Will the Semi's be as accurate? Never found a auto/semi to be as accurate as bolt action.
The more moving parts from ignition to exit out of the end of the barrel, the more the barrel vibrates, like a tuning fork, and is in a dirrent place than the last time the bullet exited.
I was wondering about the spent cartridges. I thought that one of the reasons to use a bolt action rifle was to control the spent ejection of the cartridge.
Out of the box, an AR action is often more accurate than a bolt action. A highly tuned AR action is probably slightly less accurate than a highly tuned bolt action built from a good platform (like a Rem 700), but on any given day that may shave fractions of an inch at several hundred meters. Benchrest differences that generally won't affect a sniper in other words.
You are correct that most semi-autos are not as accurate as bolt guns, but the AR action is the exception to that rule. A few basic mods (part swaps) on an AR15 will have it running rings around your average bolt gun in the accuracy department. As the AR shows, semi-autos are not intrinsically inaccurate, it is just that most semi-autos were designed for uses where accuracy doesn't matter too much. The AR was designed for military purposes, but many aspects of its design make it an intrinsically accurate rifle.
In this new rifle, the Marines have an excellent sniper rifle that can also function as a battle rifle out of the box. Army SF has been using these particular rifles for ages already, so they are proven quantities. Extremely accurate.
Yeah... that open action on (most) semi's is a terror on accuracy more times than not. although I have an acquaintance who says his russian SKS will do sub MOA if the barrel is cold.
My AK will barely do 2MOA with a cold barrel, on a good day, with match ammo. With that russian ammo, I'm lucky if it hits 3MOA.
"Will the Semi's be as accurate? Never found a auto/semi to be as accurate as bolt action."
give or take nowadays 1 moa for semi's , and in the same price range, .5 to 1 moa for bolts.
dollar for dollar you will usually get better accuracy with a bolt. .
Actually one of the most accurate sniper rifles in the world is a semiauto: The H&K PSG-1. Bush #41 (Poppa Bush) banned it from importation despite the fact that few gangstas plunk down about ten grand for one of these to stick up a gas station....