Bolt Action vs. the Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle

Since several of the members on this forum are actually also members of theairsoftsniper.com, I know there have to be snipers (or DMs) who've had experience with both bolt action and semi-auto sniper rifles. So, I'd like to ask you all a question about your opinion on the bolt action sniper rifle verses the semi-auto (whether electric or gas) sniper rifle. When I say "your opinion" I mean which do you own, which do you prefer, and why. Please no arguing, just discussions

I personally own an UTG L96 as my primary rifle and have had pretty good success with it in team practices and tournaments alike. I love the feeling of pulling that bolt back, lining up the shot, and letting that 6mm BB soar. It's very rewarding (for me, anyway) to take out the enemy in this fashion. But recently I've wanted to play with a semi-auto sniper rifle and see how they handle the long range shots and closer encounters with other players as well. I used an upgraded Tokyo Marui AUG to give me an idea of this, and I loved it! I actually loved it so much I had to go and buy a semi-auto sniper rifle one week later (actually, today). Now I'm a proud owner of the Classic Army CA8-2 (SL8). I just really like the versatility that the semi-autos offer - (if upgraded enough) an accurate long shot and more rounds per minute for when things go unplanned and I find myself smack-dab in the middle of a battle. So I guess in my opinion I would lean more towards the semi-auto, but that still doesn't take any beauty away from my first love, that is, the bolt action rifle

(might I add, I realize most of you probably have bolt actions. So please don't take this as I'm against bolt actions. It's the very opposite, actually)

I'm in love with bolt action. It's mental. Seriously if You know (like just deep down KNOW) you only have One real good shot from a sniping position like with a bolt action, I always take that extra bit of time to make sure that shot is going to hit it's target. W/ a semi-auto, you always know you can just pull that trigger any time you like. So with me it keeps me much more technically sound to have a bolt action. plus after a kill it's sooooo good to just smile and pull that next round into the chamber.

Very true DK. It is a lot more satisfying, and requires the shooter to be much more tactical - which in my opinion is one of the best parts of airsoft (tactics). One of the things that makes airsoft so great is the need for tactical thinking, the use of teamwork, and military simulations. If the sport were about how much ammo you could fire it'd be paintball Just kidding, all you paintballers!

But I do agree, the bolt action fits perfectly with the ideas behind airsoft. Being able to rely on your own skills/experience and making every shot count is key!

Back in my early paintball days, I started out with a pump (PMI Trracer for you paintballers) and it was pretty accurate for a paintball gun. After being pinned by semi auto's enough, I finally saved up enough money to get an Automag (semi auto), which at the time was one of the best guns in the game (before all the electronic super guns). I started noticing that with the semi auto I was able to put out a lot of rounds and for once I was pinning people down instead, however I also noticed that I wasnt necessarily getting more hits with it. In fact, I think in my first few years I had more hits with the pump than I did with the semi auto for about 3-4 years. There are a lot of factors behind this, one being that I learned how to use a pump effectively by relying on accuracy and timing. The other is that I played smarter with the pump knowing what had to be done in order to get kills and survive. While you may say well that was paintball, I think it still relates to the difference in using a bolt action vs. a semi auto to some extent.
Of course, last year I finally upgraded to some higher end electric guns with 20+ BPS capability and I have had way more hits than before... so I guess its all in what works for you.
If you have ever played in paintball tournaments, ROF is a very important factor. Of course accuracy is needed to hit targets, but if you have a high ROF you can block off parts of the field by "shooting the lanes"... I think in airsoft it is a similar story, if you can put full auto fire ontop of somebody they arent going to want to move much or shoot back until you stop.

Now on to Airsoft...
I own the M14... its pretty accurate, has decent range, and looks really cool. As far as performance I think it is very satisfying to shoot. I have shot a few bolt actions (Admin's L96 included) and they are fun to shoot, but I can see where if you werent careful you could get pinned down to the point you couldnt shoot back with your rifle. I think you would need a pretty good sidearm and learn to switch between the two frequently for these situations.
There is a particular person in this forum that got to close to an upgraded AK47 a couple of weeks ago while using a bolt action and couldnt really get any shots off due to the hail storm of BB's being flung in his general direction. With a semi auto like a CA8, he may have had a chance, but he ended up trying to retreat which ended in several BB's hitting his backside... This isnt the first time I have done this to somebody with a bolt action. I think it will happen a lot in the future as well. If you have an AEG shooting around 400fps on .2's you are going to have some pretty good range and accuracy (atleast my replica's do) and chances are if you get within 40 yards of a sniper you will have a moderately good chance of taking them out, especially if you know what you are doing.

