Size does matter when it comes to bolt knobs but that’s not all there is to it. The whole point of oversize bolt knobs is to improve your grip and control, and that’s where texture comes into things, too. If you want texture, these GG Varminting bolt knobs have no end of it.
The little serrated teeth arrayed around the knobs are like an inverted shark’s jaw with row after row of the little things, and when you grab them they don’t want to let go.
GG Varminting nobs are made in South Africa from aluminium alloy with a black anodised finish. The quality seems very good, the effect is excellent and they can be fitted without tools or modifications.
I’ve used them on several rifles, all to advantage. The gun that benefited most was the Ruger Gunsite Scout, which is my quick-shooting outfit for culling mobs of pigs or goats.
It also has the clunkiest action of all my rifles but with the GGV knob on the bolt I reckon I’ve been a bit quicker certainly more precise about cycling the action. In the heat of the moment without the knob I know I’ve sometimes slipped off the bolt but never with it.
The knobs give you much more handling security when you have gloves on, in the rain or when it’s hot and your hands are sweaty.
When you don’t need that extra help, the knobs can be removed in a few seconds and put away until they’re needed again. Or you can swap them from rifle to rifle.
Being aluminium and heavily serrated, these knobs are far more grippy than the slip-on rubber balls you can get, which I’ve found can be slippery when wet.
And the knob will outlast not only the rubber but also, in all likelihood, plastic bolt knobs. They should at least be impervious to accidents up to the point where it won’t only be your bolt knob you’re crying over.
The Ruger knob weighs just 28 grams, the universal one 33 grams, so they’re not a great burden on your weapon.
The universal one fits most bolt knobs, at least up to 18.5mm diameter and with a shaft thickness of up to 11mm. That covers everything in my safe except the Ruger.
The Ruger M77 is special so its bolt needs a unique design with a larger internal diameter, hence GG Varminting offers the second model.
Both are fitted by hand. All you do is slip the male part over the bolt handle, then screw the female part onto its thread. Start carefully as the thread is fairly fine and ease to cross, though you’d have to be brutal to do any damage.
A rubber grommet sits inside the knob to act as a spacer if it’s needed. Including it makes the knob sit very, very firmly in place, so it’s worth putting in.
These are good value at $79 (in 2021). In fact, they’re very good value when you weigh up the quality, the longevity, the effectiveness of the design and the simplicity of the setup.
GG Varminting bolt knobs are available in many gun shops or online. The Australian distributor is Eagleye Hunting Gear.
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