Most sportsman know that taking a 22LR moose hunting is a bad idea. While the debates and understanding around various cartridges are endless, there is much less discussion around rifle action types. Many people are ignorant to the positives and negatives of different action types for different applications. This can lead them to pick a rifle that is no ideal for their application. Please note that this article speaks in generalizations certain rifles may shoot better than others regardless of action type. Let’s take a look at some of the common action types for hunting rifles and what their uses are.
Bolt Action
First of all let’s take a look at the most popular style of rifle for hunting in North America. There are several good reasons for this. First of all a bolt action rifle doesn’t necessitate anything be touching the barrel. Furthermore, bolt actions are very simple and are consistently in the exact same spot when locked every single time. This means fewer variations between shots. Since consistency is the key to accuracy, bolt action rifles tend to be the most accurate of the common action types, except perhaps single shots. However, many single shots are simply bolt actions without a magazine.
Another advantage of the bolt action is weight. Because of the simplicity of the action and the ability to feed well from a box magazine, they can be made very light. There is no requirement for the added weight of a system to move the bolt. This is an advantage for hunting, where rifles are carried a lot more than they are shot.
However, the bolt action does have one large drawback. The rate of fire on a bolt action, while still quick in the hands of a competent shooter, is the slowest of the common rifle actions. This can mean fewer opportunities for follow-up shots in the field.
Lever Actions
At one time the lever action was the king of the deer woods, with the Model 94 being the deer hunting rifle. Lever action rifles still have many of the great attributes that made them so popular. First of all, lever action rifles are fast. While not as fast as a semi-automatic, they are quicker than a bolt action. Also, many lever actions feed from tubular magazines. This is a trade-off: they preclude the use of spitzer bullets and their ballistic benefits, but offer higher capacities than the traditional bolt action flush fit magazine. Lever actions also tend to come in light handy packages.
However, lever action design do have some disadvantages. First of all, they are more mechanically complicated than bolt action designs. This typically means worse accuracy. Historically many lever actions ejected out the top which made it harder to mount a scope, although modern lever guns do not have this problem.
Also, it can also be difficult to actuate a lever when prone, for obvious reasons. This isn’t an issue if you are using the gun in brush where shots will be close and overtop of the groundcover. It can however be a large negative when hunting open country or up in the mountains.
Pump Action
Pump actions share many of the same positives and negatives as lever actions. They offer speed in between a bolt action and a semi-automatic, at the cost of accuracy. However, the biggest detractor for
pumps is a lack of pump action rifles on the market. At the time of writing, the only modern pump action rifles that come to mind are the TROY PAR and the Remington 7600 series of rifles.
Besides availability, pump action rifles offer many of the benefits of a lever without being nearly as difficult to fire from the prone position.
Semi-Automatic Action
Semi-automatic rifles are on the opposite end of the rate of fire equation. The rate of fire of a semi-automatic is excellent, allowing for follow up shots on even the smallest of windows. Another benefit of the semi-auto is that most semiautomatics absorb some of the recoil of the firearm during the firing cycle. This translates to less of a thump to the shooter from the same cartridge when compared to manual actions. Lighter recoiling cartridges are easier to shoot well making this an often overlooked advantage.
On the other hand, semi-automatic actions necessitate some sort of self loading system. In the vast majority of modern designs this is accomplished by attaching something to the barrel. Attaching a system to the barrel adds complexity and reduces accuracy through affecting the consistency of the barrel harmonics. Another thing that added is weight: most autoloaders will be heavier than a similarly equipped bolt or lever action. Some people claim that autoloaders are less reliable than manual actions. While this can be true in some cases, it is very dependent on the rifle and is hard to make a sweeping generalization about.
Double Rifles
Finally we look at double barreled rifles. They are rare in North America, but enjoy significant popularity in Africa. Double rifles are as accurate as bolt guns, and offer follow up shots as quickly as a semi-automatic.
While the benefits of the double rifle seem immense, they come with some significant detractors. First of all, they tend to be a bit heavier than even most autoloaders because of the need for two barrels. There is also the issue of capacity. As is implied in the name, double rifles only ever hold two rounds.
However, these are minor gripes compared to the main reason why they are not more popular in North America: the price. A quality double rifle will run north of ten thousand dollars. The reason for this is it requires incredible levels of craftsmanship to ensure that both barrels will shoot out to the same point of impact out to any appreciable distance. This means that every single double rifle is manufactured by an expert craftsman willing to devote hours to a single rifle.
Closing Thoughts
When picking a rifle, consider the action type and how that applies to one’s intended use. There is a compromise between speed of operation and accuracy. As a general rule, the closer the expected shot distances the more speed is important. The particulars of a hunting location with extreme cold or dirt may cause manual actions to be favoured over autoloaders.
Keep in mind the advantages and the disadvantages of each action. By letting one’s use case as well as the information on the action guide rifle selection, the shooter will get a better gun for them. The satisfaction of a rifle used in the perfect role is special. As my father used to say “Always use the right tool for the job”.