AR or Bolt Action?

[YoungGunLover]

Ok, so the title might be slightly misleading. I know there isn't a comparison between the styles of rifles. So basically I've been wanting an AR for a while now. Im a full time college student and athlete, so I don't have any time to work except for the summer. I work for extra spending money since parents understand and support me fully in being a college athlete, and it pays for college. But thats besides the point.

So I saved up over the summer and bought me a glock, and then saved back up and bought me reloading equipment. Then right before Sandy Hook, I basically had all my money saved up and was getting ready to make the purchase on an AR, then bam, craziness hits the guns stores and the ones to be found are way out of price range and overpriced. So now im building up my bank account again to purchase an AR, but find a good deal on a Savage Axis in .223 with scope.

There are 2 main reasons I want a rifle. I want to shoot distances other than pistol and .22 distances. The second is for some reason I love to reload, and something fascinates me about putting time and effort into precision rifle rounds, whether they be shot from a bolt action or an AR. The rifle wont be used for defense purposes, just to go out shooting and have a good time at the range and with friends and the occasional coyote hunt.

I guess my main question is should I set myself back $300 or so in saving up for the AR, and go ahead and buy the Savage, then start over saving for the AR again? I know this is something that will ultimately be a personal decision, but what do you guys suggest or think I would be the most happy with in my next purchase, buying the savage right now or waiting a month and getting an AR? Sorry im not a regular to the long gun threads, so please dont take offense at me posting such a long thread for my first post in the Long Gun threads. I value all of INGO's opinions and love the site . Thank you in advance for any and all opinions.

 

[jLr]

ARs have come down in price since Sandy Hook. I have recently seen 3 in the past few months at Jasper Wal Mart. I would go ahead and buy an AR.

Eventually buy your bolt gun, because you know the "evil military baby killing sniper rifles" will eventually be on the ban list. Right now I worry more about semi-auto.

 

[1911ly]

IMHO I would probably look at a bolt. It is going to not go threw the ammo as fast and it will give you more time between shots. helping your skills hopefully. I love shooting my Rem 700 30-06. Seriously thinking about getting the .223 version.

 

[10mmfan]

My advice would be to buy a good quality lower, either stripped or complete. And use it as a starting point. Then find a gun shop with a layaway policy and find a bolt gun you like and put your down payment on your gun. The reason I say this is because due to volatility in semi auto rifle market some shops won't let you use layaway for anything semi auto but are usually more willing to on a bolt gun. The lower will need accessories so I would shop for magazines first then an upper. Bolt gun is probably gonna need a scope so either way your gonna have some accessorizing to do. Good luck and have fun with your project.

 

[remauto1187]

I would have to go with the guy above.... Forget the savage and get the Remington 700 SPS .223. They can be had complete with scope and mounts for $415+tax at Walmart. (Synthetic black stock). I own the 700 SPS Tactical in .308 and I have 2- AR's.

You can always buy a AR later when the prices come back down to normal...and they will....eventually.

Buy a AR lower receiver and build your own is also an option. I have never purchased a new complete AR. Ive always built my own (4 so far) sold 2 back in 2003.

It wouldnt be hard to find someone on here (like me) that has the tools to build the AR.

Good luck with whatever YOUR choice is!

 

[YoungGunLover]

Hey thanks for the responses guys. It just seems like such a tough decision. I feel like if i went out and bought an AR that I would want to shoot it more, and feel like I might get bored shooting a bolt action after the first couple times. And I've been back and forth on building my own AR. I didn't think my first rifle purchase (other than a .22) was going to raise so many questions for me!!!

 

[MikeDVB]

Bolts are fun as are Semi-Autos. My .22LR is bolt just because I think it's more fun to manipulate the bolt between firing.

Got the AR primarily for home defense / shtf but it's a pleasure to shoot at the range.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I was in the same situation right before the Colorado shooting, I went with the AR, and bought it the day before it happened. I'm glad I went with the AR, it is more versatile than a bolt gun in my opinion.

