Originally Posted by
Father Forkhorn
My philosophy is if you can get a second shot in, take it. Normally, there isn't the opportunity as they run into cover, but it is something I look for.
I did see something once that I found interesting: one of the outdoor writers compared the results of a bolt and a lever gun--aimed shot and then quick several follow ups. It was timed.
The bolt was something like four hits in a 4' circle, the lever like 7-8 hits in a pie plate. He pointed out that all of the shots with the lever would have been fatal and none would have been a hit in the stomach.
His point was that if you were in similar distances, that quick follow up ability of the lever action might be handy.
The first shot counts everytime. If the second shot was a deciding factor, it would be due to luck of hitting a moving target you missed or making up for bad shot placement from the first shot. Either way I would be upset and revert back to making the first shot count.
Use what the heck you want, just know your limitations. P.S. Caliber, recoil, and the sights used can be as important as action type in regards to shooting speed.