"Avoid self-loading rifles. Some of the pressure which is wanted for
driving the bullet must be drawn off to operate the mechanism, and
both accuracy and velocity are affected. Once again, some men mistake
the rapidity of fire possible with these rifles for superiority,
either in the rifle or in themselves, and they waste both good meat
and ammunition in the process."  Page 164,  Alan Fry,  Wilderness
Survival Handbook,  ISBN 0-312-14763-5

A self-loading rifle is a semi-automatic rifle, by another name.  That
means, every time you pull the trigger, you fire a shell.  The problem
is, in days to come, bullets will be scarce, and will need to be used
wisely.  

What the author says here goes along with my own beliefs.  The
exception, is in the use of a pistol.  Many of us are not proficient
with a hand gun, and a semi-automatic one will deliver a lot of fire
power at close range, for self defense.  It should be considered a
back-up to a rifle or shotgun.  It is a last ditch defense, and should
be seldom employed.

I have been wanting to write this article for a long time, and came
across the above paragraph above in a book I value as a good
reference.  This makes my case, in the simplest way, for using a bolt-
action rifle for survival.

Paul