Why do you like bolt action rifles?

K

Kimio

New member
Well, setting aside the inherent accuracy a BA typically has, there is something fundamentally relaxing when using one IMO.

I don't know why, but it's the simple action of operating the bolt that I get enjoyement out of the most, especially when I use open sights.

The sound as you pull back the bolt and chamber the next round is something that just "feels good". I guess an example is why some people enjoy driving manual cars, the sense of control and perhaps the simple application of the human element to an other wise mechanical procedure.

Pricing for a BA rifle is also a nice plus in most cases, as is ease of maintenance.

So I ask, what is your reasons for liking a bolt action rifle?
 
Here are a few. I sold my saiga .308 for a Ruger GSR.

1. Neck size cases. As a reloader I LOVE being able to just neck size the cases to my bolt gun. Cases last a long time and reloading them is fast vs FL sizing.
2. Ease of maintenance.
3. Will cycle a wide range of loads. A good bolt action will fed just about any shape or length of bullet and at any power level.
4. Can handle cast bullets. I shoot cast .308 in my Ruger GSR all the time, while I never dared try cast in my Saiga due to fouling.
 
I love bolt actions. Easily my favorite rifles.

I love being able to savor the loading of each shot. Pulling back that bolt, having it pick up the next cartridge, and then shoving it into the bore myself and locking it down. Ummmmm, what a great feeling. Then pulling it back to eject the spent casing and loading in a new round when I want to. There's something just so satisfying about running a bolt action rifle ... you're just in total control and getting to be active in the whole cycle. A lot like driving a manual transmission. They don't have that many advantages over a good automatic these days but they keep you in tune with your car and they make driving oh so much more fun. A bolt action is the same for me.
 
A well accurized bolt action will group tighter than any other action, and is stronger than other repeaters. I like to be in control of my spent casings also.
 
I find that I take more care with my shots. I also do not like to chase brass.

I just like the "feel" of the action and the feel of the trigger.
 
I think I like manual transmissions and bolt actions simply because they are manually operated and need user input. Granted, in a pinch I'd definitely take my .308 auto-loader, but there is something so gratifying in cycling that bolt myself. Makes me feel like a man, or something. HAH!
 
Of all repeating actions they are the

Strongest
Simplest
Best triggers
Most reliable
Most accurate
Can be the lightest depending on how they are configured.
Least expensive to make, although the asking price does not always reflect this.

Semi-autos are closing the gap in many areas, but for now I can't see any reason to use anything else for hunting unless you just want to.
 
Leaving aside all the good things already mentioned, other than human vs human, or games where speed is a critical factor, there is no other kind of shooting you cannot do as well with a bolt action as you can with anything else.

You can get a bolt action in ANY caliber you can imagine. Even ones that nobody else makes, but you.

Grace, style, a bolt action can be anything from cheap a .22 plinker to a masterful artistry in wood and metal.

Irons, scopes, some model of bolt action will handle anything you put on it, and do it pretty well.

Bolt actions are everything you could want in a rifle, except speed of repeat shots. For that, they are the slowest repeater. The difference in the speed of aimed shots between the slowest and the fastest action types isn't much.

But sometimes, not much" can be a very important thing.

Also, there is the huge military bolt action field. The history of the times when they were the front line standard. The wide variety of variations, the different schools of thought of the designers, and often their parent nation...

Bolt actions are the history of the modern age, and you can hold it in your hands, and even better, shoot it!

In a bolt action you can find a rifle specifically tailored for anything that walks the earth. And they all work basically the same way.
 
I sold my BAR to my brother and got a bolt action. It's much easier to clean, has fewer moving parts, doesn't collect gunk in the action, easier on the brass, and more accurate. I loved the BAR I had, but it just no longer was the best fit for what I wanted and needed in a rifle.

I do understand that a lot of folks love their AR styled rifles, but they are: harder on brass; have more moving parts; collect gunk in the action; are tougher to clean; and may or may not be as accurate. I had one that the USMC loaned me and I was happy to finally give it back. Like I told my favorite cousin, when he said that his AR gave him a zillion follow-up shots, "I only need one shot". He called BS on that, and he was probably right, but I really don't need 19 more rounds (unless...you know...the zombies show up).:D
 
It is the historical factor, and the classic (or newer) movie factor.
Even Mick Dundee used a commercially modified Enfield to shoot out the tires and engine in the thugs' truck in "Croc. Dundee 2".

Except for the (1940's) Savage .22, all of my guns are milsurps, and the only semi-autos are the SKS and Garand (CMP).
 
I love getting to load at my own pace. It keeps me from going too fast, and as a result I get to enjoy more time behind the gun. I do like the accuracy, and while there are some semi-automatic rifles that can keep up with most bolt action rifles, they typically well over $1, 000.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
The difference in the speed of aimed shots between the slowest and the fastest action types isn't much.
Click to expand...

This needs to be empahasized. Only a semi-auto is significantly faster when put to the test. Many who have watched too many cowboy movies think lever actions are a lot faster. Go to the range sometime with a few targets, a stopwatch and a friend to time shooting.

That is what I did. I was able to get off 3 unaimed shots with a bolt rifle in 1.8 seconds. The levers were marginally faster at 1.4 seconds. But when I put up 9" targets at 50 yards and tried to repeat the test I was faster with the bolt gun when I actually had to hit something. The bolt rifles better stock design with recoil that comes straight back instead of the rolling recoil of the levers got the sights back on target faster.
 
Maybe I'm just undisciplined, but BA's get me to slow my shots. I'm more patient when I shoot them, I take more time to steady myself and find my point of aim. The resulting groups reflect this.
 
A guy with a bolt action can shoot as fast as he wants to, while the guy with a semi-auto has to wait on the action to cycle.








Just kidding:D How many of ya'll had a wild mental picture thing going on?
 
I've had various self loaders, and came to much the same conclusion that I later read Cooper did. Manually operated actions are lighter, more compact, and generally more reliable than a self loader in the same class. I'm not interested in the end of the world fantasies any more, but do carry and use my guns regularly out in the hills. Bulky, heavy, cumbersome guns get traded off, or are relegated to plinker toy status if kept at all. It seems everyone today thinks they don't have a real gun if it isn't a self loader and have largish capacity detachable magazines. So far, I haven't heard of any instances where such guns truly made the difference in a real life situation. Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but true firefights in the real world stateside doesn't happen much that I'm aware of. Accurate shots do more good than lots of shots in any event.

I can truly enjoy taking a bolt 308 out and banging the 300 and 600 yard plates, shooting a whole box of ammo, and feel pretty good about it. I recall having an AR and shooting 3 or 4 magazines at a time and not getting as much out of it. To each their own, but the bolts and levers are more practical for what I do, and I enjoy shooting them more, even with less rounds per time out.
 
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