Project Appleseed

I qualified recently as rifleman with a bolt rifle and have been using bolt rifles for many years for both target and hunting, so I am going to give some of the tips which in my experience will help you in getting the patch.

First of all like a pair of shoes, a rifle must fit you (not you trying to fit into the rifle) in order so that the rifle is working for you and not against you.

So here are some tips on the rifle:
1-The single most important part of the rifle is the trigger; this is the control of the rifle and should be set between 3 and 4 pounds have no creep and no over travel, for safety and good control of the rifle.
2-A scope sight of low power, 4x or less is best.  Of small size and of light weight so as not to unbalance the rifle and the low magnification allows you to get on target as soon as possible and not magnify the shakes that your breathing and muscles will naturally make.
3-The scope is best mounted as low as possible that allows the bolt to work so you get a tight cheek weld with the stock.  For this it's best to have as small an objective and ocular lens as possible, the Leupold 2 1/2 x FXII scope is a good example of this and so is the Weaver rimfire 4x scope, there are many others to choose from.  The scope should have a forgiving eye box in order that you will easily and quickly get on target.  I am assuming a straight American style stock for scope usage.  The European hogback is good for iron sights but useless for scopes.
4-A length of pull between 12 ½ and 13 inches is best for most people of average height and arm length.  The shorter the better.  The reason for this is so you can work the bolt as quickly as possible with the minimum of effort and not take the rifle off your shoulder every time you work the bolt.
5-A round smooth bolt knob without any kind of checkering that sticks out a little from the stock is best, so your fingers will glide around like a ball bearing.  Also the bolt handle should be in the same line with the trigger or preferably slightly behind the trigger.  If you want to see a good bolt position with regard to the trigger see the old British Lee-Enfield, the US M1917 or the CZ-452 American, CZ-455 American series of rifles.
6-A thin rubber recoil pad on the stock will help to keep the stock from slipping in your shoulder pocket when mounted.
7-The rifle needs to have drop magazines with 10 rounds so you can make quick changes.
8-A sling is a must, the military M14/M1 Cotton Loop Sling is designed for this type of shooting.  Using a quick release clip or sling swivel will help in getting in and out of your sling and not tire you.

The qualifying AQT target has four stages, in the first and the fourth stage you have more than enough time to complete them with a bolt action rifle and the better accuracy of a bolt gun will work in your favor, specially in the last stage where your points double.  The third stage gives you the stable prone position and enough time to take all your shots if you do everything right.  In my opinion the real problem lies in stage two, where you have fifty seconds to take ten shots.  You can use the sitting position or the knelling position, unless you are young and very limber the sitting position with a bolt rifle given the time constrain is not your friend, the knelling position is a better compromise between speed and accuracy.

Practice with your bolt rifle getting in and out of the sling and cycling the action from your shoulder in the different positions as quickly as possible, work your bolt as if you are mad at your rifle to prevent jams and have the necessary speed to clear the AQT target in the times allowed.

Finally listen to your instructors, they are seeing your mistakes and they help tremendously in achieving good technique and consistency which is the most important part of shooting.  Go with the attitude that you are learning to shoot for the first time even if you are an experienced shooter.  Believe me, one picks up some very bad habits which have to be eliminated before you become a good shot.

So if you want a real challenge try a bolt rifle to qualify as rifleman.

Great post, Jorge!  I and my fellow instructors were all very impressed by your bolt-rifle skills at the recent Hollywood Appleseed.

I actually haven't shot Rifleman with a bolt gun, but I came fairly close at my first Appleseed (190 or so) with my Remington 504, which is high-class bolt-action 22 sporter that was discontinued about 5 or 10 years ago.  Like your CZ's you were using in Hollywood, the 504 is a 22 that looks and feels a lot like a centerfire bolt action.  My 504 is a tackdriver that came from the factory with an absolutely wonderful triggerpull.  It looks and feels almost identical to a Remington Model Seven CDL.  I actually haven't tried to shoot the AQT with a bolt gun since that first Appleseed I attended, but you've definitely inspired me to give it a go again soon.

I found I could finish Stages 2 and 3 pretty easily with my CZ-455 American.  In fact, I finished too quickly and should have taken more time to establish NPOA. 

