Hotburn76

Do break open single shot center fire guns have the same ability as a good bolt action gun or does a bolt action have given advantages that a break open can never have. Reason why I ask is I have a 204 ruger that I am pretty happy with and I have yet to put the time into finding a good hand load for it yet, but still have great 100 yard groups. I am wanting to get a 243 and have it reamed out to 243-AI but would still like to stay with a gun like the H&R. Can they rival each other or is the bolt always better? The single shot is not a disadvantage for me. Most of my hunting is in archery season so I have the culture of only one shot is all I need. So other then that can I be at a disadvantage with as break open?

bigbulls

No, Actually a single shot break open rifle is, at least, potentially more accurate. Provided the two rifles are ofequal quality. A single shot only has the tolerances in the barrel and the tightness of the lock up. A bolt action rifle has many more things that can be "out of whack" so to speak.

bigcountry

In my opinion, the bolt will always win. The biggest disadvantage of the breakopen is the lockup.

SwampCollie

In my own personal experience a break open single shot is not generally as accurate as a bolt gun.

Talking to different people about break opens would lead me to believe that its a close race.

But in my experiences, which have been mostly with TC Encores, they just don't hold a candle to bolt. I like the TC, and I wish mine shot better, and I wish I could get TC to answer the phone or call me back or respond to my emails... but I guess they are so backed up with other disgruntled owners that they haven't the time to fix their warrenty problems.

SILVERTIP-CO

I agree. Assuming both chambers were reamed square to the bore the bolt gun would win as it locks the case in using camming action, and maintians proper headspace. A single shot cant do that. SO bolt would probably win. Diff is so small we cant measure it tho. Shoot what ya like.

...but then again Creedmore rifles were single shots made juist for 1000-2000 yard shooting. SO there ya go.

HEAD0001

There are way too many factors to say that one action is better than the other, or more accurate. IT is obvious that a bolt action will be the most accurate, but so much more work can be done to a bolt-that you basically can not do to a break action.

The barrel is the weak point in the accuracy of a rifle. You must have a good barrel. But then you must remember the accuracy that semi-auto's are now enjoying.

For the money the single shot is (IMO) as accurate as any. The problem is you can put a lot of custom gunsmithing into the other actions, that you really can not do to the break open. Tom.

oldelkhunter

As a measure of potential accuracy just look at what bench rest shooters are using. Don't see too many TC pro hunters on the circuit. Wit a breakopen you are removing the rifle from your rest everytime you reload as opposed to a bolt action. YOu have 2 stock pieces(forrend and butt)and different stresses then an action that uses one stock.

eldeguello

Any rifle with a two-piece stock design has a potential for being harder to get real accuracy from than a one-piece stocked rifle, exemplified by the bolt-action. However, there are SOME falling block and break-action rifles that will shoot 1/2 MOA. I once owned a TCR 83 break-action rifle. I had three barrels for it, a .22/250, a .243 Win., and a .30/'06. The 22/250 was extemely accurate;the .243 was just terrible, and the '06 was somewhere in between the other two. This was when using the same breech section (receiver & stock), and the same forend.

In addition, I have a Heym 55/77 combination gunwith a .30/'06 under a 20-ga shotgun barrel. This '06 will shoot Sierra and Nosler 200-grain bullets with 60 grains of H4831 through essentially the same hole at 100 meters...... Of course, this massively-breeched rifle appears to me as strong as anything small enough to be carried hunting!

Then, there's my old Ruger 1B in 7mm Rem. Mag., that shoots 3 rounds into 1" at 200 yards, and a 1A in 7X57mm that is not much worse.....

skb2706

Since I don't consider bench rest to be any more than one measure of accuracy potential, whether a break action rifle is used on the circuit or not doesn't show me anything.
I don't shoot alot of paper I shoot alot of pds....I have several dedicated rifles for doing just that. We shoot ranges from something less than 30 yds. to well beyond 400yds. My TC Contender carbine in .204 Ruger will hang in there with any bolt rifle brought out to the pasture to date. My kill percentages are as good or better than the guys I shoot with. They all use bolt rifles, I rarely do. I have many other break actions that will do the same...it is a measure of accuracy that means much more to me than making holes in paper.

Doe Dumper

T/C still has my vote for the racket of the century with the Pro Hunter. I mean who else would actually have the audacity to charge nearly 700 bucks for a polkstock and actually sell them!!?!???! I guess giving freebies to everyone whos ever hunted on tv probably helps...