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The reindeer Blitzen is one of Santa’s favorite flyers and according to the lore, the one that gives the other reindeer a boost of energy when he needs that sleigh to have a boost in speed and power. If you’re looking for a boost to your arsenal’s speed and power, then you should check out some of these great bolt-action rifles. While bolt-action rifles may not always deliver more accuracy per dollar than modern semi-auto rifles they’re still fun to shoot, are almost universally 50-state legal and don’t often run afoul of any state’s hunting restrictions for centerfire hunting. If you’re looking to do some big game hunting this winter, then bolt-action rifles will often offer you a wider variety of ammunition selection and bullet weights that are better suited to that job than what you could possibly get with a semi-auto rifle. If nothing else, a bolt-action rifle makes a great gift for carrying on the tradition of what was once the standard for a “modern military rifle” for a lot of Americans before the advent of the first semi-auto rifles.
6th Day of TFB Christmas: Bolt-Action Rifles for Blitzen
CHRISTENSEN ARMS MODERN PRECISION .308 WINCHESTER BOLT ACTION PISTOL
Similar to and building off of the concept of the very successful Modern Precision Rifle by Christensen Arms, the Modern Precision Pistol (MPP) is a purpose-built bolt action pistol chassis chambered in .308 Winchester. This lightweight and accurate offering from the Utah-based Christensen Arms features a 12-inch barrel, and includes an adjustable side-baffle brake, included Picatinny rail/barrier stop, and a 0-MOA optics rail.
- 4.4-lbs with Stabilizing Brace
- 416R Stainless Steel Carbon Fiber Wrapped Barrel
- Enlarged Ejection Port
- Also available in 300 Blackout, 223 Remington, and 6.5 Creed
- Trigger Tech Flat Trigger and Skeletonized Bolt Handle
- $2,195 At Palmetto State Armory
Savage B22 22lr Rimfire Precision Rifle
The Savage B Series is pretty great and offers you a lot of features over a standard Savage bolt action rifle. The B22 has offerings in both .22LR and .22WMR making it great for target shooting or small game hunting and both rifles come with the Modular Driven Technologies (MDT) chassis as well as heavy profile threaded barrels.
- One-piece Picatinny rail
- Fully adjustable comb and length of pull
- 18-inch heavy profile threaded barrel
- AccuTrigger user-adjustable trigger from 1.5 to 5-lbs
- Included 10-round detachable rotary magazine
- MLOK attachment points and forward sling swivel stud
- $570 as configured from Guns.com
Ruger American Tactical 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle
6.5 Creedmoor is all the rage these days and you’ll be hard-pressed to find reloading components or even factory ammunition to feed your new favorite long-range rifle. The Ruger American series of rifles has become one of the best rifles on the market in terms of value per dollar spent on it and when paired with the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge, it can make for a serious piece of hunting or target shooting equipment for those working on a budget.
- Black Synthetic Magpul Stock
- Silver Certakote Finish
- Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger offers a crisp release with a pull weight that is user adjustable between 3 and 5 pounds, allowing shooters to make that perfect shot.
- The one-piece, three-lug bolt with 70° throw provides ample scope clearance and utilizes a full-diameter bolt body and dual cocking cams for smooth, easy cycling from the shoulder.
- Factory-installed, one-piece Picatinny scope base.
- Includes one Magpul PMAG 5-round 7.62 AC magazine
- Sells for $899.99 but is currently on sale for 799.99 at Palmetto State Armory
Keystone Sporting Arms Crickett Single Shot Rimfire Rifle
This handy little bolt action rifle is great fun for the little ones in the family and even for the adults who are supervising them. This little Crickett features diopter sight and has a short 11.5-inch length of pull making it perfect for mini-sized shooters who want to follow dad around on the range or to the hunting stand. A great teaching instrument and very safe and accurate, this rifle is almost a must-have if you want to train your kids how to use bolt-action rifles.
- Bolt-Action and Manually cocked single shot rifle for three layers of safety
- Also available in 22WMR
- Weighs less than 3-pounds
- Fully Adjustable rear diopter sight with a fixed front sight
- Drilled and Tapped to accept Crickett scope mounts
- Available in a wide variety of colors and camo patterns
- Normally priced around $169 but is currently on sale and in stock for $120.99 at Guns.com
Bergara BMR 22LR Bolt-ACtion Rifle
The Bergara Micro Rimfire (BMR) is one of the first names that comes to mind when I think of precision rimfire. Featuring a Bergara Performance trigger, 30-MOA rail, and a 10-round magazine, the BMR is one of the most accurate and well-suited rifles for hunting and precision target shooting. The rifle fits into the base class for NRL22 matches and includes a match-grade chamber to aid in its duties as a competition rifle. If you’re just into hunting and want a nice rifle to snipe those pesky coyotes with, then the rifle is also offered in .17 HMR, and .22WMR.
- Barrel: 4140 steel matted blued finish. No. 4 taper
- Twist: 1:16 for .22 LR and .22 WMR and 1:9 for the .17 HMR
- Barrel length: 18” (.22 LR) or 20” (.17 HMR and .22 WMR)
- Threaded muzzle: 1/2-28” with thread protector
- Weight: 5.5 – 5.8 lbs. depending on caliber
- Length: 36” or 38” overall
- Mag capacity: 5 and 10 round magazine included
- Scope mounts: 30 MOA Rail Included
- Trigger: Bergara Performance Trigger. Compatible Rem700
- Stock: Tactical grey with black specks
- MSRP of $565, available on Palmetto State Armory for $499.99
The Savage AXIS II Precision Bolt-ACtion Rifle
The Savage AXIS is one of the most well-known names in the bolt-action rifle game and the AXIS II is becoming nearly as popular as its first-generation predecessor. Available in 12-different calibers and sporting the very popular user-adjustable AccuTrigger from Savage, these rifles are perfect for hunting and silhouette shooting at the range. As far as tactical bolt-action rifles go, this is one of the most affordable out there.
- Improved ergonomics and rugged synthetic stock
- User-adjustable AccuTrigger
- Carbon steel button-rifled sporter barrel
- Detachable box magazine
- MLOK forend
- fully adjustable comb height and length of pull
- Thread-in barrel headspacing
- Includes 8-round detachable box magazine
- .243 Winchester model Available for $830.99 at Guns.com
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