If you keep to the Rifleman's Cadence, you only fire every 3  seconds or so.  You can definitely operate a bolt in the time it takes to cycle one whole breath.  It took me a while to develop the muscle memory that let me operate the bolt and stay focused.  I won't say I was in the bubble, because I wasn't shooting all that well until the last AQT I tried with it, when I got somewhere around 220.  But I was at least able to reach a point where the bolt wasn't a distraction.  Long story short (too late!), it wasn't operating the bolt that was the challenge, it was operating it and not freaking out about it, losing position, forgetting to breath, etc.  Dry firing a ton of simulated Stage 2s and 3s fixed it. 

Deducting the 30 seconds to shoot, you still have 25 seconds to build your position, shift to the second target, and change mags.  That's enough.  Next time I shoot an AQT with it, I'm going to slow it down and try for 8-9 5s, vs 10 4s.  If I get that last round off, great, as long as it's a good one.  I just think I owe my rifle the chance to shine at precision rather than running her as fast as she'll go. 

a couple of things to add:

IMO, if the 22 is to be used as a trainer, the length of pull should be built off of that of a centerfire - it must be long enough that the longer bolt throw does not hit the cheek during cycling - for me this is almost 15 inches, so LOP is not universal and ideally must be adjusted for the body size / shape

magazines of 5 work OK - load 5 / 5 instead of 2 / 8

with a bolt gun, practicing transitions becomes a key to the score - commonly at an event the first shot fired in stage 2 is with 25 seconds elapsed - with a bolt gun you cannot afford the luxury of using this much time, try for 9 seconds - when going back to a semi auto you will find yourself finished with stage 2 in 30 - 35 seconds

the longer bolt throw of a centerfire will have most shooters lifting the trigger elbow off the mat to run the bolt - there is no time in stage 3 to rebuild the position each time so NPOA will be out the door - this can be avoided by hunching the body toward the trigger side to run the bolt ( easier shown than described ) keeping both elbows planted and retaining NPOA - the bolt of a 22 can be run without doing this, but again train with the rimfire using the methods that will be required for the centerfire

A great book on Riflecraft is Whelen, Townsend, Suggestions to Military Riflemen http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/B0064TTILI

It is also available on Google books for free download and maybe other places.  It has great pictures and has good descriptions.

If you are looking for a good centerfire AQT rifle the Mossberg MVP is a very nice rifle. 5.56 NATO and uses AR style magazines.

Nice post Jorge,
The single most important thing for me to fire rifleman with a boltie was follow through.
Thinking time is short, and the desire to get the bolt worked, the very most important seconds are spent in follow through.
Do not release the trigger until the sights settle back on target. Just like the semiauto.

I must take exception to your comment that short stock length is better. It just does not work that way for me.
Every production rifle is made for someone just a little under average size. If you are a big person with broad shoulders, and long arms. The sitting position makes getting cheek weld, rifle butt in pocket, and trigger hand on the wrist is very difficult with short buttstock.

I want to thank everyone for the kind words to my post.  The only point of contention that I see in the other posts is the length of pull on the stock.  It has been my experience that a shorter length of pull gives much better leverage when operating the bolt than a longer one.  The only thing I suggest is that if you have a rifle with a long length of pull and it has a thick recoil pad, try and take the pad off if possible and work the rifle from your shoulder and see if it feels easier to do.

Also I see that Ruger, has a new rimfire rifle that comes in two different barrel lengths and have interchangeable stock extensions, this is probably the best way to go on a bolt action to get the most comfortable and best fitting rifle possible.

Next AQT is going to be with my Rem VTR .223   It holds six in the internal mag.  Will have to single shot the last 4 rounds.  Should be fun.  I have shot rifleman with a Savage 17 and mags.  Been working on loading the VTR during dry fire.  Will let you all know how this turns out.   Going to use a stock sleve with ammo holder on it, for the sitting position.  Will have the rounds on the ground in the prone.  Of course standing and slow fire won't be an issue with loading the last 4 rounds.

