Obviously ANY gun you happen to have on you or access to in a sudden defensive situation CAN be used.
The old anecdote about the 150-year-old Eskimo woman who killed a polar bear with one .22LR shot through the eye because she only had a .22 single-shot rifle is a fun story, but that's ALL it is.
It is certainly NOTHING that justifies depending on a single-shot .22 rifle for defense.
My question is WHY would you deliberately select a bolt-action rifle up front as your go-to for home defense?
This is not a matter of being suddenly confronted by smug drugglers along the trail when all you happen to have during the deer hunt is your trusty ought-six.
This is not a matter of only having Uncle Joe's inherited Browning Hi-Wall single-shot as your sole gun in the entire house during a late-night break-in.
This is not a matter of wheeling your shopping cart past the gun section at WallMart one Saturday & noticing $200 off on a boltgun deal you just can't pass up regardless of need or use & making an unintended impulse buy.
This is sitting here in your house today, with money available, considering a tool you are acquiring to bet your life on, with all afternoon (or all month) to make your decision.
There are simply so many better options, why deliberately & intentionally handicap yourself?
I was offered an article assignment a month or so ago from a regular editor on the bolt-action for HD.
Had to turn it down.
Just could not get my head wrapped around the idea to be able to write it up in any positive way.
Denis