 

[Indycobalt19]

Personally i was in the same position that you are in not to long ago. I saved up for the ar bought the ar. Then i saved up for the bolt action and got it too. Needless to say i thought i would shoot the ar more than the bolt action but i was completely wrong. I love shooting my bolt action, it takes patience, practice, and skill. To me it was more of a challenge which i like. The ar on the other hand i built for home defense and mid to close range shooting. Don't get me wrong i love my ar but she just doesn't get shot as much and doesn't have that extra challenge factor.

 

[avboiler11]

+1 on buying a Savage 223 bolt gun, but I personally would avoid the Axis.

I had a Savage 12FV in 223 and it was a no-joke, all day long, sub-0.5MOA shooter at 200 yards with 75gr HPBT and 24 grains of Varget. I sold the barrel to help finance a new 223AI tube, and kinda kick myself for doing so.

The BIG issue with a Remington 700 in 223 is barrel twist. Most .223 700s come in 1:12 which is good for varmint weight bullets, but maxes out stabilizing 60/62gr bullets. 700 Tacticals come with 1:9 barrels, which is suitable for 69-77gr bullets like one might load in an AR, but isn't suited for VLDs or the 75gr A-Max.

On the other hand, just about all Savage 223s come with 1:9 barrels, and my 12FV would put 10 shots into 0.6" @ 100yd using the 75gr A-Max (which by any stability formula, was *just barely* stable).

As for me?

I love 223s...cheap to shoot and no recoil. I built the 223 Ackley for 80gr Amax @ 2900fps (ballistically whips a 308) and kicked around another 223 bolt gun but ended up building an 18" SPR-style AR using Surplus Ammo & Arms upper/lower and a Black Hole Weaponry barrel.



The velocity is less than a bolt gun is capable of, and gas guns shoot somewhat differently than bolt guns, but they can still be more accurate than the vast majority of shooters are capable of and 77gr Noslers are supersonic to 700yd. If I don't count the optic, I've got about $1100 in the rifle pictured above, including a Gieselle SSA-E trigger, which ain't too bad IMO.

That said, you can get a pretty nice bolt gun setup with a decent optic for less than $1100.

 

[lovemachine]

If it was me, I'd get the AR. Gun shops, even Wal-Mart, are getting them back in stock, and prices are still normal. (At least they are in the GOOD gun shops)

Bradis, which may be a bit of a travel for you, had a few in stock at normal prices, and are even getting a Colt in soon.

I don't have the money to get every gun I want. So I do my long distance shooting, and up close fun stuff, with my AR. I don't need the bolt action as long as I have an AR.

AR's are great guns. They can be used for long distance and still be used as a HD weapon.

But that's just my way of thinking.

 

[lovemachine]

And, IMO, everyone should own an AR.

They ARE America's rifle.

 

[Dirtdart504]

I'm with most of the other guys here... Focus on the AR. I wouldn't get a bolt gun in .223. The round just doesn't have the range I expect from a bolt gun. I have a Rem 700 AAC-SD in .308. It wasn't that expensive and shoots sub MOA with my hand loads. I know sub MOA is no great big hairy deal, but did I mention it wasn't that expensive?

 

[remauto1187]

I'm with most of the other guys here... Focus on the AR. I wouldn't get a bolt gun in .223. The round just doesn't have the range I expect from a bolt gun. I have a Rem 700 AAC-SD in .308. It wasn't that expensive and shoots sub MOA with my hand loads. I know sub MOA is no great big hairy deal, but did I mention it wasn't that expensive?

I have the same 700 .308 AAC-SD. Since the barrel is threaded...makes me wanna go buy a can for it!

 

[IndyND]

I'll go against the grain and say start with the bolt. If you have an interest in reloading and accuracy a bolt action fits in nicely. I can't argue against the AR crowd on many points mentioned, and certainly an AR can combine accuracy and utility. I find more enjoyment and accuracy with bolt actions. Bolt actions fit well when you are striving for accuracy, taking your time with each shot and recording as much information as you care to. Semiautos are more likely to encourage faster shooting with less attention to each shot. To each his own. Good luck.

