Bolt actions and scopes

S

Spirex288

New member
I have my mind set on the Savage Arms 10FP. From what I understand, it has a "short action" bolt. Can someone explain why it is better than a long action? Is it quicker to load in the next round? The 110FP is the long action model. I am mostly going to do target shooting from about 100 yards away. Sometimes even further at 200 yards. From those distances, which scope resolution would work best? I am not familiar with scope sizes and their meanings. Thanks!! :)
 
"Short Action for shorter cartridges such as .223, .308, etc. "Long Action" for .30-'06, 7mm Mag, .338, etc. Depending on the manufacturer, there is roughly a one-half inch difference in the lengths of the bolt and the receiver...

What sort of target shooting? Folks are going to the higher power scopes, nowadays, but if you're shooting off-hand, there's a lot of apparent wobble with the higher powered scopes. For benchrest, use all you can afford.

I've used 3x9 variables on hunting rifles for years. 9X while sitting or target shooting. 3X while walking or target-shooting off-hand...

FWIW, Art
 
I will mainly do paper target shooting at the range to improve my skills. Anything else I can nail to the boards I will shoot also. So a 3x9 is good for this purpose?
 
The text previously occupying this location has been zapped into the cosmos for the good of the children, furry pets and small domesticated kitchen appliances. Please feel free to continue the discussion without fear of further perturbation.

[This message has been edited by Mykl (edited August 16, 1999).]
 
FWIW, if you're shooting a short caliber cartridge, go with the short action. Obvious advantage of weight consideration set aside, there is something more esoteric which must weigh in the mind of the shooter: receiver stiffness.

Longer barrels have certain advantage in that the distance upon which the propelling gases act upon the bullet is greater, thus the velocity is slightly higher as opposed to the shorter barrel. Not to say we should discard our 20-24" tubes and go with the WWI standard 29-30" barrel. The short barrel has its advantage too: stiffness. Longer barrels can flex more than a short barrel of equal thickness.

By analogy, apply this to recievers which, like barrels, also flex under recoil. Resultingly, a shorter receiver flexes minutely less than longer one.

Turning to the matter of scope, 3x9 seems to be pretty common and I can only caution you on not get a scope which has a very high magnification for 200 yards. Your eyeball will go nuts watching the crosshair jump with every heartbeat, breath, gentle breeze.

------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Thanks for the replies. Any recommendations on scopes under the price range of $300??
I guess i'll have to settle for the 3x9 since this is common for semi-long precision shooting. Model numbers would be helpful also.
 
Oh boy, me first!

Leupold 3x9. Made right here in the USA. I have two of them and am very happy with both. OK, so I also have a rubber armored Tasco which I inadvertantly dropped onto the concrete floor from about 4'. It survived with no problems.

Go to http://www.dnrsports.com for Leupolds at a good price. Rest assured, neither I nor TFL receive any compensation for this posting.

Also, thanks to all who exercised restraint in not responding to Flyboy's original posting here at this thread. Also a big thank you to Mykl for taking care of it.

------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
As you get farther along with your rifle shooting, several things will become apparent. One is that the recoil when shooting from a benchrest is more noticeable than when shooting from sitting or standing positions.

Over time, you'll want the trigger to be a bit lighter and crisp--as in breaking a glass rod.

Unless you're a handloader with access to cheaper, bulk components, the costs will mount.

Now comes the time for the perfect excuse for the next rifle: A .22. It should be similar to your big-bore: Bolt action, with a scope. Tube-fed or magazine-fed, no matter.

.22 ammo is cheap. What you are working on is eye-hand coordination, anyway. When the cross-hairs waver to the right place, BANG!

With CB caps and a decent bullet trap, you could even shoot indoors. Or through a door or window to a bullet trap in the yard (keeps the actual noise in the house, cuts down on gunsmoke in the house).

The .22 lets you practice offhand shooting at tin cans and such for very little money, and this will translate into better success if you do go hunting...

Best regards, Art
 
Hey Gary or anyone,
with a 3-9x40mm scope set to max zoom, how close does a bullseye (1/2 inch in diameter) look at 100 yards? Just curious. Thanks again.
 
Duh, you've got me there. I wouldn't say 1/2" or any type of inch at all. Sorry, but the best I can tell you is that it is 9X the size it would appear at 100 yards. With a sharp 9 power scope, you'll see your target clear enough.

Boy, why aren't there be easy questions like the velocity of a swallow (English or African)?


------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
4V50 Gary:

It's the average airspeed velocity of an UNLADEN sparrow!

BTY, I seem to recall the crosshairs of my Weaver 3x9x40 covering about a half-inch at 100 yds when on 9-power. Maybe I should look this up?
 
The business of 'larger' and 'closer' in optics magnification is an interesting puzzle. If you want to, you can say that a 9 power 'scope (which probably has a magnification somewhat less than 9, more realistically 8 1/2) will make a target appear '9' times closer. It will thus appear to be at a distance of about 11 yards...or to put it another way, it will look as though it has grown to a 4 1/2 inch circle but still located a hundred yards away. Scope reticles are not subject to the same rule, in that the wire always seems to be the same size in the eyepiece, which gives it the effect of covering less of the target at high magnification than at low. Have I confused us all enough? :) slabsides

------------------
An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject; a disarmed man is a slave.
 
Thank you Cheapo for aiding my failing memory - which is the only thing I can count on (continual failure). Indeed it was an "unladed sparrow" which figured prominently in the Holy Grail.

Thank you Slabsides for putting so eloquently what I only confusingly sputtered out.

------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top