TedEx
They are used by snipers. They are far more accurate at long ranges.

derp
True for your average infantry man. The tactic today is volume of fire and fire superiority. Bolt-action rifles are used by snipers for their high accuracy at long ranges

tybo1776
I think they still have a purpose with snipers mostly because they are very accurate and easy to maintain out in the field.

Eric
It depends, in most combat, yes. Snipers still use them because they tend to be the most accurate at extremely long ranges. In places like Afghanistan, where 50% of combat starts at ranges over 800 yards, they are still useful.

USAFisnumber1
Some services still use a bolt action sniper rifle. The French use the FR F2 bolt action sniper rifle. The Poles use the BOR bolt action sniper rifle. I am sure there are others out there.....

Randal Smith
Yes the bolt action rifle is obsolete. Yet many countries still maintain them because they are far cheaper and easier to operate and manufacture than the various other gas operated and piston operated sniper rifles. The PSG-1 and MK-11, and MK-12 are examples of how expensive non-bolt operated sniper rifles cost.

alexander m
for all but sniper operations they are obsolete. if you're clearing a room its not going to go too well if you have to take a second to reload between shots when the enemy can hit two or more targets in that time. the soviets won because of the winter, the british won because of the americans.

Mark F
The bolt action rifle was already outdated as a standard combat arm 70 years ago at the dawn of WW2. It is not suited to modern, mobile, highly fluid warfare. Most armies were already contemplating the replacement of thier BA rifles with semi-automatic weapons but the war interrupted those plans. Only the United States, which acted early and entered the war late was largely able to accomplish this goal. By the 1950's the BA rifle had disappeared from the ranks of the worlds first-rate armies and by the 1960's everywhere else. The allies won WW2 the same way anyone wins wars - logistics. It wasn't because of the rifles used.