Rifle ice/snow freeze eval 2025

[Formidilosus]

When are you running these trials?

As soon as the deep cold and snow comes. Usually in December.

 

[Choupique]

If I knew anyone that had one, I would include it this year.

Yall are welcome to my new-ish BACO model 70 ewss if yall ever want it for something like this. Wouldn't hurt my feelings to have it tested in ways I really can't do convienently.

It's a bare muzzle .338 win mag though...

 

[Formidilosus]

Yall are welcome to my new-ish BACO model 70 ewss if yall ever want it for something like this. Wouldn't hurt my feelings to have it tested in ways I really can't do convienently.

It's a bare muzzle .338 win mag though...

Appreciate the offer. The M70’s CRF are pretty well known commodities at this point.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Curious how a Ruger American would fair in this, since there are so many out there.

They can’t even function properly with a bit of desert sand in them, freezing them will be catastrophic I’d imagine. Just a guess though.

 

[swampy14]

Has a savage 110 been tested?
I know they moved to a closed top action with the release of the 110 trail hunter but I can see their trigger failing completely as it is exposed and not an enclosed unit like a tikka.

 

[tkabzems]

Maybe I just missed it being discussed but is the ruger hawkeye crf design that much different in these teststhan a model 70?

 

[PathFinder]

Maybe I just missed it being discussed but is the ruger hawkeye crf design that much different in these teststhan a model 70?

Here's at least a partial answer, and it's disappointing. Pulled this gun out of the safe to thread it, and the wheels got spinning. CRF, 3 position safety, easy to bed, solid scope mounting, very solid action, no extractor cut, super easy to rebarrel. Thought about spinning up a 6 UM barrel for it.
Since the triggers are usually the issue in ice tests, the M77 looked so promising. Very easy to lighten/modify, few components, not a lot of surface area for ice to stick to. The action was doused in water in a sink, then shoved in the freezer. Immediately on pulling it out, all trigger components moved freely. The bolt could be opened with a rubber mallet. Despite that, the bolt would not fire, it was frozen up badly. Maybe the open cuts on the bottom allowed a bunch of water to freeze the firing pin solid. Maybe it's the rear of the bolt. Either way, it could be tapped forward with a rubber mallet and re-cocked, but wouldn't fire for quite a while after.
I may disassemble the bolt and see if it can be mitigated, but it was pretty disappointing overall.

 

[Igloo]

Here's at least a partial answer, and it's disappointing. Pulled this gun out of the safe to thread it, and the wheels got spinning. CRF, 3 position safety, easy to bed, solid scope mounting, very solid action, no extractor cut, super easy to rebarrel. Thought about spinning up a 6 UM barrel for it.
Since the triggers are usually the issue in ice tests, the M77 looked so promising. Very easy to lighten/modify, few components, not a lot of surface area for ice to stick to. The action was doused in water in a sink, then shoved in the freezer. Immediately on pulling it out, all trigger components moved freely. The bolt could be opened with a rubber mallet. Despite that, the bolt would not fire, it was frozen up badly. Maybe the open cuts on the bottom allowed a bunch of water to freeze the firing pin solid. Maybe it's the rear of the bolt. Either way, it could be tapped forward with a rubber mallet and re-cocked, but wouldn't fire for quite a while after.
I may disassemble the bolt and see if it can be mitigated, but it was pretty disappointing overall.View attachment 1007979View attachment 1007980View attachment 1007981

Holy cow. Cool test and good idea but I'm also surprised.


Can't be lube huh? Bet you're right about enough water getting in to actually make ice, Dang.

 

[PathFinder]

Holy cow. Cool test and good idea but I'm also surprised.


Can't be lube huh? Bet you're right about enough water getting in to actually make ice, Dang.

Surprised me too. I was all set on building this up and hunting with it.
The two likely culprits are the cuts on the bottom of the bolt and the exposed cocking indicator on the back of the bolt. I could hammer it back and forth and cock it, but it took a while to drop on its own at all. Much less hard enough to set off a primer. I'll post an update after stripping the bolt to see if it can be improved.

 

[Bluumoon]

Surprised me too. I was all set on building this up and hunting with it.
The two likely culprits are the cuts on the bottom of the bolt and the exposed cocking indicator on the back of the bolt. I could hammer it back and forth and cock it, but it took a while to drop on its own at all. Much less hard enough to set off a primer. I'll post an update after stripping the bolt to see if it can be improved.

Testing it in the stock might help, or hurt. You going to be hunting in conditions it matters frequently?