Hoping you'll forgive a rifle newbie, I'm trying to find out how rapidly a moderately skilled rifleman could fire a bolt action rifle, putting the rounds on target.
I'm guessing, from reading Cooper's Commentaries, that the action may have something to do with it. How's the Steyr Scout?
I'm asking because I'm in a thread over on democraticunderground where a hunter and benchrest shooter says he doesn't care if all semi-autos get banned.
Hatcher's Book of the Garand details Army and Marine Corps tests of the Garand versus the M1903 Springfield.
Obviously the range and size of target make a difference. Early (1931) Army tests recorded hits per pound of ammunition and hits per minute for the Garand, M1903, and BAR. The [.276] Garand recorded 19.5 hits per pound of ammo and 21.2 hits per minute; Springfield 12.8 and 9.0; and BAR 11.2 and 33.3. The Infantry and Cavalry board indicated the Garand could sustain a rate of fire of 20-25 effective rounds per minute and a maximum of 60. The Army officially adopted the Garand (in 30.06) in 1937.
The Marine Corps held service rifle trials in late 1940. Their tests officially selected the M1903 Springfield as the official service rifle of the Marine Corps (which changed once they saw Army units in action on Quadalcanal) but their tests included the Garand and competitors from Johnson and Winchester. Pages 146-150.
At 200 yards, the M1903 averaged 14.25 shots per minute and 13.81 hits per minute. The Garand averaged 22.31 shots per minute and 22.06 hits per minute.
At 325 yards and silhouette targets, the numbers were 8.8 shots and 3.85 hits per minute for the M1903, and 12.0 and 4.23 for the Garand.
At 300 yard moving silhouettes, the #'s were 14.25 and 3.27 / 19.10 and 3.54 respectively.
At 300 yard large moving targets, the #'s were 16.20 / 10.20 and 23.15 / 12.85 respectively.
These tests reflected a group of skilled, practiced marksmen in a short test. It was felt that for less experienced, less fit shooters, the difference would be greater, as would the sustained rate of fire.
A 1927 Army test noted (page 76)
"It was found that well trained firers, using the service rifle at 300 yards, could maintain a rate of fire of approximately ten rounds per minute, without an appreciable loss of accuracy, for a maximum periodof four minutes....all were temporarily incapacitated for further firing for a period of from six to ten minutes.
It was found that the same firers, using the two types of semiautomatic rifles at the same range, could maintain a rate of fire of approximately 16 rounds per minute, without an appreciable lost of accuracy for the same period, and without any evidence of physical fatigue....With an absence of malfunction, due to mechanical defects, it is believed that a rate of fire of 20 well aimed shots per minute could have been maintained for at least six minutes...without an appreciable loss of accuracy....
The men employed in the test had had almost daily firing, both in the regular target season and in the pursuance of these tests, for approximately two months, and were addition qualified as expert riflemen, so that the above results would probably two high for the average shot, and without the same amount of physical fitness.
Bolt action rifles remain in use as sniper rifles for engagements beyond 3-400 meters, for a variety of reasons. As most people can't even see a human with the naked eye at that distance, so it's moot.
