Hunters, military and law enforcement precision marksmen need reliability in rifle function and often one or more fast follow-up shots. With proper operation a bolt-action rifle can deliver both. What might surprise you is that with rifles chambered for modern hunting cartridges, accurate sustained fire with a bolt-action rifle can be as fast as what can be obtained with semi-automatic rifles.
    Several years back I conducted a test with different rifle actions where I engaged three targets with one shot each. The targets were placed in a 20-degree fan at 30, 60 and 90 yards. Standard hunting cartridges offering moderate recoil, like the .270 Win. and .308 Win., were used. Using a shot timer I recorded how long it took for all
three shots with each action type. Times averaged between 6 and 10 seconds.

Controlled-round-feed actions, like this Winchester Model 70, are popular with dangerous-game hunters. They can still jam if operated improperly.

     What surprised me for the most part was that if operated properly, rifle-action design seemed to have little influence on the outcome. Initially I expected times with semi-automatic rifles to be faster. This was not necessarily the case. The only reasonable explanation I could find for this was that I tended to ride out the recoil of the semi-automatic, meaning: I did not attempt to get the rifle on the next target until recoil was complete. Conversely, with bolt-action rifles I immediately began aligning on the next target as I cycled the action.
    To validate my results I ran several other shooters with better-than-average experience through the test. While times varied from shooter to shooter, one fact stood out: Speed was more influenced by shooter skill than by action type. With bolt guns, long or short actions seemed to have no bearing on speed, although bolt throw did. The Browning A-Bolt, which has subsequently been eclipsed by the X-Bolt, consistently turned faster times than rifles with a bolt throw larger than its 60 degrees. Granted, we’re talking fractions of a second, but A-Bolts were consistently faster.
    My findings were confirmed during workshops gun writer John Barsness and I have presented for Sisk Rifles. Barsness’ portion deals strictly with dangerous game in the form of a charging Cape buffalo target, and I deal with shooting multiple and moving targets. During the evaluations and training we have discovered several trends and some new things.
    Shooters often remove the rifle from their shoulder before working the bolt.
    Shooters often take their eyes off the target(s) when cycling the action.
    Actions are not worked forcibly enough.
    Actions are not worked fully.
    Actions are not worked consistently.
    Operation of a bolt-action, repeating rifle is straightforward; you pull the bolt handle up and to the rear ejecting the spent case and then push it forward and down to chamber the next cartridge. As simple as it may seem, the process is often performed incorrectly.

    Removing the rifle from the shoulder during bolt operation drastically slows the delivery of a follow-up shot because the rifle must be remounted. The same can be said for taking your eyes off the target. I theorize too much time on the bench, conducting relaxed shooting, reinforces these bad habits.
    Working the bolt with insufficient force often results in “short stroking” the bolt and less-than-positive ejection. Rifle actions based on the ’98 Mauser design have fixed ejectors. The force and distance these actions eject an empty case is directly proportionate to the force with which they are cycled. For those who think a bolt-action rifle cannot jam—especially one of the controlled-round-feed designs—shooters going through both the charging buffalo and field exercises experienced jams and double feeds. Short stroking even resulted in a few shooters rechambering fired cases.
    In one instance a shooter managed to let his hand drag over the safety as he pulled the bolt to the rear. When he closed the bolt, the rifle was on safe and would not fire. I only mention this because it could very well be a case that could be duplicated in a life-threatening situation. It may also be one of the best arguments I have heard for tang- or bolt-mounted safeties.

    The charging buffalo target was best at identifying these shortcomings in bolt manipulation mostly, I suspect, because of the stress induced. Even though most of the shooters enrolled in the program were experienced hunters, few were initially capable of getting three hits on the buffalo’s kill zone before it reached the shooter. The target was pulled by an ATV that covered about 120 feet in eight seconds, and the kill zone was more than 12 inches in diameter.
    Another issue several shooters discovered was the possibility of sear release during forcible bolt manipulation. In some cases when the bolt was slammed forward, the sear released the firing pin. This occurred most often with Winchester Model 70 actions and was the product of an improperly tuned trigger. This did not result in the rifle discharging, but it did require the bolt to be raised to cock the action before the rifle could be fired. The lesson here is that you should not adjust your rifle’s trigger unless you know what you are doing.
    With the exception of shooting a right-hand rifle left handed, there are essentially two methods of bolt-action operation—the open-palm method and the grip method. There are pros and cons to each, but if executed properly both offer the kind of positive operation and conservation of motion necessary to achieve reliable and fast operation of the rifle.

Hunters often operate lightweight bolt-action rifles from unconventional or precarious positions. In this case, the grip method of bolt manipulation is advantageous because it allows maximum control over the rifle at all times.

    Barsness and I have discussed bolt-manipulation methods at each of these workshops and he prefers the open-palm method. It may be the easiest to teach, and I think it works better than the grip method on actions with a high degree of bolt throw like that found on old military actions. It does not require the fine motor skills the grip method does, and allows more force to be exerted on the bolt handle during the lifting process. It is also a method that works well when shooting from a bipod or a solid rest.
    Because the grip method requires the shooter to actually grasp the bolt handle, the firearm is being held by two points at all times. This makes it a reliable method for the hunter who is often shooting from unconventional positions. It also provides more control in tactical situations when someone may be trying to take the rifle away.     Because the hand does not need to be rotated around the bolt in its most reward position, the grip method also requires less motion because of the natural transition from the trigger/grip to the bolt by the shooting hand.
    On our first runs, both Barsness and I placed three accurate shots on the charging buff target in the time allotted. I managed a tight, three-shot group with a well-worn .375 H&H Mag. using the grip method and Barsness obtained three kill-zone hits with an antique .458 Win. Mag. using the open-palm method. Granted, our vocation as firearms journalists sees us shooting more than most hunters, but it plainly illustrates what is possible with practice. This was further evidenced as some of the attendees practiced bolt manipulation after the initial test. In most cases shooters began getting their hits in the allotted time after several dry- and live-fire runs.

    What I found most remarkable during all of the workshops was the performance of a woman in the field shooting exercise last year. Berit Aagaard, Finn Aagaard’s widow, (Finn was a former professional hunter in Kenya and longtime Field Editor for the NRA) has always shot left handed. Finn and Berit never had the money to purchase a left-handed bolt action and, in truth, never found a reason to do so. Berit ran through the three-target field exercise in just under 10 seconds while shooting a right handed .270 Win. left handed!
    There are some shooters shooting right-handed rifles left-handed, and sometimes right-handed shooters may need to shoot from the other side. Regardless of the bolt-action rifle you use, the side from which you shoot or the method of bolt operation you employ, remember that smoothness breeds speed and that from start to finish bolt manipulation should be a continuous, forceful motion. Like my Grandpa used to say, “Do it like you mean it.”

—Richard Mann