Why are Bolt Actions so fun?

[AlanWrench]

I've been shooting most my life, though I'm only 19, and I just love shooting bolt action rifles. Every one I've picked up I have fell in love with.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I am the same way.... I much prefer to shoot a bolt action rifle over a semi any day. I don't even own a semi automatic rifle anymore.

 

[wsenefeld]

I like how much ammo I save with my bolt-action. I focus more on the fundamentals and shot placement whereas with my ARs I prefer to see how fast I can move between targets.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Same reason a manual transmission is more enjoyable than an automatic transmission.

 

[TheWabbit]

Same reason a manual transmission is more enjoyable than an automatic transmission.

And many car thieves can't drive a stick...so, bonus!

 

[Leo]

Same reason a manual transmission is more enjoyable than an automatic transmission.

There is that feeling of being "part of the machine" Some sports cars, especially early turbocharged models actually were faster with automatics that allowed the engine to stay at maximum boost. The 5 speed versions were still a lot more fun.

I shot an iron sighted .30 caliber bolt action Winchester target rifle for years in National match courses. The Rapid fire events were far more challenging, especially when recoil in sitting position would send the front sight into the sky every shot. Subtracting the time to drop into sitting position, stabilize the sling and the time for reloading, left you about 4 seconds a shot. That is an easy pace with a 5.56 semi auto whose recoil does not even take the post off the 200 yard aiming black. It is a crazy short pace for a bolt action that pushes you out of position every shot. I have cleaned the target with a bolt gun, so it can be done. Because the the difficulty, it was far more satisfying. Kind of revisiting a lost art.

I think it is good to be competent with all styles of firearms.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Fun? Always? Is someone going to tell him about the Ross?

 

[sgreen3]

I have to agree. I always seem to gravitate back to my bolt guns no matter how ate up I get with black rifles. There's something almost theroputic I think about the slow firing of a bolt action.

 

[JBTate]

With ammo prices and 22LR being as easy to find as bigfoot, over the past few years I've shot my old single shot bolt action Marlin more than anything else, possibly more than the rest combined. It was my first gun as a kid and still shoots fantastic. As mentioned above, you pay a lot more attention to every detail of each shot.

 

[Mgderf]

A few years back an 1885 Winchester "Low-Wall" found me. A friend had it, his grandfathers, and needed money so I obliged.
I did actually offer to sell it back to him but he declined.

This is a falling block action single-shot .22lr. It had been re-barreled with Winchester model 52 barrel to convert it from .22 short to .22lr. This was professionally done decades ago.

It is by far, the most fun rifle I have to shoot. Slow and methodical, but satisfying nonetheless.
It's almost not a challenge squirrel hunting.

I have a choice of different actions, but always get the biggest grin from that falling block.

I really want to try this someday.
I don't really want to burn through that much .303, but I think it would be fun to try the shoot.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_minute

 

[Leadeye]

Bolt guns are good, but there's something uniquely American about my favorite, lever actions!

 

[indy1919a4]

I really want to try this someday.
I don't really want to burn through that much .303, but I think it would be fun to try the shoot.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_minute

Goodness, go to Cheaper then Dirt, order 480 rounds of their Surplus 303 ammo for 96 bucks and do it, Life is to short to allow a mere 100 or so rounds of ammunition to get in the way of a doable desire...

 

[oldpink]

There's just something so elegantly simple and reliable about a bolt gun.
If you're a reloader, it's the best, most forgiving action to load for.
Paul Mauser perfected it over a century ago, and the basic action is so inherently good that it's nearly impossible to improve upon it since then.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

There is that feeling of being "part of the machine" Some sports cars, especially early turbocharged models actually were faster with automatics that allowed the engine to stay at maximum boost. The 5 speed versions were still a lot more fun.

I shot an iron sighted .30 caliber bolt action Winchester target rifle for years in National match courses. The Rapid fire events were far more challenging, especially when recoil in sitting position would send the front sight into the sky every shot. Subtracting the time to drop into sitting position, stabilize the sling and the time for reloading, left you about 4 seconds a shot. That is an easy pace with a 5.56 semi auto whose recoil does not even take the post off the 200 yard aiming black. It is a crazy short pace for a bolt action that pushes you out of position every shot. I have cleaned the target with a bolt gun, so it can be done. Because the the difficulty, it was far more satisfying. Kind of revisiting a lost art.

I think it is good to be competent with all styles of firearms.

I shot an Appleseed event with my Mossberg 46B bolt action 22. The timed shoot portions were a challenge, to say the least! I do love my bolt guns though, and most that I own are bolt action.

 

[Thor]

They are fun because they are guns

Bolt guns are tactile, involved, and invoke history. What's not to like?

 

[KLB]

I shot an Appleseed event with my Mossberg 46B bolt action 22. The timed shoot portions were a challenge, to say the least! I do love my bolt guns though, and most that I own are bolt action.

I used my Savage FVSR, even got my patch with it. You need to find a good rhythm. Once I did, I don't remember ever having an issue with time.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I used my Savage FVSR, even got my patch with it. You need to find a good rhythm. Once I did, I don't remember ever having an issue with time.

I didn't have problem with the time. My shooting on the other hand...

 

[Gary119]

I do the Military surplus Rifles. It's nice to shoot 303 British (Enfield) Monday, 7.92x57 (Mauser) Tuesday, 7.5x55 Swiss (K11,K31, 1911) Wednesday, 8x56 (Steyr) Thursday ETC. Nice to feel the difference between the rifles, or rifles of different country's. Then with the Mosin Nagants you have 91/30, Russian M44, Romanian M44 Polish M44, ETC. Then the Mausers, 24, 24/47, M48, and about every country under the sun. So many rifles, so little time. Then you have the histories, but that's a story for another day.

Gary

 

[DRob]

I shot them for a long time before it occurred to me there is something very satisfying about the sound of a nice bolt action rifle chambering a round.

 

[CallSign Snafu]

Bolt actions are what both world wars were fought with. Not that I wouldn't rather have an M1 Garand. There is something so satisfying about pulling back that bolt and then slamming home some more rifle food. The sound, the feel, there is no better emblem of the outdoors. If you don't have a mauser, springfield '03, Enfield, Mosin(I guess if that is your thing) get one!