Casper  "Cory Mathis"

Quote from: Cory Mathis on September 07, 2013, 04:18:07 AMBeen working on loading the VTR during dry fire.  Will let you all know how this turns out.  

Dummy rounds, I presume? 

You bring up a good point: many hunting model bolt actions are not set up for any kind of fast reloading.  Fixed mag, no stripper clip grooves...  Does anyone know of a fix to add a groove for a strippper clip on a modern boot action? 

Yes dummy rounds for sure.  I know that Remington has a kit to make that rifle accept mags .  I just can't justify the cost of around 200 dollars.  That's 1 1/2 LTR. 

Casper  "Cory Mathis"

Quote from: Caliper on September 07, 2013, 07:46:16 AM

Quote from: Cory Mathis on September 07, 2013, 04:18:07 AMBeen working on loading the VTR during dry fire.  Will let you all know how this turns out.  

You bring up a good point: many hunting model bolt actions are not set up for any kind of fast reloading.  Fixed mag, no stripper clip grooves...  Does anyone know of a fix to add a groove for a strippper clip on a modern boot action?

Setting a rifle up for a clip slot mostly depends on that particular rifle. A long action (06 length) 308 M70 will need a product called a clip adapter. It bolts into the rear scope mount holes and aligns the stripper clip with the front of the boltface in it's retracted position. A short action M70 308 would need to have it milled into the receiver, like an 03 Springfield. A 30-06 would need to be milled, maybe excepting a Savage long action.

See where your bolt stops in the retracted position. It would needs to be about 3/16" under the front edge of the rear receiver ring to be slotted for a stripper clip. If it stops in front of the front edge of the rear receiver ring a clip adapter will most likely be needed to have it clip fed.

I have a Rem 700 223 set up, by being milled, for stripper clips. Works fine with GI or after market 223 clips. Other 223's might need an adapter, depending on where the bolt face is when retracted.

Some rifle target shooting specialty equipment vendors may have clip adapters for your particular wants. Not for everything, think Rem/Win and Savage rifles.

Look at aMossberg MVP if you are looking for a bolt action that uses Magazines.  The cost of the kit to convert a Remington 700 is just the start.  They want $50-80 each for magazines!

Mossberg is releasing a 7.62 version to go along with the 5.56 out now.

Check out www.Accurateshooter.com They have TONS os great info that encourage you to spend $$$$.  I really want a Tube gun. T2K I think it is.

My favorite smallbore rifle is my CZ-452 Trainer with Tech Sights. This is the gun I used to qualify for Rifleman http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=36017.0. My comments about qualifying with a bolt-action:

1. Proficiency with magazine changes is a must, more so than with a SA because you have less time to spare. Practice this with an empty rifle and empty mags at home before going to the shoot until you have it down pat. Figure out where and how your magazines need to be positioned and how you need to move your body to execute the change. You should be able to do it with your eyes closed. For me, in the prone position, a roll to the left to change mags works much better than trying to keep completely in position.

2. Practice cycling the bolt in position to figure out what method works best, e.g. finger/thumb, whole hand. You will probably need to do this with rounds in the mag and chamber - I found that the finger/thumb technique that I thought would work, based on practicing with an empty gun, didn't work with full rounds. During practice, determine if you can retain your position during cycling, and if not, include re-establishing position after each cycle. I don't agree with the "as if you are mad at your rifle" advice, as that may be more aggressive than necessary and sacrifice composure and position. Figure out what is needed for YOUR rifle with YOUR hands, and err on the positive side.

3. Combine the above two with a timer and train yourself for the pace needed for the rapid fire stages, dry firing. Start at a pace that allows you to execute the motions without making errors and increase it only if you can maintain that proficiency. If you fumble a mag change, for example, slow down again and practice it some more. Anyone who has had music lessons will recognize this approach. It does no good to go fast if you are making mistakes. The first time I tried the sitting rapid stage (in practice), I thought, "NO WAY!" but after some practice I had it down to where I was getting shot #10 off with a second or two to spare.

4. During rapid fire, use the time you are cycling the bolt to take a deep breath. Even if you want to take another breath afterwards, you have increased you oxygenation for less muscle and eye fatigue.

