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Posted: 1/8/2017 10:25:31 PM EDT
| Leaving laws out of the it for the moment. Can bolt action rifles operate at temperatures that semi auto rifles can not? Or has the technology advanced to the point that a hunter can be confident with either option? |
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I've shot my AR's in some pretty fucking cold weather. My Eotech went down, but my rifles never have.
Interestingly enough, I was thinking about this same issue with my duty weapon (G22) recently. Prior to taking her out in very low temps for my AO (about 10-15 degrees), I cleaned her completely, and applied no lube. I shot just shy of 100 rounds and had 0 issues. I will try this next with a couple of my AR's (assuming I can have a diver retrieve them from the bottom of Crystal Lake). I run MPro 7 LPX lube and believe it to be the absolute best firearm lube on the market. Though I must say, Lucas Oil started making a lube for firearms and they sent our precision rifle shooters club a case of it for trial. I have about 18 months of experience with it at this point, and I have had no issues with it (I'm looking for evaporation over time or even "baking" it off). Suffice to say, with today's quality firearms lubrication products, I think you are not going to see any issues. |
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The only advantage the bolt guns have is that you can Proper lube is essential also. Really I think it's less about the state of technology, and more about what *you* specifically are using. Remington 7400's suck even in good weather. 
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Quoted:
The only advantage the bolt guns have is that you can Proper lube is essential also. Really I think it's less about the state of technology, and more about what *you* specifically are using. Remington 7400's suck even in good weather. I wouldn't expect a big difference in cold weather. But a well made bolt action will fail less than a well made semi, fewer parts normally means fewer problems, assuming the quality is equal. |
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I wouldn't use the term well. A Jewel trigger is well made but unquestionably a bad choice for inclement weather.
Bolt actions can fail if the lubricant in the firing pin channel thickens. The safety and trigger are also failure points. Older Winchesters have an advantage over most modern guns here. So do Mausers. |
| I would say for modern designs both would be equally reliable, if maintained for the given conditions we are likely to face (as hunters). Now if your talking arctic, or extreme conditions, say like what the German army faced on the eastern front during WWII, you might run into some problems. |
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