For young hunters, even before the question of the right caliber arises, the challenge is to find out which type of rifle best suits his needs.
In principle, it is important to be equipped for as many hunting opportunities as possible and not to burden oneself with complicated handling or a caliber that is difficult to shoot - the first shot is difficult enough even with hunting fever.
The following is a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the most common types of rifles.
Bolt action rifles
The bolt action rifles are the most widespread type of hunting weapons,
The advantage of this is that the market for used weapons is very large and high quality rifles can be found at low prices after a short search. In practice, repeaters are convincing in that several shots can be fired in succession in a short time. On the one hand, this is practical on driven hunts, on the other hand, it gives the young hunter a secure feeling to know that he can quickly shoot again in case of a possible miss. Bolt-action rifles are usually somewhat heavier than break-barrel rifles, which means that the recoil is less for the same caliber. The heavier weight also means that there is less risk of blurring when firing. However, bolt action rifles are often a bit longer than break-barrel rifles and therefore less maneuverable.
Marktplatz
Drop barrel rifles
Break-barrel rifles are the lightest rifles and are therefore particularly suitable for stalking in addition to the classic raised hide. A break-down rifle is also easy to disassemble and can be carried in a backpack, for example, which is a great advantage when hunting in the mountains.Although it takes longer to reload than with a bolt action rifle, one advantage of break-barrel rifles is that reloading, at least without ejectors, is silent, which is not possible with bolt action rifles and semi-automatic rifles. On the other hand, the body movement necessary for reloading is more conspicuous and may be detected by game. Double-barreled rifles are somewhat heavier and can fire two shots in quick succession, allowing for faster doublets than bolt action rifles. However, with soldered barrels, the point of impact may shift when firing several shots in succession. This does not occur with single barrel rifles.
Combined weapons
Combined weapons are long guns with at least one shotgun barrel and one rifle barrel, or with several rifle barrels in different calibers. The most common models are the shotgun or the classic triplet. The greatest advantage of a combined weapon is to have the right cartridge ready for all game. The disadvantage is that there can be confusion in the choice of barrel - which can be a dramatic problem if, for example, a red deer is accidentally shot with a buckshot cartridge. Triplets are also relatively heavy. They are suitable for experienced hunters for stalking, otherwise combined weapons are ideal sitting weapons due to their versatility.
Semi-automatic rifles
The least common category of long guns among hunters are semi-automatic rifles. They can be used to fire multiple shots very quickly and without reloading motion, although the capacity of the weapon is limited by law to three cartridges. Although they are very practical, they play a minor role in hunting, because most hunters do not consider them to be suitable for hunting.
The choice of the right rifle, like the choice of the caliber, depends on the intended hunting style. For a young hunter, we would advise a bolt action rifle in an inexpensive all-around caliber, as it is suitable for most hunting occasions.
