MAKE A BOLT FOR IT

Do you remember flares? The trousers I mean, not the things you shoot in the air for help. My point is that fashions come and go. But some things stick around longer than most and simply refuse to go away.

There was a time when nearly every PCP rifle had a bolt action. Today they are a rarity and just about everything has a sidelever. I can't be sure, but I think Weihrauch started it, or at least made sidelevers fashionable, with the HW100.

There's no doubt that a slick sidelever action is a joy. Certainly, they've become popular for manufacturers who export high-power rifles as the mechanics of a sidelever make cocking heavier mechanisms much easier.

But there's something special about a well-engineered bolt action too, and whilst it has somewhat gone out of fashion, some rifles carry on the tradition. For our test this month we have assembled some of the most popular bolt-action rifles for your consideration.

Unsurprisingly, it would seem that most of today's bolt-action rifles come from companies with plenty