Lever vs. Bolt Action - Which do you prefer?
- Thread starter bWONGER
- Start date
thepolinator
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Sudbury, ON
Bolt or nothing... jk... i like levers too, but bolts are my fav
Bolt action is inherently more accurate. 
Lever may be quicker in the bush, so it all depends on terrain.
Browning BLR trigger is not adjustable, not sure if other levers have adjustable triggers. If you like light triggers, stay away from BLR.
I definately prefer bolt action.
Lever may be quicker in the bush, so it all depends on terrain.
Browning BLR trigger is not adjustable, not sure if other levers have adjustable triggers. If you like light triggers, stay away from BLR.
I definately prefer bolt action.
hifiwasabi
Regular
- Location
- I live in a giant bucket.
Remington pump gun! Plenty accurate and 308 and 30-06 are dime a dozen.
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
If I could only have one rifle it would be a bolt action 30-06.
- Location
- Steel Town
Tikka T3 bolt action -- in 30-06 or 6.5x55
Commercial Mauser 98 action -- 7x57 or 6.5x55
All other bolt actions -- pick a short action calibre. I prefer 7mm-08 over 308
If you prefer lever (I don't)... go for a versatile calibre like 45-70.
Commercial Mauser 98 action -- 7x57 or 6.5x55
All other bolt actions -- pick a short action calibre. I prefer 7mm-08 over 308
If you prefer lever (I don't)... go for a versatile calibre like 45-70.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Bolt, far and away.
From where I grew up a bolt 30-06 is the no brainer but now I see more win 300 mag than before. In Nova Scotia I find there is a lot of lever action. It all comes down to personal preference, I like irons personally and unless I go into a high end bolt action I am forced to use a scope. If I was in a plain I'd take a scoped bolt however, but most of the time I happen to be in the bush so lever it is.
I've seen way too many problems with the lever action rifles to even bother again. Even cheap bolt from the respectable manufacturer has more appeal than lever to me nowadays. It shoots flater, farther and more accurate on cheaper than any lever I ever owned.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
A bolt action carbine can be as handy as a lever action, although the narrow profile of the latter is preferred by some. A bolt action is less prone to damage, whereas a tube fed magazine is put out of action if the tube is dented. Cartridges chambered in bolt action rifles are typically more powerful than cartridges of the same bore size that are chambered in traditional lever actions. Due to its stock design, a bolt action tends to manage recoil better. A bolt action is easier to maintain in the field. A bolt action is easier to shoot accurately.
Arguments in favor of bolt actions don't stand up as well against the modern lever actions like the Savage 99, the Winchester 88, the SAKO Finnwolf, and the Browning BLR, that all have internal hammers, box magazines, or in the case of some 99s, internal rotary magazines, all are chambered for modern cartridges, and all easily accept optics. The modern lever action though is still more complex than the bolt action, resulting is a higher manufacturing cost, which probably accounts for the fact that bolt actions dominate the landscape, while most of the modern lever actions, other than the BLR, have been discontinued. The market place has declared its preference for the bolt action.
Arguments in favor of bolt actions don't stand up as well against the modern lever actions like the Savage 99, the Winchester 88, the SAKO Finnwolf, and the Browning BLR, that all have internal hammers, box magazines, or in the case of some 99s, internal rotary magazines, all are chambered for modern cartridges, and all easily accept optics. The modern lever action though is still more complex than the bolt action, resulting is a higher manufacturing cost, which probably accounts for the fact that bolt actions dominate the landscape, while most of the modern lever actions, other than the BLR, have been discontinued. The market place has declared its preference for the bolt action.
that is a message that should not be public ...
Another argument for the classic lever is that they are easier to carry around, especially a 94 action. It's like carrying a stick, a bolt with a scope is more akward and you have to be more careful to not hit the scope.
Everyone has their bias and here is mine.
I have owned both bolts and lever actions and would choose a bolt action.
Bolt actions are designed to give a good cheek weld for scope use, are simple to take apart and maintain, especially in BC weather conditions. Good accuracy and follow up shots.
I had a couple of lever actions and found the maintenance to be a pain in the ass, like taking apart a swiss watch and the accurate follow up shot wasn’t that much different than a bolt gun, all about practicing with the gun you plan to use.
I am also a bit biased as my eyes are not the best as I get older so all my guns have scopes, so I find a bolt action works for me.
If you want fast follow up shots I would recommend going straight to a simple semi-automatic like the benelli R1.
I was thinking about this last night when I got back from a couple of days of bear hunting. The weather here is sometimes like someone holding a water hose on you. With the R1 it was a simple matter of a quick disassembly to let everything dry out. I remember my old lever actions were a pain to maintain in high moisture areas.
I have owned both bolts and lever actions and would choose a bolt action.
Bolt actions are designed to give a good cheek weld for scope use, are simple to take apart and maintain, especially in BC weather conditions. Good accuracy and follow up shots.
I had a couple of lever actions and found the maintenance to be a pain in the ass, like taking apart a swiss watch and the accurate follow up shot wasn’t that much different than a bolt gun, all about practicing with the gun you plan to use.
I am also a bit biased as my eyes are not the best as I get older so all my guns have scopes, so I find a bolt action works for me.
If you want fast follow up shots I would recommend going straight to a simple semi-automatic like the benelli R1.
I was thinking about this last night when I got back from a couple of days of bear hunting. The weather here is sometimes like someone holding a water hose on you. With the R1 it was a simple matter of a quick disassembly to let everything dry out. I remember my old lever actions were a pain to maintain in high moisture areas.
