But it seems that the inherent accuracy of a bolt action would give up quite a bit on a pistol simply because you aren't bedding a stock into your shoulder. Even with a rest, it just won't do what it would with a stock.
Offhand, I'd tend to agree with you. You don't have 3feet plus of solid "bar" that has 3 points of contact with your body, you're only holding the gun in your hands, not braced against your shoulder. So, of course, you're going to be less accurate with it, right??
Probably... but, its not going to be
inherently less accurate, because inherent accuracy is what the gun and ammo combination do without the human factor.
And the human factor matters a lot. Yes, it is more difficult to reach the same degree of accuracy without a stock against your shoulder than with one, and this does matter (and matters most when the only thing supporting the gun is you) but "more difficult" does not mean impossible.
Here's a few points to consider about bolt action pistols...
First off the guns are intended to be held, but not held up. Its possible to shoot them offhand, but they do their best (and so does the shooter) when they are rested, or shot from a braced field position.
Next point is that the shooter doesn't need a "death grip" on the gun. Reality is you only need to hold the gun firmly enough that it doesn't fly out of your hands under recoil. (or hit you!!
) There's no point to "maintaining a firm shooting grip" or fighting the recoil, as there is no fast follow up shot.
this is simply not a machine for dumping multiple hits into the A zone at close range as fast as you can....so it doesn't need to be held that way. If you don't use the grip force needed to keep a repeater on target (as best one can) that force can't interfere with your trigger pull, because tis not there to do so. Likewise the long heavy DA pull of some pistols isn't there, either.
Bolt action pistol barrels, (generally ranging from 10" to 14" inches) are shorter, and tend to be thicker than long rifle barrels, and so, are "inherently" stiffer.
And, by shooting from a rested position, you're not holding the weight of the gun up, you're only holding on, and without a stock braced against your shoulder your breathing and the beating of your heart are not transmitted to the gun the same way and so have a lesser and different effect.
I'm not saying one doesn't give up some of the accuracy potential using a bolt action pistol compared to a bolt action rifle (in the same caliber), but how much is it going to matter???
That is a question that can only be answered by the shooter, and really only applies to the individual guns they are using.
And that also begs another question, what ARE
your accuracy standards?? And, remember its not just a question of what the gun and ammo can do, but also what the shooter can do with them.
Keep in mind that there is also a difference between mechanical accuacy (inherent accuracy) and accuracy in field use. We usually use group size for accuracy comparisons, and while that is a valid statistical method, it is less relevant to a hunting gun than the numbers seem.
3 shot groups?? 5 shot groups?? 10?? Slowly spaced so each shot is from an essentially cold barrel?? from a bench?? These things all tell what the gun can do, but not what the gun will do, under different conditions.
I don't think it makes much sense to shoot groups of more shots than the gun holds, and most of the time, it doesn't make sense to me to shoot a group of all the shots a gun holds, simply because under field conditions, that's not remotely likely to happen.
For example, I've got a good deer rifle, has taken several deer, but its light, has a skinny barrel, and while shots 1 & 2 are about on top of each other, #3 is a ways out and 4, and 5 are much further apart from the rest as the barrel heats and walks. Its a bolt gun, so in practical terms, for deer, one shot, yes, two shots probably, 3rd shot rarely if ever and shots after that simply don't happen, (for me, at any rate).
SO, if two shots are in an inch and 3 in an inch and half but 5 shots are a 3" group is the rifle accurate? is it a 3MOA gun?? or something else?
When I shoot single shots, I shoot one shot "groups". Don't see the point in doing more and pretending its one "group", but that's just me.