal hunting rifles. Last forever. Shame they aren't made any more.