I think I am in the same boat as many, there is a tool for the job, I use: Rams .50 Long range sniping HSR-1 mid range sniping/overwatch SAOS close or base turning.
There is no reason to use anything but the Rams, Longshot or whatever the vanu one is called. They have the best bullet velocity and the extra 50 damage means that it can ohk a HA with his shield on.
Depends on how good you are at making that followup shot. If you can't hit a moving target reliably with a bolt action... then no, there is no point. If you can hit a moving target, however, then that extra racking time of the Longshot/parralax/RAMS can make a difference between getting a kill or not if you don't land a headshot on the first shot.
If you're pretty close, anyway... otherwise you still have to wait until you can hold your breath again (we're very bad at that in this game).
Holding your breath does make it easier to hit a moving target but not significantly so. Once you get to that point, all you need is a body shot which is more of a judgement of distance to lead the target. I tend to go more with gut feeling instead of using the side mils and tend to be pretty successful once I get my aim adjusted for the range that I am shooting at. I tend to stick in the extreme ranges when the game allows me to.
Bolt actions have a point: killing that medic or engineer that is repairing/rezing before he gets a chance to react i continue to be surprised how a single player can make or break a defense.
