This new release from MDT has finally piqued my interest in the subject enough to post the question here:
How important is the size, shape, and texture of the bolt knob of your rifle(s)?

I have long been tempted by the neat-looking replacement bolt knobs available for my Tikka rifles with their ridges, grooves, and grenade-like textures. Ultimately, however, I keep deciding that the smooth round factory knobs work just fine for me. Always looking for ways to make me think I’m improving things, though, I keep circling back to the idea.

So, your opinions: Do “improved” bolt knobs help with fast, positive manipulation of the bolt, or are they nothing more than psychological at best?

In the Springfield era, a smooth bolt knob was an advantage. You would be taught to get the knob in the hollow of the hand and rotate, draw, return, and lock the bolt with the knob swiveling in kind of a ball and socket action. You would NOT grasp the bolt handle with the fingers.

I don't know what the Cool Guys are doing now, the few that find a need for rapid fire with a bolt action.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Watson:
In the Springfield era, a smooth bolt knob was an advantage. You would be taught to get the knob in the hollow of the hand and rotate, draw, return, and lock the bolt with the knob swiveling in kind of a ball and socket action. You would NOT grasp the bolt handle with the fingers.

I don't know what the Cool Guys are doing now, the few that find a need for rapid fire with a bolt action.

ditto the Enfield,


I'm not a modern bolt gunner either, but in today's tactical world, I would imagine it provides a better or more positive grip when speed is not really needed,

For me I keep my hands soft and smooth ,I protect them with gloves doing work.
The method like Jim Watson uses is mine.
The knurled frugally ones I have shot on friends rifles don't work in the palm not for me.
The o3a3 is perfect and older remingtons.
Naganut are too damn long and need a slight curve

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

So, your opinions: Do “improved” bolt knobs help with fast, positive manipulation of the bolt

No!

A bolt knob has very little to do with fast and efficient bolt manipulation. Other then it could be too big in diameter. I'm pretty fast on a bolt, I make very little contact with the bolt knob itself. If one is grabbing, holding, pinching the bolt knob in any fashion like a gear shift, doing it wrong if fast and efficient is the goal.

Thanks for the responses.
What everyone has described thus far is pretty much how I operate a bolt and it always seem that a highly textured bolt knob would be more of a handicap than advantage. I was/am curious, though, in case I missed something along the way.

I have shot a bolt gun a long time and don’t see the appeal, more of a bling thing.
I can run a bolt very fast, and use everything from a stock enfield modern factory savage and even the steyr scout butter knife handle equally well.

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:
the steyr scout butter knife handle

I have long wondered what the purpose of that bolt handle was as compared with the more traditional and far more common ball design.

According to some online discussion, it provides a lower profile for carrying/scabbarding, but anything else?

I'm very partial to this style which I added to this 1998 10FP rifle. Plenty of "meat" to handle.
(Pun intended.)
No round ball end or butter knife for me. Jim Watson mechanics of operation here as well.

I started shooting high power in the late 1980's. I shot an AR, but there were plenty of bolt gunners on the line back then. If 'improved' bolt handles were that good, I think more shooters would have been using them back in the day. They have caught on with the glove wearing tactical operator crowd and their action matches.