I like the bolt action better, because whenever i use semi auto or automatic weapons i get into bad situations. Like i would fire on a group of enemies, an miss a couple and they would end of taking me out. If i'm using a bolt action action, and feel i can take out a group of enemies, 90% of the time i am right. Otherwise i like playing with a hit-and-run technique, or shoot-and-run. Unless i am unseen by the enemy, after i take out an enemy and the rest of the squad falls into cover, i take off into the forest (i wouldn't take the shot in the first place if i didn't have somewhere to fall back to)

if im DMing i would def choose the semi auto, why u ask.... better target acquisition, im not worried about being seen or spotted so i dont need to be quiet, the Mags usually hold more for a semi auto, more after market parts(yes i do need to choose from 7 dif hop-up buckings ) , and i have the obvious increase in ROF (important because of obvious reasons)...........

now if i was sniping this would be a totally different story: i would choose a nice and quiet bolt action (VSR G-spec, or any Tanaka gas rifle) as i dont want to be herd, i also want something with a big barrel, i dont need to worry about carrying around multipull mags(2 would be fine if i had a speed loader), i dont need a vest(would slow me down), i do need to make EVERY shot count(not necessarily a bad thing), i know it will always work(i just need gas or some muscle).

thats just me though. i have experience with the Tanaka M700, the UTG M324, 1TM M4, 1 CA M4, 3 E1 M4's. < thats just what ive USED, ive shot way to many guns to count, prob of every make and model (cept the FAMAS and the FN series).

this was a fun thread TY ADMIN for the make

sticks

sticks.13 wrote:

this was a fun thread TY ADMIN for the make
sticks

Don't mention it sticks.13 I'm very interested to know what snipers, DMs, or anyone knowledgeable of the subject prefer and why. I'm impressed with the answers. Keep'em coming!

ok...being part of the tournament paintball scene for about 8 years here is my experience and take that i feel is similar and can be applied to airsoft.

firstly, in paintball ROF is important in shutting down lanes and preventing people from moving up where they can hit you,but accuracy is usually the only way you actually hit people and get kills! I have seen some teams in the past that shoot 5 times more paint in games than I do but are shooting at the bunker rather than the sides where i could get hit.....I always just laugh at them and shoot them. what I have found with myself is that you have to learn the right situations for using either high rate of fire or high accuracy. when you are by yourself and people are bearing down on you, you have to use ROF to stand a chance.(note as a sniper if they dont see you, you can stay quiet and not shoot) also, if you need to prevent ppl from moving to a good place of cover that removes your advantage....high rof is helpful. However, again....high rof doesnt usually get you any hits unless the run out in front of it, and so accuracy becomes paramount to actually hit ppl under most circumstances. the tricky part is learning when to sit back and aim, and when to shoot a lot!

so to airsoft, i think the best scenario is a sniper with a semi auto that only uses the semi when he is in a bind, but still relies on his accuracy as if he was using a bolt action while sniping. This allows him to use the stealth tactics of sniping and hopefully get the one shot one kill without reavealing his position, but still be able battle out a chance if it hits the fan!

just my 2 cents.

ps...if you think rof is all that is required in paintball....i submit that i played last weekend on an xball field and used about 75 paintballs to shoot 4 of the 5 guys while they were all shooting a ton. tell me accuracy and tactics have no importance to paintball and I can prove to you that you are wrong!

Stormtrupr, wow... that was a nice post. I am still trying to comprehend the complexity and depth of what you said.
By the way did you finally get those paintball lesson's we talked about? J/K You are an exceptional paintball player... unlike 90% of them.

You need to come out this weekend and try out the M14, I think you will like it. Plus I need some target practice.

Actually we said some similar things: shuting down parts of the field, being outgunned doesnt work well, etc... I think a bolt action can be effective, but I also think you have to be a heck of a good player to pull it off against somebody that is good with an upgraded AEG. Also, if you are using a bolt action and you hear an M249, go the other way.

lol....i do agree seabass that we said similar things. thx for the paintball props too...you dont do too badly yourself:)

i would like to try out the m14 this weekend and i will be target practice for you no problem:)

i too agree that a bolt action can certainly be effective and seems to be easier to upgrade too which is very nice! and yeah...trying to go up against a good player with aeg is gonna be extra tough once you take that first shot(better not miss!)

lol....bolt action vs m249....that is a sweet battle for sure:) the bolt action better have some distance that is for sure!

i prefer bolt action. i like the superior accuracy.. also when i use a semi auto i tend to be more like a DM and not a sniper..

to me i believe that having a bolt action may or may not be better physicaly.....
mentally... definitely better
snipers are not someone who unloads showers of bullets everywhere
snipers have the motto "one shot one kill" to me bolt action increases your accuracy by teachin you to make sure you hit your target the first time and it saves bbs^^
also having a semi auto is not really fair cuz you have range and rof
a sniper is a sniper not a support gunner not an assault man just a sniper
sniping with a semi auto ruins the spirit

do what you want but in an airsoft war i will always use bolt action

Me too I agree with you Torchy and no offense Adimn but the SL8 does not strike me as a sniper rifle , bolt action all of the way .

I don't %100 percent agree with you torch34, but I must say very nice post there. Thanks for putting some time into it. I can see where you are coming from.

