I currently have a semi-auto Remington 30-06 and it is a great gun but I find that my patterns are not as tight as they were with my Winchester 243 bolt action. The 243 was a youth rifle and I haven't used it in years...I am 27 by the way...lol Anyway, I am wanting to purchase another bolt action but I want to know if the bolt action is that much of a flat shooting rifle or if I am just screw-up and can't shoot worth a crap anymore.
I am looking at two rifles right now. A .270 WSM and a 7mm Mag. Any input? I have some money that is burning a hole in my pocket. I was considering getting a new bow, I currently have a brand new bow but after shooting my fathers Mathews Drenalin, I thought about dropping some money on it and selling my Tribute or getting a PSE X-Force and selling the Tribute. Since there is only two weeks left of archery, it doesn't make sense to switch bows now when in all reality, I love my Tribute and can't think of any good reason to switch.
My '06 is a great gun for thick woods and hog hunting but I am looking for a long range gun. My dad bought a 300WSM but that is WAYYYY overkill for our little Florida deer. I love his .270 bolt action but it isn't a WSM and I have never shot a .270 WSM but I hear it is the best as far as step up from its long brother.
i have heard that in a boltaction, since the bolt is pressed firmly against each individual shot, that there is less room in between the bolt and the slug opposed to a semi auto where there might be a little wiggle room. im honestly not too sure as im no expert, just what i have heard. im sure bolt actions are much more accurate tho.
I have a Remington 742 that I use when hunting w/ my dad in and out of the truck. I had a fixed 4x, but got a good deal on a Leupold 3x9. It is a far cry from accurate, but I can shoot 3" inch groups at 100 yds which is plenty for the kind of hunting its used for. I may play around w/ some different factory loads this year to see if I can tighten that up a bit. I went with a 300WSM Sako finnlight this year and its really accurate. I can shoot 3/4" groups (three rounds) using federal premium ammunition. I am currently searching for a 270 WSM for a sheep hunt next year. I have been going back and forth between the 270 and 270WSM. The .270 is plenty of firepower, but the WSM is slightly flatter shooting and I want a gun that weighs less than 6 lbs w/o scope.
The brands that I looked at were towards the upper end of the scale. Sako, Weatherby, Christensen Arms, Nosler, and HS Precision. Ended up with the Sako cause it fit me best. From reading and research I beleive most brands are or can be made accurate with practice.
Location: Where the big deer are from, seminole county FL
Posts: 1,436
RE: Semi-Auto vs. Bolt Action
if ya want a cheap but good rifle, got with h&r handi rifle in the 270, its like 200-300 bucks, but if you dont wana do that, go with a bolt action way more dependable then a semi in my opinion. just find a good deal, try gunbroker.com
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There is a Winchester at Wally World in black synthetic with SS or Nickel barrel on Clearance for $250 that I am looking at. It is a 270WSM bolt action.
I currently have a semi-auto Remington 30-06 and it is a great gun but I find that my patterns are not as tight as they were with my Winchester 243 bolt action. The 243 was a youth rifle and I haven't used it in years...I am 27 by the way...lol Anyway, I am wanting to purchase another bolt action but I want to know if the bolt action is that much of a flat shooting rifle or if I am just screw-up and can't shoot worth a crap anymore.
I am looking at two rifles right now. A .270 WSM and a 7mm Mag. Any input? I have some money that is burning a hole in my pocket. I was considering getting a new bow, I currently have a brand new bow but after shooting my fathers Mathews Drenalin, I thought about dropping some money on it and selling my Tribute or getting a PSE X-Force and selling the Tribute. Since there is only two weeks left of archery, it doesn't make sense to switch bows now when in all reality, I love my Tribute and can't think of any good reason to switch.
My '06 is a great gun for click woods and hog hunting but I am looking for a long range gun. My dad bought a 300WSM but that is WAYYYY overkill for our little Florida deer. I love his .270 bolt action but it isn't a WSM and I have never shot a .270 WSM but I hear it is the best as far as step up from its long brother.
Thanks for any input.
I had a 7mm mag. several years ago and traded my sister for my dad's 243win. that she inherited from my dads will. I have killed one deer and elk with the 7mm mag. before trading it off. It did the job. But now I purchased a Remington 700xcr in 270wsm this last winter for my harsh weather gun due to all the guns I have are blued with wooden stocks. I am really happy so far with the 270wsm. Chronographed factory 150gr. Winchester Power Point ammo at 3200fps. out of my gun and produces 1/2" groups at 100yds. This gun will be used this year on deer and elk. I have a couple more weeks to use it. but I am ready.
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If you're looking for a rifle to go after just deer in Florida then a bolt action .243 will do for you. I can't speak for the 7mm mag or 270 WSM. But I've heard that the whole WSM system, although having the same velocity and same impact power as their more common counter parts, aren't selling as well as they were supposed to and will probably not last. So I would say go with the 7mm mag. I would first work with the rifle that you have and see if you can improve your accuracy. I personally prefer bolt action rifles or single shot because I think they force you to count on your first shot due to the fact that you don't have that second shot.
A bolt action is usually more accurate than a semi auto because the trigger can be adjusted safely down to 2 1/2 pounds or so and still be safe...Since the stock is one piece you have a solid platform to bed the barrel into and the action is locked closed during the shot...
Forget about the 270 WSM, especially for your FL deer, the 30-06 is more than you need and I will bet your groups are getting larger because you are flinching...
Some hunters flinch all the time and all hunters flinch sometime...The fix is to match your cartridge to the game so you enjoy shooting more....
Look at lighter recoiling rifles like a .243, 7mm-08, 25-06...All of these are plenty for Southern deer...Good Luck
On semi auto guns, the bolt does not unlock until the bullet is almost out of the bbl., its timed that way . I would be Leary , safety wise on getting too little of trigger pull on a field gun ( hunting ). The factorymakes them hard for there own liability issues. With in reason and safety,you can get a good trigger job on any semi auto gun. What I like about semi autos is your follow up shot if needed and yes you should get that perfect shot with the first ,but thats not always the situation while hunting .
I personally like the 06 round , if you are a hand loader , there is a lot of bullet configurations out there to load it with . If you think you are flinching , try a lighter bullet weight even if you are using factory ammo. The felt kick of a semi auto should be less that any bolt gun in the same cal., because a lot of the recoil producing energy is being used up in cycling the action.
There is a Winchester at Wally World in black synthetic with SS or Nickel barrel on Clearance for $250 that I am looking at. It is a 270WSM bolt action.
I don't like WSM (new fangled : )) calibers, but at that price, I would buy it just because, no matter what anyone else says! I would assume it's a M70, and they ain't makin' em anymore.
Semi-Auto vs. Bolt Action
