Differences in bolt action and auto loading rim fire rifles ?

Question

I just asked a question about the differences in air rifles and rim fire rifles, and now I have a question about the rim fire rifles. Before I was only looking at Remington and they make auto loading 22 rim fire rifles, with the help of the answer to my last question i started looking at marlin rifles and saw that they also have bolt action 22 rim fire's and I was wondering what the difference in these are. I know that the auto loading ones are semi and the bolt action is obviously single bolt fired, but do they differ in accuracy? Also do they differ in price because i couldn't find prices.

Answer 1

Bolt actions are inherently more accurate by design

However the difference will not be noticeable to almost any shooter with just about any common  production 22

Answer 2

Marlin also makes some very good lever action rimfires. The 39a is an exellent dependable gun. All the major manufacurers make a bolt action and a smi auto. Marlin and Winchester are known for their lever guns. Bolt actions tend to be viewed as the most accurate style, but in a 22 you couldnt prove that by me as my 39a and my 10/22 are both tack drivers. I dont have a bolt action 22 to compare. The prices tend to revolve around the quality of the model, and not necessarily the action type

Henry also makes some nice lever guns, not sure if they make anything but those.

Answer 3

Bolt actions can be made more accurate. In the low-end rifles, that may not hold, but you'll still have enough accuracy to do well. For general hunting purposes, you may prefer the bolt guns because they're trimmer and perhaps a bit lighter. For plinking at tin cans and such, you may prefer the convenience of the auto. Or it may make no difference.

Answer 4

The accuracy depends alot on the firearm and the shooter.  Many bolt actions have more accuracy though and for serious target shooting a heavy barrel bolt action is the best.  The Ruger 10/22 comes with a target barrel and is worth the extra in price if you want that bit of extra accuracty in a semi-auto.

Answer 5

Autoloaders are still a fine choice. Its mainly a personal preference which type action you get. I  suppose I should have explained what I meant better on the other question. I simply think its a bit safer to use a bolt action because you have to consciously cycle the bolt to load a new round. An auto-loader will do that for you until the magazine runs dry. Its convenient, but you have to remember to check the chamber when you're done shooting to make sure there isn't a round in the chamber.  However if you're careful any .22 would make a fine starter gun. Many people love auto-loaders and grew up shooting them. I'm just a bit old-fashioned is all.

Generically you're not going to notice much difference in accuracy. Most .22s, regardless of the type of action, will shoot extremely well. How well, on a good day I can turn out 15-30 shot groups at 50 feet in the dime to nickel size range with a couple different types of .22s. And I'm quite sure that my rifles shoot better than I can (I'm the weak link in those groups). If you're a serious target shooter, you'll probably find that high-end (read very expensive) .22 bolt-actions tend to be more accurate. But again this isn't something a casual shooter will notice because almost any modern .22 will shoot better than the person pulling the trigger.

As far as cost goes, new bolt guns will probably be a little more expensive since they are a bit more difficult to make. Savage's bolt guns tend to be in the $150-$200 range. Marlin's bolt guns run a bit more, say $200-$300. A Savage 64f by comparison will retail for around $100-$150 and Marlin's model 60 should be in the same general price range, probably a hair more than the Savage but still very affordable.

Also, don't forget to check the used rack at your local gunshops. A used .22 bolt gun tends to run in the $75-$120 range, unless you are looking at rare guns like the Winchester model 52. Used semi-automatics should be in the same general cost range. Either way unless the gun has been badly abused, it will still probably have a bore in good condition and years of service left to give.