So what if the OP is a 14 year old?
I come here to talk guns. I'd have been on here talking guns if this forum had existed when I was 14. If he wants to talk guns and learn here, I'll talk to him about guns too.
I wouldn't rule out a bolt action for close range work, but I accept that it will be at a disadvantage against a semi-auto. Whether the skill of the user can make up for the disadvantage is the question.
For the OP's uses, I think you should be looking at a lighter, handier rifle. Think something along the lines of the Scout concept. I agree with everyone else that a 14-18 pound precision rifle is not an ideal utility rifle.
Really, if I were forced to go the bolt action route for an all around rifle, I think I'd start with an FR-8 Mauser action, restock and rebarrel with a medium weight 18" or so .308 barrel, and keep the iron sights. A military action has the advantage of a charger guide, which is something I'd want in a rifle that might see defensive use. Otherwise, I'd look for an Enfield Jungle Carbine replica and just use the .303 round. Yeah, it's kind of obscure and they generally have shorter case life for reloading. But if you had an Enfield and 600 or so rounds on hand for it, you would be far from helpless in a crisis.
In addition to being more valuable, the original Jungle Carbines were also rumored to have suffered from a mysterious "wandering zero". Replicas don't have zero problems. FWIW, the No.4 Enfield as issued would also be a pretty damn good battle rifle that would be really dangerous to be on the recieving end of from point blank range out to about as far away as you could see something to shoot at it. If the OP hasn't ever shot an Enfield, I highly recommend it before your time on this earth expires.
You might also look for an Ishapore No.2 or 2A1 in 7.62x51, but I personally don't find the rimless round to be as reliable in an Enfield.
You make a good point. The .22LR is underestimated and more versatile than it gets credit for. During the depression one of my great uncles killed 101 deer with an open sighted .22LR in one year. He shot 99 of them between the eyes. He kept people fed. Incidentally, he also shot a fish once when it jumped out of the water to take a swipe at a bug.
Anyhow, I spent a lot of time as a kid on abandoned strip mines that people would dump trash into (they made excellent rifle "ranges"). From this, I learned that it's possible to get minute of coffee-cup accuracy with an open sighted .22LR out to around 150 yards with a steady rest and a little experience reading the wind. I would not want a teenager of the skill level I had shooting at me with a .22. Odds are I'd be killed.
I also know for a fact that .22LR LRN or FMJ will punch through a car door, travel through the passenger compartment, and exit the other door if it hits relatively square and doesn't hit glass or any internal parts on the way through.
I know that .22 JHP can repeatedly bounce off a side window and I've also seen it fail to penetrate a small pest animal. The hit was good but the bullet didn't penetrate the shoulder. I would not trust it in any way on an aggressive 200 pound attacker.
Last, it is needlessly destructive on small game animals - they are just as dead from a .22 caliber hole through the vitals (which is like a howitzer round to a squirrel) as they are from a ragged JHP sized hole. Based on this knowledge, I would exclusively rely on LRN or FMJ style ammo for the .22LR.
It just penetrates much better, which is what you need for terminal effectiveness if you have to press the .22LR into service as a defensive gun.
Sorry to hi-jack the thread - just sharing my observations.
I come here to talk guns. I'd have been on here talking guns if this forum had existed when I was 14. If he wants to talk guns and learn here, I'll talk to him about guns too.
I wouldn't rule out a bolt action for close range work, but I accept that it will be at a disadvantage against a semi-auto. Whether the skill of the user can make up for the disadvantage is the question.
For the OP's uses, I think you should be looking at a lighter, handier rifle. Think something along the lines of the Scout concept. I agree with everyone else that a 14-18 pound precision rifle is not an ideal utility rifle.
Really, if I were forced to go the bolt action route for an all around rifle, I think I'd start with an FR-8 Mauser action, restock and rebarrel with a medium weight 18" or so .308 barrel, and keep the iron sights. A military action has the advantage of a charger guide, which is something I'd want in a rifle that might see defensive use. Otherwise, I'd look for an Enfield Jungle Carbine replica and just use the .303 round. Yeah, it's kind of obscure and they generally have shorter case life for reloading. But if you had an Enfield and 600 or so rounds on hand for it, you would be far from helpless in a crisis.
In addition to being more valuable, the original Jungle Carbines were also rumored to have suffered from a mysterious "wandering zero". Replicas don't have zero problems. FWIW, the No.4 Enfield as issued would also be a pretty damn good battle rifle that would be really dangerous to be on the recieving end of from point blank range out to about as far away as you could see something to shoot at it. If the OP hasn't ever shot an Enfield, I highly recommend it before your time on this earth expires.
You might also look for an Ishapore No.2 or 2A1 in 7.62x51, but I personally don't find the rimless round to be as reliable in an Enfield.
GCBurner said:
You make a good point. The .22LR is underestimated and more versatile than it gets credit for. During the depression one of my great uncles killed 101 deer with an open sighted .22LR in one year. He shot 99 of them between the eyes. He kept people fed. Incidentally, he also shot a fish once when it jumped out of the water to take a swipe at a bug.
Anyhow, I spent a lot of time as a kid on abandoned strip mines that people would dump trash into (they made excellent rifle "ranges"). From this, I learned that it's possible to get minute of coffee-cup accuracy with an open sighted .22LR out to around 150 yards with a steady rest and a little experience reading the wind. I would not want a teenager of the skill level I had shooting at me with a .22. Odds are I'd be killed.
I also know for a fact that .22LR LRN or FMJ will punch through a car door, travel through the passenger compartment, and exit the other door if it hits relatively square and doesn't hit glass or any internal parts on the way through.
I know that .22 JHP can repeatedly bounce off a side window and I've also seen it fail to penetrate a small pest animal. The hit was good but the bullet didn't penetrate the shoulder. I would not trust it in any way on an aggressive 200 pound attacker.
Last, it is needlessly destructive on small game animals - they are just as dead from a .22 caliber hole through the vitals (which is like a howitzer round to a squirrel) as they are from a ragged JHP sized hole. Based on this knowledge, I would exclusively rely on LRN or FMJ style ammo for the .22LR.
It just penetrates much better, which is what you need for terminal effectiveness if you have to press the .22LR into service as a defensive gun.
Sorry to hi-jack the thread - just sharing my observations.
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