When we look at the world of firearms, the bolt action genre is often ruled by full-powered rifle cartridges. Everything from .308 to .50 BMG is at home in the bolt action rifle. Calibers that are often called intermediate are rarely part of the conversation outside of the niche varmint hunting circles. That’s a real shame because there is some serious charm to the intermediate caliber bolt guns.
When I say intermediate bolt action rifle, I’m talking about intermediate calibers. Common calibers like .223 Remington and .22-250, as well as .300 Blackout, 7.62×39, and many others. Most of these cartridges are more common in semi-auto rifles but have a small stakehold in the bolt gun world.
Why Intermediate Caliber Bolt Guns?
The biggest benefit is the ability to make an affordable but lightweight and simplistic rifle that doesn’t recoil harshly. I toted a .30-06 to the tree stand for season after season, and it took years for me to realize that was overkill. My environment didn’t call for anything close to a long shot, and my prey of choice was southern whitetail. I didn’t need a big .30 caliber cartridge for a 150-pound deer.
Second, as mentioned, the most obvious crew who prefers these guns are varmint hunters. Popping groundhogs and gophers at long range is a fun experience and one that doesn’t need a heavy, harsh recoiling rifle. You do need an accurate rifle, and even cheap bolt guns can be quite accurate.
Let’s go ahead and say that these guns can be quite fun to shoot. If you shoot nothing but ARs all day, the feeling of a bolt action is something different and quite enjoyable. They can be extremely light and short, handy, and utilitarian in their own way. If you already own plenty of semi-auto rifles buying a bolt gun in a caliber you already shoot often makes life easier.
With this in mind, if intermediate caliber bolt guns are your vibe, then let’s examine some of the best options on the market.
The Best Intermediate Caliber Bolt Guns
CZ 600 Trail
The new CZ 600 Trail series comes in both .223 Remington and 7.62×39 calibers and use either AR mags or Bren 2 magazines. These ultra-modern rifles use modern rifle ergonomics paired with a bolt-action rifle platform. The ergos include ambidextrous controls that include a AR 15 style safety and magazine release. The rifle features a nice long optics rail and a huge M-LOK rail for accessories of all sorts.
The barrel is threaded, and the gun has a collapsing PDW stock which is odd for a bolt gun. It’s very light and quite nice for field use and strapping to a pack. CZ promises a ¾ MOA accuracy standard with match-grade factory ammunition. These rifles are thoroughly modern and ready to change your mind about what a bolt action rifle should do.
Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite
The All Terrain Elite is brand new for 2023, but the Momentum series is a fairly established brand of Italian rifles. The Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite rifles come in .308 and .223, but of course, we are looking at the .223 Remington variant. These guns feed from a removable AICS magazine. So capacities can vary a bit, and magazines are easy to find.
The All Terrain Elite series comes with an optic rail as well as built iron sights. Iron sights on a bolt gun are always cool. Additionally, the stock features M-LOK slots and the barrel is threaded and comes with a muzzle brake. The rifles have a sub-MOA guarantee and the Franchi Relia trigger that offers adjustable weight from two to four pounds. It’s a sweet setup that offers a ton of features for the money.
See More – Montana Tough: Franchi’s Momentum Elite Varmint Rifle – Full Review
Ruger American Ranch
The Ruger American Ranch series took the budget-priced American series and shrunk them into intermediate calibers. The calibers include 6.5 Grendel, .350 Legend, .223 Remington, 7.62×39, and .300 Blackout. In the latter caliber, this gun can be super quiet with subsonic ammo and a suppressor. That suppressor is easy to attach with the threaded barrel, and adding an optic is effortless with the optic’s rail.
The American Ranch series provides a very nice trigger for a budget rifle and a surprisingly smooth action. The rifle also fills that niche for a lightweight, easy-toting rifle that can weigh as little as 5.9 pounds. If you want a good intermediate caliber bolt action rifle, then the Ruger American Ranch is a great way to go.
Mossberg MVP Patrol 5.56
If you want less hunting rifle and more tactical, then the Mossberg MVP Patrol can be an interesting route to take. These .223 Remington/5.56 rifles feed from AR mags that make logistics easy. A drum-fed bolt action just seems fun. An optics rail makes adding glass easy, but out of the box, we get a set of open iron sights for quick and accurate shots.
A threaded barrel comes with a bird cage flash hider but is wide open for whatever muzzle device you so choose. I’d suggest an Ultradyne Apollo or a suppressor. The trigger is an LBA adjustable design, and the stock features pillar bedding for excellent accuracy. For the price point, it’s one of the most feature-filled intermediate caliber rifles.
See More – Bullet Expansion: How & Why
Zastava Mini Mauser
Let’s close it out with a series of rifles that are both affordable and awesome, the Zastava Mini Mauser series. If you have a few hundred bucks and Zastava imports a few, you can have a wood-stocked, fun-to-shoot, and well-made bolt action rifle in .223 Remington or 7.62x39mm. The Mini Mauser series have been imported on and off for over thirty years now by various companies, including Interarms, Century, and more.
These rifles are not really Mausers but Mauser-inspired. They tend to be light and handy, with integral magazines and cuts for an optic. The Mini Mauser series are great budget guns that still come with wood furniture and a classic look. They aren’t fancy, but they are often affordable and fun to shoot.
The Just-Right Size
If you want something light, handy, and capable, an intermediate caliber bolt action rifle can get it done. They aren’t for everyone, and with the population of ARs being so high, they might seem just plain silly, but to me and many others, they represent a good working gun. They are light, simple, and reliable. For the price point, they are quite accurate, and let’s face it, sometimes bolt guns are just fun, and guns can just be fun.
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Do you have a favorite intermediate bolt action rifle? If so, let us know below!
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One great rifle in the intermediate calibers that wasn’t discussed in this article was the Howa 1500 Mini action. These rifles are amazing. I own 2 of them. One is in 6mm ARC and the other is in 6.5 Grendel.
These rifles have become my go to rifles for Texas White-tailed deer and predators.
The 250 Savage would be a much better deer hunting round than any of the rounds listed in the mini Mauser.
For anything that I am likely to shoot (i.e deer & hogs), the 6.5×55 would be a great intermediate caliber bolt gun. I purchased a pair of really nice/clean M96 Swedes a few years ago (OK, ~20) for less than $100 each with the intent of “sporterizing” them into small scale light deer rifles. Unfortunately, I have never been able to commit the capital sin of destroying such nice rifles.
As others have stated, I don’t get the inclusion of the .223 as an intermediate cartridge.
I would like the Zastava mini-Mauser, potentially in 7.62×39, but better in 6.5 Grendel if such a critter could be found.
Bolt guns are great, and I like them, but the AR platform allows a nearly infinite range of intermediate options with little more than a barrel change in many cases. I have built ARs into more than a dozen mostly wildcat rounds that would be considered intermediate, many based off of the .223 parent case, others from slightly larger parent cases.
I find it strange that the Author regards .223 as “intermediate”.
A question for someone with knowledge! Why the 223 and not the 243 for military. There must be a reason,possibly ballistics, probably $$$. Do you have an opinion?