5. Five round magazines work just as well as ten-rounders, but remember which one you are using and how many shots you have fired! Pulling the trigger on an empty chamber can mean the difference of getting nine shots off instead of all ten. Know ahead of time, and remind yourself at the beginning of the stage, when you need to change mags. If you use mags for the slow-fire stages, you can use the changeover to relax and stretch - one reason I like 5-and-5, since I'm halfway through the stage at that point.

6. The bolt needs to operate smoothly and flawlessly. This could mean you'll need to disassemble your gun to clean and lubricate things, and keep it well protected from the nasty things in nature once at the range. Admittedly, this isn't unique to a bolt gun, but the last thing you need is to be fighting the bolt. Many brand-new rifles can benefit from a few hundred cycles of the bolt followed by a thorough cleaning to remove the miniscule metal particles that just wore off the high spots. (I have one CZ American that was particularly nasty right out of the box that is now smooth as glass.) Some people suggest a fine polishing compound for this process, but I'll leave that to your own judgement. If you go that route, clean, clean, clean afterwards.

7. Total opinion point here: You may do better with good iron sights than with a scope, because you'll spend less time trying to make a perfect shot, leaving more time for cycling the bolt. The fundamentals don't change, but your perception of being on target might. I wear corrective lenses for distance, and am also losing my close-up focus ability, but I can still focus on a front sight of a rifle or pistol, and that's the one that matters the most.

I have been a bolt action rifleman for quite some time. I use a bolt action CZ 452 UL with Brno sights.

I have found that in the transitions, that you must not fuss the shot! Settle into your cadence, put that front sight on the target and squeeze the trigger! It's a rare thing that I don't score in the high 40's on the 200 and 300. Magazine change is important as well.

If you are low on points, the 400 stage is the time to make up the difference!

There are a lot of excellent ideas here on how to make due with a bolt action. I shot rifleman my first AQT (217) with a Mossberg 44US that I had just finished assembling that week and had not test fired. I had the standard Mossberg S-103 rear aperture sight and Lyman 37a front sight. Took a while to find the right insert to get a good sight picture without covering the 400 yard targets completely, but after that, it is just a matter of practice. Last week I put the finishing touches on a Mossberg 144LSB stock that I had made from a birch stock blank to replace the original stock that broke. Shot that this past weekend for the first time. Had a Weaver Marksman 3-9 scope on it. The scope was a bit high, but I was able to maintain a good 'chin weld' and ended up scoring a 245 with 10 "V's" but was able to tell exactly which of the 5 shots were pulled. You tend to get good at bolt rifles when you are issued the M24 and are sent on a 'beach vacation' where there is no water, only sand.

Ancient secret - only practice will improve anything.

I use drywall anchors for dry firing to avoid damaging the barrel face or breaking the firing pin. I believe it is the #3 or #4 ones that fit. Go to Walmart and pick up a pack for a dollar or so and use those to practice. They will also feed through magazines as well.

Quote from: Stand on September 09, 2013, 12:00:27 AM
Look at aMossberg MVP if you are looking for a bolt action that uses Magazines.  The cost of the kit to convert a Remington 700 is just the start.  They want $50-80 each for magazines!

Mossberg is releasing a 7.62 version to go along with the 5.56 out now.

Check out www.Accurateshooter.com They have TONS os great info that encourage you to spend $$$$.  I really want a Tube gun. T2K I think it is.

I wanted one of the MVPs I tried two of them out and both failed to fire on multiple occasions I blamed it on the Lakecity ammo possibly hard primers that ammo has never failed to fire in my ARs. Both rifles never missed a lick with commercial ammo has any body else had this trouble and is there a fix for it like a stiffer spring

For a cf rifle, this thread is worth revisiting.  http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=38734.0  The K-31 straight pull rifle offers rapid cycle time, quality aftermarket optics or aperture options and is a very finely built, inherently accurate rifle.  Designed for loading with stripper clips.  Mag limit to 6 rounds is the only drawback.

Does anybody know if the Zastava sporting mausers and mini-mausers have the military style stripper clip guide?  That might be another one.  They are reasonably priced and by all accounts well built and accurate and they are available in "bulk ammo" calibers.