I'm with torch 100%.
If you watch snipers in the(USA) Milatary,their standard sniper is a bolt-action M24 with 5 round internal clip. The 50cal is still in testing mode belive my or not, That is a smei-auto.If the milatary rarly uses semi-autos,why should we?

lol funny you say that now... 2 months ago i would have agreed with you but i read an article in combat arms today that stated that the USMC was undergoing a change of sniper systems. it seems that the USMC is replacing the DMR 21(m14 with a cool stock) with the SR25 (this is being issued to DM's only usually). it also stated that the replacement of the M40A3 would follow sometime next year. on the military channel they stated that the Army was also going to start replace its M24's with SR25's in 09. the SR25's have already been dispersed to the 10th mountain div. who did the field test for it in Afghanistan.

the M82 is being tested for its lethality against light armor and technicals in A-stan. the Marines have issued the M82 for awhile now (since A-Stan i think but i may be wrong). the navy has had them for awhile now too i think. and well SF have been using SASS's since 2001 as an option for a sniper system. granted each SF operator has the option to choose whatever weapon he wants. SF also has a totally separate budget and armory.

i wouldn't be surprised if the whole army scrapped the 5.56 contract with NATO and went for the 7.62, or at least the 6.8 round to use in the standard service weapon. then again very few congressman have even shot a gun....................... thats as far as im going lol

im starting to like the look of the M40a1 stock more and more. only is someone made the McMillan ADJ M3a stock for airsoft.

sticks

The same gun was on Future Weapons on the Military and Discouvery Channels I love that show and those two channels

sorry wrong info i was reading during summer skool (don't ask) and they plan to replace it with the Knights Armament SR25 witch is actually the M110. on future weapons it was the XM110, the x stood for experimental which was taken off because they are now being deployed in some numbers(not allot but were getting there)!!!!!

link: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,133272,00.html

so when will someone make a M110 airsoft replica? i would love to have one!

sticks

Yah but the trenge of semi-auto snipers won't last very long and i can ensure on that sticks.When a gun is semi-auto 85% of the bult gets shot out the barrel,the other 15% of the bults power goes into cocking the next bult into the chamber. Most snipers don't like that and will want 100% of the bult's power to go into the bult. And thats why i say that the "Semi-Auto" sniper rifle as a sanderdard sniper is not going to last long.

IDK the SR25 has been in testing since the late 90's. and sine KAC offered a improved version. besides there have been many very successful SASS's in the world, just for starters the whole russian military uses SASS's (SVD and VSS to be specific). Also what about the M82, which according to one many of the guys in the sand box almost never jams(they say roughly 97% in the box success). the reason most SASS's fail is because they are not properly maintained.

sticks

Are you offering to carry a barrit 50.cal on your back for 5+miles?

I do not own a sniper rifle, instead i have a AEG (WHICH IM MODDING TO A DMR!!!)

I would have to prefer bolt action...long hours in the backyard with a .177 pellets. my accuracy got to where they were all within the diameter of a quater dollar. Crouching.

I would have to agree though with DK, the more time you focus into one shot, and how long it takes you to do so, makes you the better sniper.

i have to say bolt action because of the tradition and feel it gives to sniping, it's much more quiet in general at stock. all in all it just seems perfect for true sniping.

Well i got more info for you guys on the M110. The USMC only plans on replacing the DMR 25 with the M110. So basically in the USMC all the teams that already had SASS's will have them again but "improved". Personally I'm not a fan of the Stoner style operating system. I hope that KAC mastered the stoner system, other wise people are gonna die. I still don't know what is so bad with the Garand action. Its probably a pride issue.

The Army confuses me, i read one article that stated that the Army was going to completely replace the M24(a1, and a2). Another article stated that they were going to replace the M24 in limited numbers depending on a units specialization(ie. stryker units would get it but the light infantry would not). Personally I find the second article to be a little more convincing considering the Army wouldn't want to waste money on units that are going to be at a loss by certain the minor decrease in range, or if the unit is not operating in a AO that needs the semi auto capability of the M110 (ie. soldiers fighting in the mountains of A-Stan would not need it as much as a MP unit thats posted on a roadblock in Baghdad).

I think im going to stick to my answer that I posted awhile back. If im DMing i would want a SASS or something similar. If I was a full blown sniper i would want a Bolt action.

In reality what I'm thinking about doing (depending on the VSR trade that I might take), is doing something like Close Sniper Support and Recon. Basically I would be acting in close support of a squad as a sniper. Some of you are probably thinking..... Wait thats just a DM. kinda sorta but not really, by close I mean 50-75ft away from the main group that I would be supporting. I have a feeling that i would be doing more recon than sniping but I'm fine with that. I still don't have all the specs formulated in my head yet but right now im working on my sniper load out as we speak.

sticks

Hey, I don't mean to nOOb up the place here, but......what is a DM? Doesnt it mean like, somebody who is sort of like a sniper, onlt there AEG has greater accuracy and FPS, and generally a lower RPM?? I'm just guessing here, I think I remember it being something like that. But what exactly does it mean and/or stand for?