30.06 semi auto or bolt? I don't know?

Question

I am going to buy a 30.06 so I can hunt with and have it in my home and something I can't decide is if I want a bolt or semi-automatic. They both have there ups and downs. A bolt I'm sure is more accurate and faster probley and you stick the bullets in the gun which can be handy so you don't have any magizines and a safer gun.
But it only holds 3-5 shots at most and semi auto magizine holds like 3 I think. A semi-auto would be better for self defence because you don't have to mess with the bolt every time you fire. and you have magizines and if you want to reload you can have alot of magizines and just pull it out and put it back in and you don't have to load them in slowely one bye one.

So which one do you think I should get. I may not even do any hunting with one anyway.

Which one is cheaper and which one cost more anyway.

Answer 1

Well if you like fast follow up shots because you are not a good shot in the first place, you will need the semi-auto but on the other hand if you are a good shot, a bolt action will work the best.

Both will hold about the same amount of rounds be it bolt or semi-auto. If you do not plan on hunting and just what a good target rifle check out a 233 or 308, both are fairly accurate out of the box, factory loads will cost less and so is the recoil.
Last of all none of these are a real good choice for the self defense "home protection", FORGET THAT 30-06! Those rounds will end up in your neighbors home.

If you want a self defense pick a handgun in a 40 cal. and a good place to start is a GLOCK.

Answer 2

bolt action rifles will usually outshoot semi-autos for accuracy purposes. A quality .22 bolt gun with a good bore should be able to shoot 50 rounds into a 1 inch circle at 50 yards (the shooter may have to practice a bit) Just about all major makers produce a bolt action .22 that can do this kind of work...If you spend the money for a Kimber or Ruger 77/22 I'd expect nothing less... I shoot a standard tapered barrel 77/22 with a Simmons 4 power scope... and it will place 50 rounds into a quarter sized hole at 50 yards.. shooting prone... and can nearly do the same at 100 if the wind is calm...out of the box with no trigger work... If marksmanship is your goal stick with a bolt rifle... folks shoot semi-autos to fast for the most part and can pick up some bad habits.. working with a slower bolt action lets you reflect on whats working and what you did wrong from shot to shot.

Answer 3

Please get at least 2 guns, a good semi-automatic pistol like a Glock 10mm for self-defense, and a bolt action rifle for hunting.
I would recommend a Ruger model 77 with a stainless steel 22" barrel and a synthetic stock in .308 instead of .30/06 for hunting. The .308 was designed by the US military, and replaces the .30/06. The .308 is also more accurate than the .30/06 because of the case design and the resulting dampening of harmonic resonation that is the enemy of accuracy.
If you might not go hunting, get the Glock 10mm first, because you never know when you will have to defend yourself, and a rifle is not a good choice for that.
My attitude toward guns is you need one for each purpose you intend to use a gun for. I have 32 so far, and can think of a couple more reasons to get more guns...

Answer 4

You seem undecided at this point as to true duty of the weapon.
The best of both worlds could be had for the same amount of investment with a pump action as in Remington 760 Pump 30-06, Dependable, accuracy close to a bolt and still clip fed.
For hunting I am a fan of the bolt, single shot and pump actions.
For home defense the 30-06 is not the first thing that jumps to my mind in calibers.
Unless your wonting to set up a sniper rig, then the automatic is low on the list for that job.
If you looking at clip feed for speed it takes more then 3 round capacity to be truly beneficial in a combat firefight situation.
When I thank of self defense and hunting combo auto combo, the first thing that jumps to my mind is the tried and tested M14 magazine fed 10 to 20 round common, which is 308 and ballistic speaking the same as an 30-06 up to 168 grain bullet any thing over that the 30-06 shows it’s true potential.
I my self see a home defense weapon with all things considered in my order.
1 = 12 gauge pump 18 to 20 inch barrel,
2 = Hand gun of either style auto or revolver 45 ACP 40,357mag, 38 Special, 9MM.
3 = Rifle Semi Auto ( 1 )Mini 14 in 223 or 7.62 x 39 ( 2 ) M14 308
4 = Bolt action of preferred caliber from 223 to 50 BMG.

Answer 5

This is all wrong. You have to be honest with yourself in regards with what you want your gun to do. Hunting and self defense do not go together. And a rifle is not the best idea for defending your home unless a platoon is stroming down the street for your front door as you take them out form the roof. Even a shot gun is a little unweilding inside a home. Imagine swinging your hunting rifle around inside a hall way while in a panic and trying to remain silent.

Oh, Congradulations on buying the round and not the gun. I am impressed you have picked out the round you want before buying the tool that shots it. Most people have that *** backwards.
You need a bolt action rifle for hunting. A hand gun is the one for the home. If you have kids like i do you get a drawer gun safe in the night stand and your hunting rifle locked in the gun safe in the closet.

Guns are best when they are optimized to do the specific action is was designed to do. A hand gun shots fast and easily at shot distances. A high powered rifle with a scope takes down game at medium to greater distances.

****, think if you missed the bad guy and that 30-06 (which will easily pass through a half inch of steel before tearing itself apart) goes through a wall or 4 and hits one of your family members. A story of a rifle round of that caliber passing through one wall and into another home would not suprise me. The 30-06 is big and bad enough to take down any game in North America except maybe the Kodiac Bear. And a story of a 30-06 taking one down would not suprise me.

Semis arn't the best for hunting. Mounting a scope or other optics can be difficult or impossible. Plus, they tend to much heavier. If you have to hike a mile or more into the woods, an extra pound or two on the shoulder can really nag at you - especially when you bag a dear and have to haul it out the woods.

Answer 6

a .30-06 is a hunting round and would be poorly suited for personal/home defense because of excessive penetration. A semi-auto like the browning bar would give you a quicker follow up shot... but a better move is a good first shot that takes your game quickly and cleanly. Savage, Remington, and Winchester all make suitable bolt rifles in .30-06.

Answer 7

Semi-auto rifle triggers cannot compete with bolt-action triggers. Get a bolt-action (or a pump).

Answer 8

bolt all the way. for the self defense get a pistol or a shotgun.