Why Bolt Actions?
I have learned that for some reason bolt action rifles are considered the best long range configuration. I will acept this but don't understand why, after the bullet leaves the chamber, what difference does it make how the next cartrige is chambered.
cbxjeffIt's too late for me, save yourself.
cbxjeffIt's too late for me, save yourself.
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In a nutshell, bolt actions provide the most stable and consistent platform to fire cartridges, shot to shot. Accuracy is in large part a function of how consistently all variables are controlled from shot to shot.
redcedars0 -
Jeff, is your son asking you more questions? Are you ducking into your study right now and reading these posts while the poor kid is waiting for yet another pearl of wisdom from Pop? As redceders already pointed out, the bolt action simply provides the strongest and most consistant manual repeating action which is easily adaptable to magazine feeding. There are also relatively few moving parts at the time of firing and lock time can be very quick. Lever actions are actually faster to operate but most lack high strength and were failures from a military point of veiw because they were difficult to operate in the prone position...where most troops spend their time shooting! Single shot falling, rising, or swing type block actions can be very strong but are slow to reload and not well suited to magazine feed. Straight pull bolt actions are strong and fast but lack good primary extraction. The good old turn bolt offers a very strong action adaptable to all sorts of calibers, offers excellent primary extraction, has a minimal of moving parts at the time of firing, and allows for a wide variety of magazine feed options (box, tube, rotary, ect.). Strength, simplicity, fast operation, reliability, and good extraction charactoristics all contribute to its popularity and over all accuracy potential.
Mark T. Christian0 -
A great difference between chambering the next round and placing the current one on target. Auto's are fine for placing the next round in the chamber, but they fall a little short on the ability to hold small groups on target.
Bolts don't cycle rounds nearly as fast. They have less moving parts, are generally stronger, and don't suffer from the heat buildup of rapid fire.
Probably not much difference at 100 yds., but a greater difference as the range increases.
Nord0 -
cbxjeff;
Bolt action and Breech loading single shot rifles are the most accurate actions for a number of reasons. First and foremost, tey can be more tightly chambered. Levers and Autos cannot be be simple verue of there design. Bolts and most singles are very tightly cahmbered. The bullets fully contact the rifling and the cartride is squeesed by the bolt or breech face. The bore and breech/bolt face is squared to one another, all this combines to provide an extrenely stable and repeatably consistant platform from which to launch the projectile. A prime example were the rolling and falling block rifles by Remington and Sharps, As well Mauser',Weatherby's,Holland&Holland,Winchester.
Auto loader will never approach this accuracy level simply because the will never be this stable and consistant. Hope this helps.
Kill all the lawyers and the world will be much better for it.0 -
Just wondering ... if all agree that the bolt action is the most accurate (for the reasons given), what would be the next most accurate [?]
Ken0 -
Right off the top of my head I'd have to say the falling or "dropping block" actions of the Browning/Winchester type. The Winchester Model 1885 was offered in a tremendous variety of calibers in both "high wall" and the later "low all" types. These rifles were available in a number of target configurations (and also sporting) including Special Target, Match, and Schuetzen (plus others) and held nearly every major accuracy record in the USA by the turn of the century. Many people today think that the idea of 1000 yard competition shooting is a recent development in the shooting sport. 100 years ago it was a widely practised disiplin and the rifles of choice in the United States (other than custom production arms) were the Winchester falling block types...thank you John Browning! Once again the action of choice is simple, strong, and has a few moving parts as possible when the gun is fired. The lack of quick reloading is the only fault with falling blocks and they live on today with the Ruger No. 1 as a good example of a very effective hunting rifle capable of handling nearly any centerfire cartridge available.
Mark T. Christian0 -
Damn!!! I should have went to bed without logging in.
Another BIG reason (most single shots excepted) is a one-piece stock. Guys I talk to are CONTINUALLY amazed at the paralells(?) I draw from shooting and golf (hear me out now)!
The heretofore-mentioned chambering tightness is a BIG component. Another is the ONE-PIECE stock! You know how golfers anguish over their swing. Equipment mfrs make a fortune every year seling these guys some club, putter, etal, that will improve their score.
If you have EVER taken LONG-RANGE (read 400 yds+) rifle instruction the SECOND thing that is key (other than using a bolt-action and trigger kisses)is 'stock weld'. You cannot get consistent stock weld with an action that uses a two-piece stock (rear & fore-end).
Glass bedding a bolt-action rifle is one of the FIRST steps in improving an otherwise acceptable rifle. Because of manufacturing differences and metal-on-wood wear between the stock sections you cannot get as good a 'BODY ALIGNMENT' with any other action (i.e. why they glass bed them for 'perfect alingment').
Not to take anything away from what was said earlier in this thread. The stength, ability to tighten the chamber, etc...all important. When it is said and done you must have a 'consistent swing' (as in golf) and an action that does not 'dance' within your grip (one-piece stock, preferably bedded in glass) is the BEST.
I hope Nunn gives us a little leeway on this thread...maybe we ought to take it to the General... I left a gaping hole in my analogy. There is 'stock weld' and there is (so to speak) 'action weld'. True 'stock weld' can ONLY be acheived with a one-piece stock (maybe a new hybrid will change this, wood, fiberglass, nylon,...they all wear in direct contact with metal). True 'action weld' (between action and stock(s)) can only be perfectly achieved through glass bedding {defferenece to excellent stock inletters out there}.
Brad Quinlan
USMC, 8541
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SEMPER FI<BR>0 -
Where does this put the winchester model 88 lever action? One piece stock and rotating triple-lug front-locking bolt. Also the winchester m 100 auto, same stock and bolt.
Just curious, I hunt with both models.0 -
Mark,
I've been busted!
Thanks for all the info guys.
cbxjeffIt's too late for me, save yourself.0 -
these are all great posts and should be studied well by our 1st poster, but please note, he said: "once it leaves the bbl, its all the same anyway.' he's right. so, what can we offer him to realize what can happen before it leaves the bbl? first thing that comes to mind is how accurately every round engages the lands and grooves before firing. with a bolt action, we all know that a guns bolt-to-bullet-to-bbl match up can be worked to perfection. gas autos can be worked too, so what are some things that make a bolt better than a gas auto or a lever action? i say, its the fact that gas autos load bullets from a magazine and the bullet tip has a tendency to hit the feed ramp every time, which might cause slight distortion to the bullet seat in the case. which in turn may throw off some accuracy because each round is not engaging the lands and grooves the same for every shot. and on lever actions, tube fed actions can only fire round nose bullets (unless you hand load every shot with a tipped bullet,) because the rounds are under spring tension while sitting in the tube. and of course we all know that without round nose bullets, the tip of a pointed bullet can ignite the one in front acting like a firing pin on recoil in a lever action feed tube, thus pointed bullets cant be used in lever actions. thus, a lever action is only limited because of the bullet it can use. (i/e: round nose flat base vs a BTHP at 1000 yds. guess who wins?) like our questioning poster said, once it leaves the bbl, its all the same anyway. good weld or bad weld, if you get the sight on the target and squeeze, the bullet is enroute. so, my 2 cents just causes us to just dig for deeper reasons. some may contend that many bolts are mag fed. ok, but correct me if im wrong. most will hand load that first shot into the bbl to make the first shot count anyway! look at bench shooters! do they dare risk loading a custom handload from the mag? in conclusion, i say the main reason differences in gun choice occur is because of which one has the best undisturbed bullet seating operation. and the best gun to get a good seat every time is a bolt action....in my opinion. and of course...i dont know what im taking about! what a great sight we have! agree? respectfully yours...........
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0
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