If you prefer bolt action..Why?

[AirForceShooter]

scythefwd
That was my point.
Every shot is different with a bolt.
Your position, cheek weld all that good stuff changes.
Now, can you make the shot?

That's the fun

AFS

 

[scythefwd]

When your shooting with money on the line, it matters. When you are plinking or just challenging yourself... not so much. I'd put money that even olympic shooters wouldn't break weld if they didn't have to, but that is competetive, not personal fun shooting.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Accuracy, reliability, durability and ergonomics, bottom line. The bolt gun is better in all of these area's, in my opinion.

 

[Daizee]

Breaking cheek weld in the offhand vs. other positions is a totally different thing.

But if you can't reacquire the same cheek weld every time you haven't practiced enough or the gun is improperly adjusted for you. It's different if you are in a huge being-charged-by-a-boar rush, of course.

-Daizee

 

[scythefwd]

daizee - I'm a bit overweight. My cheeks shift a little. I break my weld and not only do I have to get it in the exact same position, I have to move my fat around and back into the same position. Your weld may feel the same, but it very well could be 1mm off, and that is a different viewing angle on the rear sight. Like I've said, I only see it really mentioned in competitions, and mostly 100y, slow fire, prone, rimfire matches. These are the same guys that are shooting accurized and customized Win 52D's or anschutzs to be competitive. I haven't been around bench rest comps. That's also where you generally see the smallest groups (besides bench comps), and you have to be dang near perfect to win. Shooting off hand, I would reckon, that groups are a little (not saying much, but a little) larger and therefore the 1mm offset isn't as big of a deal. Do they do offhand competitions at 100y with rifles?

 

[9mmepiphany]

the thinking behind not breaking cheek weld is that you never get it exactly the same twice, which means you aren't looking at the iron sights the same way twice, and you aren't holding the gun for the follow up shot exactly the same way.

i'm working with a guy to not bring his .375 H&H Magnum off his shoulder between shots for another reason...he wants to go after large bear in Alaska and eventually graduate to Cape Buffalo in Africa. i'd like him to be ready to take a 2nd shot before either predator gets close enough to make it a painful experience

 

[Welding Rod]

they don't make a 375 H&H in a semi auto

This is an excellent summary of why bolt guns still have a useful purpose.

 

[Daizee]

Like I've said, I only see it really mentioned in competitions, and mostly 100y, slow fire, prone, rimfire matches.

Hi Scythefwd,

That's the context in which I learned to shoot. Well, 50ft indoor position smallbore. The bullseye is about 1/4" (the black about 1.5"?). Since cutting the line counts as the higher score, that gives the 10-value about a 0.45" diameter, C-t-C. The guns are too heavy to hold continuously, so you must rest between shots. I've seen offhand scores of 95, and I'm sure there are better shooters than were in my circuit back then. I believe the NRA High-Power game is typically shot the same way. It's just too much to ask of your muscles to hold the rifle for long enough to make the requisite number of shots consistently, especially when you're holding half-breaths. Your heart rate increases and your muscles begin to tire, both of which I'm suggesting are more dominant variables than cheek weld.

My point isn't that a continual cheek weld is useless. My point is merely that it isn't necessary for extraordinary precision. Sure, not every rifle is an Anshutz with 17 DoF in the stock, but honestly LoP and comb height are the most important, and that's manageable in a lesser rifle.

You bring up a good point about body issues. Certainly every shooter must accommodate his or her own personal body variations, and no two shooters will use exactly the same position for that reason. Everyone has to play to their strengths.

Cheers,

-Daizee

 

[Daizee]

i'm working with a guy to not bring his .375 H&H Magnum off his shoulder between shots for another reason

Then how do you get the ice-pack in there between shots? :-D

-Daizee

 

[shootr]

Agree with most all that's been said.

For me, it's ease of cleaning, overall simplicity and because I just enjoy working a smooth bolt.

In general, while bolts are often more accurate, ARs are the exception IME.

 

[Howard Roark]

All bolt guns are not created equal. Check out this video about the Tubb 2000, the most advanced bolt rifle ever built:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kRK05NcAO8

At the 1:15 mark Tubb is shown shooting sitting and prone rapid fire. You will notice there is no head lift or head movement at all.

 

[jatienza]

Semi-autos burn up ammo much faster than a bolt gun.