Semi or bolt, which one do you shoot most often?

Which do you shoot most often, assuming the same caliber?

  • Semi auto

    Votes: 64 44.4%

  • Bolt action

    Votes: 80 55.6%
  • Total voters
    144
  • Poll closed .
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stubbicatt

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Fellow contributors! For health reasons I'm sort of laid up right now, and consequently I have little to do but think! So this morning I thought I'd throw a question out there.

Assuming you have two rifles in the same caliber, which one do you shoot most often, a bolt action or a semi auto? By this I mean, you are about to leave for the range or the hunt or what have you, and you are reaching into the safe... which one do you grab most often?

(Personally, when I do shoot the semi auto I expend more rounds, but I shoot my bolt rifle more frequently, just fewer rounds each time).
 
Closest thing I have to a bolt gun is a Ruger No. 1 Tropical Heavy Falling Block in .458 Win Mag.


My first bolt gun will be in .375 H&H.



I like big and historic cartridges and I never know when a rogue elephant will hit my cul de sac.
 
I have just as much fun shooting a handful of .308 as I do dumping a few mags of .223.
For me, careful paper punching is my go to for a good time.
 
I actually don't have any bolt action firearms.

The closest I have to a manually operated gun is a S&W Model 66. Kinda a retro cool thing with that.

BSW
 
I have .22 LR, 9MM, .300 BLK, & .223 semi auto rifles. I do not have a bolt gun in any of those. I used to have a .223, and will again one day, but not right now.

I suspect the semi autos would get more rounds through them.
 
i shoot a lot more rounds through semis, but i shoot my bolts more often
 
I have a lot of bolt guns from .22 LR-458 Winchester, as well I have a lot of semi-autos again from .22 LR-thru .300 Remington. However the ones I've been shooting most frequently is my AR-15s and my Mini-14.;)
 
I have all of my grandfather's and my father's bolt rifles, and I use them for most hunting, but I am using AR-pattern rifles more and more. Not only for preference, but to push for a greater acceptance of AR-pattern rifles as hunting weapons.
 
I do virtually nothing with bolt guns.

My firearms are almost all exclusively for defensive use, or practicing/training for defensive use. As such I don't personally have much use for bolt guns.

Also, I just can't afford to get into everything, so bolt guns and precision shooting are a couple categories I haven't branched into yet.
 
stubbicatt said:
Assuming you have two rifles in the same caliber, which one do you shoot most often, a bolt action or a semi auto?
Click to expand...

In the same caliber ... that makes it a little tougher. The only cartridge for which I have both semi-auto and bolt action rifles is .308 Win. I have three of each chambered for .308 Win and I shoot the bolt action rifles way more.
 
I was considering this the other day, and even though I have a few ARs, I really don't shoot them nearly as much as my bolt guns, or pistols for that matter. I've really been shooting most with my 17hmr Cz, it's a blast to plink out to 200 yds with... I could use the ARs for that purpose too, I guess I just prefer a bolt gun for leisure shooting.

My one semi that gets lots of range time is my modded 10/22, it's tack driving accurate, and tons of fun to boot.
 
For target shooting I usually grab a semi. For hunting I grab a bolt action (here in PA it's illegal to hunt with a semi unless it's a shotgun and you are hunting birds). I shoot way more rounds at targets then I do at game, so I chose "semi".
 
Assuming you have two rifles in the same caliber, which one do you shoot most often, a bolt action or a semi auto?
Click to expand...

I totally missed this in the OP. I apologize for posting something that had nothing to do with your question.
 
i shoot a lot more rounds through semis, but i shoot my bolts more often.
Click to expand...

+1 to taliv. When I shoot a semi, I tend to chew through more rounds. Especially lately, I've hardly been taking them to the range. Bolts get much more of my range time, whether rimfire or centerfire.
 
I have only overlap in two cartridges....22lr and .308. In either case the semis win, not least because the bolt guns are outnumbered two or three to one.
 
I usually shoot bolt action.( so as a habit, when shooting semi, I
sometimes I try to lift the bolt-oops)
 
What about other options?

I only own ONE semi auto rifle, a Ruger 10-22. And the only reason I've got that is because I want to do a project style gun with it. I don't really even like shooting it that much.

My choices for actually taking out to enjoy are single shot rifles of all manner and calibers, lever action, pump action and finally bolt action. Of the lot my favourites are the single shots followed by a tie for second place between pump and lever. Bolt actions are a very definite third/fourth on the list.
 
I can go years without shooting a bolt gun.

I just started shooting my M70 on a regular basis, but only because our club started a new match series using them.
 
stubbicatt:

First off, truly sorry to hear you're laid-up. Been there; done that. No fun.

Now, to the question. I own more bolts 5 to 1 over semi-autos. When I shoot the semi-autos, I tend to fire more rounds, of course that is until I turn-off the gas. M1As can be fired "bolt-action-style". That also saves the brass. Invariably though, I turn it back on for some blast-fest. :D

I fire my bolt-actons more times per year, but far fewer rounds, focusing on precision, for varmint hunting and big game hunting.

Hope all comes around soon for you.

Geno
 
Where I have both a semi and bolt action rifle chambered in the same cartridge, I probably shoot both about the same. But, in these cases, the semi auto rifles are long, heavy barrel versions and are more suitable for shooting from a rest.

That said, I have more semi-auto rifles than bolt action rifles.
 
I have mostly levers, the few calibers i have that cross over on the bolt/semi, bolt, haven't shoot the semis more than 3 times in the last 8 years.
 
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