How to shoot a bolt action rifle

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KodiakBeer

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Art suggested a thread was needed to demonstrate how a bolt action rifle should be shot, so...

Here is the very incorrect way (breaking the shoulder weld):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV0ysN7G3Yg

Here is the moderately incorrect way (breaking the cheek weld):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4A7HYrt8sg

Here is the correct way (staying locked to the rifle):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x3lOZ4yX6Y&NR=1


There are dozens of vids on youtube showing people "speed shooting" bolt action rifles, and only or two of the shooters actually know how to shoot. The average shooter doesn't need to "speed shoot" his rifle, but it is valuable to learn not to lose your sight picture after each shot, so try it out. It isn't hard to learn.
 
Make the people enlist, they'll learn haha.

Regardless, those dang brit bolts are QUICK. It's shocking. They did something VERY right with that rifle. I was shooting my buddy's, about two weeks after getting back and I fell in love with that sucker.
 
what if you are left handed? anyone thought up a way to make it work short of selling all my right handed guns and buying up lefty's?
 
I was just gonna ask the same question about shooting lefty. You have to break the cheek weld at least to reach across and grab the bolt.
 
actually, if you're going to leave the gun on a bench, the lefty way is faster than shown.
your left hand never leaves the trigger, while your right hand runs the bolt.
 
general Geoff
Our British cousins only use the sling for carrying the rifle, while we in the U.S. use the sling to help steady the rifle over there it's just "not done".
I have perused the U tube site and have yet to see the bolt operated as it's supposed to be used, and while some there have shown some rapid fire ability, if they would simply rock their hand to the rear unlocking and Throwing the bolt rearward,then rocking it back forward having the thumb bring the rifle into battery, and use the "Boid" finger to activate the trigger better times could be achieved.
robert
 
Robert, I agree. If the sights/scope gives me the clearance, I use COL Cooper's "wrist flick" method. The good COL illustrated the method in a magazine article, but for some strange reason left it out of his book "Art of the Rifle".
 
A friend of mine, former SAS Major, gave me a bit of instruction on how to shoot my No1 MkIII* in rapid military fashion. On the Enfield he told me to Operate the bolt with my thumb and fore finger, and fire the rifle with my middle finger. I have tried this a few time and with practice it would prove to be very effective. Try it without sitting on a bench, a bit more difficult.
 
I am glad that someone mentioned the Enfield. The Enfield was designed before the days of assault weapons. The UK soldiers were trained to fire the rifle rapidly. Imagine ten--or fifty--guys lying side by side and shooting at a mass of enemy troops from a prone position. The bolt handle of the Enfield was shaped so that the trigger could be pulled with the middle finger and the thumb and forefinger held at right angles would cradle the bolt handle between them. The bolt could be lifted by the back of the hand, pulled back with the forefinger, and slammed home with the thumb. The Enfield cocks on closing the bolt, so the bolt opening and extraction are quite easy. The Enfield has a 10 round magazine

A well-trained UK marksman could perform a "Mad Minute" with 20 to 30 carefully aimed shots in one minute. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield, the current world record for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by a musketry instructor in the British Army—Sergeant Instructor Snoxall—who placed 38 rounds into a 12 inch wide target at 300 yards (270 m) in one minute.
 
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Lowering the rifle (or shotgun) from the shoulder seems to be a problem for lots of shooters, regardless of action type. Another issue I see is waiting to cycle the action. A good rifleman doesn't wait to see if another shot is needed to cycle the action. He cycles the action as soon as the first shot breaks, always with proper follow-through mind you. Then if another shot is needed, you are ready. As I said in the other thread, too many are content with just sighting in or making noise at the range. Very few actually put the effort into becoming proficient. I can tell you right now that had I not spent all those hours and hours honing my skills with rimfires, I would not have been able to make those fast followup shots that I posted about earlier. Spend enough time in practice and it all becomes second nature. The less you have to consciously think about, the better off you'll be.
 
With a good bolt thats not hard to do, with something like a Mosin thats faught most of WW2 and isn't quite as smooth as an Enfield its a bit harder.

This is why I like the K31.
 
That guy was cheating by using a Lee Enfield. I hunt with mine. Several years ago I shot 2 wild hogs with mine and I got off 2 aimed shots quicker than you would imagine. I was pretty pumped up and when I went to extract my fired round I discovered I had already chambered another. My youngest son was hunting several hundred yards from me and he thought I had brought my semi auto .308. He could not believe that I shot that fast.
 
CraigC said:
Lowering the rifle (or shotgun) from the shoulder seems to be a problem for lots of shooters, regardless of action type. Another issue I see is waiting to cycle the action. A good rifleman doesn't wait to see if another shot is needed to cycle the action. He cycles the action as soon as the first shot breaks, always with proper follow-through mind you. Then if another shot is needed, you are ready. As I said in the other thread, too many are content with just sighting in or making noise at the range. Very few actually put the effort into becoming proficient. I can tell you right now that had I not spent all those hours and hours honing my skills with rimfires, I would not have been able to make those fast followup shots that I posted about earlier. Spend enough time in practice and it all becomes second nature. The less you have to consciously think about, the better off you'll be.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better myself.
 
I know how not to shoot a bolt action rifle, as proven by the very small arc shaped scar right between the bridge of my nose and my right eye. ;)
 
A better clip would show a standing shooter using his sling, etc. However, if you go through the various clips out there on bolt action shooters, it's difficult to find somebody who doesn't deliberately lose their sight picture, much less one who uses his sling.

If somebody knows of a good clip of a standing shooter using his sling, I'd be obliged if they'd post it here. For hunters, if you adjust your sling to the correct length, you don't need to go through the whole drill of disconnecting, making a loop around your bicep, etc as taught in CMP matches, etc.. You can just push your elbow through the sling, wrap the forepart around your wrist and grab the forearm. It's plenty stable for offhand game shooting.
 
1858, that's an excellent clip for bolt manipulation!

I trudged through another load of video's after watching your clip, and still can't find a single example of anyone demonstrating correct offhand shooting technique standing or kneeling - maintaining sight picture, using the sling for stability, etc.
 
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