 

[j706]

Ok, so the title might be slightly misleading. I know there isn't a comparison between the styles of rifles. So basically I've been wanting an AR for a while now. Im a full time college student and athlete, so I don't have any time to work except for the summer. I work for extra spending money since parents understand and support me fully in being a college athlete, and it pays for college. But thats besides the point.

So I saved up over the summer and bought me a glock, and then saved back up and bought me reloading equipment. Then right before Sandy Hook, I basically had all my money saved up and was getting ready to make the purchase on an AR, then bam, craziness hits the guns stores and the ones to be found are way out of price range and overpriced. So now im building up my bank account again to purchase an AR, but find a good deal on a Savage Axis in .223 with scope.

There are 2 main reasons I want a rifle. I want to shoot distances other than pistol and .22 distances. The second is for some reason I love to reload, and something fascinates me about putting time and effort into precision rifle rounds, whether they be shot from a bolt action or an AR. The rifle wont be used for defense purposes, just to go out shooting and have a good time at the range and with friends and the occasional coyote hunt.

I guess my main question is should I set myself back $300 or so in saving up for the AR, and go ahead and buy the Savage, then start over saving for the AR again? I know this is something that will ultimately be a personal decision, but what do you guys suggest or think I would be the most happy with in my next purchase, buying the savage right now or waiting a month and getting an AR? Sorry im not a regular to the long gun threads, so please dont take offense at me posting such a long thread for my first post in the Long Gun threads. I value all of INGO's opinions and love the site . Thank you in advance for any and all opinions.

1st off good on you for working and saving to buy your own stuff. Believe it or not many people in your apparent age bracket do not know what that means much less how to do it.

As for your question I would recommend waiting a little bit and buying the AR. While bolt guns are neat and accurate so are the AR's. Buying an AR for the right price is like money in the bank. In addition if you get a quality AR set up the right way it will shoot with most factory bolt guns accuracy wise. The AR is also something that you can upgrade as you go and as you can afford. Personality I think most shooters will enjoy a AR more than a bolt gun.

Reloading- Man I am with you on reloading....I love it. Not only does it save me money but I can make better than average ammunition.

 

[Slapstick]

I'll go against the grain and say start with the bolt. If you have an interest in reloading and accuracy a bolt action fits in nicely. I can't argue against the AR crowd on many points mentioned, and certainly an AR can combine accuracy and utility. I find more enjoyment and accuracy with bolt actions. Bolt actions fit well when you are striving for accuracy, taking your time with each shot and recording as much information as you care to. Semiautos are more likely to encourage faster shooting with less attention to each shot. To each his own. Good luck.

^^^^This^^^^

If you enjoy reloading for accuracy nothing beats a bolt gun. Depending on my mood I'll bring a varity of guns to the range but one that is always there is a my rem 700 in .233. Nothing beats a .233 bolt gun for learning the basics of precision shooting, easy to reload, wide variety of components and little real recoil so you can focus on technique. just my

 

[MK34]

Definitely AR! Bolt guns will be around forever...semi autos are being attacked.

 

[Cherryspringer]

bolt or ar?

I would highly recommend going with the bolt action now. first of all AR's are stupid expensive still and prices could come back down to where they were a year ago which means you could lose money on your investment. Second the ammo is stupid expensive and AR's do encourage us all to "waste ammo". Third that Savage will be more accurate than any AR and will help you become a better shooter. Fourth you are not rolling in the money just yet and the Savage is less expensive to buy. Good luck.

 

[avboiler11]

AR's do encourage us all to "waste ammo".

I have personally found this to be true; shooting a gas gun my shots are closer together, which means less time to concentrate on fundamentals and more barrel heat.

That's 100% a shooter issue, not a rifle issue...but it IS a consideration.