| Posted: Wed Sep 30th, 2009 03:15 AM |
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1st Post |
Rockydog
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I may have posted this here before but if I did it was some time and many new members ago.
How come there are very few comments on Browning Bolt action rifles. People talk about 700 Rems, Savages, pre 64 Wins, Vanguards, Roys, Tikkas, Sakos, Mausers but never Brownings. I don't own one myself but I've certainly thought about it. Very nice wood, attractive finishes, great bluing, Hell for stout actions with muliple locking lugs, Short bolt lift, standard and microhunter versions, what's not to like?
Any Browning owners or former Browning owners care to comment on these guns?
RD
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30th, 2009 12:44 PM |
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2nd Post |
woodsman777
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imho . . .
I know that in the 70's they shifted there production to japan
and there were still a large portion of the populace still had that mind set that everything from japan is "***- crap"
and this carried over to guns, my dad said the belgiums were a fine rifle but stay away from the newer stuff from japan
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30th, 2009 03:45 PM |
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3rd Post |
Don Fischer
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I'm seeing a lot of Browning lovers around any more, in fact more than ever. I never got a Browning because of price. Today I buy mostly used rifles, better deals without the paper work. If I were going to spend the money on a high grade factory rifle, I'd save a bit more and go with a custom. A high grade factory rifle to me is simply paying for eye candy.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 5th, 2009 05:50 PM |
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CB on the run
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Yes. A very good friend of mine owns a Browning micro hunter in the 25WSSM. It's gives us fits. It's been through 3 scopes which were not the problem. It will put 2 shots within an inch or so of each other than throws the third 4"-7"'s away. It's a beautiful gun in every respect but accuracy. It will shoot the 120gr Win factory psp's ok but everything else is unacceptable including numerous handloads. I sort of feel responsible because his wife has the identical gun in the 7mm-08 which is a shooter and I brought the 25WSSM to his attention when he was buying one for himself. He still has this gun but has since bought a Tika in the 7mm-08 which is also a shooter.
CB
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| Posted: Tue Oct 6th, 2009 03:49 AM |
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5th Post |
miestro_jerry
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I have owned a few Browning over the years, their shotguns are really great, some of the rifles are well made, , but not always realistically priced. Plus I owned one of the lever guns that was a reissue of the famous browning using the 348 Cartridge.
The problem that I see with the Browning rifles, is that I don't seem in the gun shops.
Jerry
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| Posted: Tue Oct 6th, 2009 03:36 PM |
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6th Post |
Paul B
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I have three Browning rifles. A clone of the 1895 Winchester lever action in 30-06, a BLR (first model) in .358 Win. and B-78 single shot in 30-06. I have not done much with the 1895 yet other than tinker with some cast bullets load, but the gun shows promise. The BLR took a bit of tinkering but it's quite accurate now withfactory ammo and handload hovering right at the one inch mark. The B-78 was a surprise though. When I first tested it at the range with factory ammo, groups were under an inch for the most part except when I screwed up. Handloads have run about the same. Years ago, I had one of their T-bolt .22 rifles and I've been kicking myself for ever getting rid of that one.
The only thing I dislike about the Browning is that bright mirror super shiny finish they use. Looks pretty but I do not feel it is practical on a rifle I'd hunt with.
Paul B.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 6th, 2009 03:47 PM |
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7th Post |
Paul B
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CB on the run wrote: Yes. A very good friend of mine owns a Browning micro hunter in the 25WSSM. It's gives us fits. It's been through 3 scopes which were not the problem. It will put 2 shots within an inch or so of each other than throws the third 4"-7"'s away. It's a beautiful gun in every respect but accuracy. It will shoot the 120gr Win factory psp's ok but everything else is unacceptable including numerous handloads. I sort of feel responsible because his wife has the identical gun in the 7mm-08 which is a shooter and I brought the 25WSSM to his attention when he was buying one for himself. He still has this gun but has since bought a Tika in the 7mm-08 which is also a shooter.
CB
Couple of questions. Is it alway the third shot that goes out of the group? Is the shot that is out of the group always in the same direction.? If so, have you pulled the gun out of the stock to look for high spots? If no high spots, then I'd suspect the barrel was not properly stress relieved after boring then rifling. That does happen sometimes. After a couple of shot the barrel unkinks and throws shot well out of the group. If it were mine and there wee no high spots and I suspected the barrel might be the problem, I'd shoot a couple of targets, include them with the gun and send it back to Browning and have them make it right. They should do it under waranty without question. I've done this with several Rugers, a #1 and currently my Redhawk .44 mag. Ruger does take their damn sweet time about getting them back to me but they're made right when they come back. I would imagine browning would do the same.
Paul B.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 7th, 2009 01:41 AM |
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8th Post |
stevekoozer
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I had one in .243 in the BLR it was a pretty good rifle but it would only shoot 100 grain GK's worth a Damn and only with IMR 4350 I did take a few deer with it. Alas it got traded off a long time ago. Two of my older friends have BBR's in 30-06 and I load for both of them and the stock design kicks the hell out of me on the bench but both are very accurate with the loads they like. They love those rifles and they fill their tags with them every year.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 7th, 2009 12:51 PM |
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CB on the run
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Paul B wrote: Couple of questions. Is it alway the third shot that goes out of the group? Is the shot that is out of the group always in the same direction.? If so, have you pulled the gun out of the stock to look for high spots? If no high spots, then I'd suspect the barrel was not properly stress relieved after boring then rifling. That does happen sometimes. After a couple of shot the barrel unkinks and throws shot well out of the group. If it were mine and there wee no high spots and I suspected the barrel might be the problem, I'd shoot a couple of targets, include them with the gun and send it back to Browning and have them make it right. They should do it under waranty without question. I've done this with several Rugers, a #1 and currently my Redhawk .44 mag. Ruger does take their damn sweet time about getting them back to me but they're made right when they come back. I would imagine browning would do the same.
Paul B.
It's been 2 years since we tinkered with it. Yes it was always the 3rd and 4th shots. It has a thin barrel and we thought maybe it was to blame. I'm not sure if he checked for high spots but I know we checked the forward sling screw. He replaced it with a Tika 7mm-08. Even though it was over 2 years old(probably 4-5 now) you think they would honor the problem as warranty work?
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| Posted: Sat Oct 10th, 2009 01:39 PM |
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10th Post |
72coupe
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CB send that rifle to 300 Below for cryo treatment. I had a Remington 788 in 22-250 that did the same thing. After cryo treating it was much more accurate and dead stable.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 11th, 2009 11:08 AM |
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11th Post |
CB on the run
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Thanks.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15th, 2009 01:00 AM |
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Anderson92084
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I have been a browning fan all my life and currently own a 204 ruger varmit stalker, 270 stainless stalker, 300wsm eclipse, and a 7mm stainless stalker, along with a 30-06 a bolt which my father bought me the day i was born. Ive never had one jamb and never had any problems. Im very satisfied, in fact i shot a muley last year in colorado at 512 yards with the 270 and my father shot his at 520 yards with his 7mm white gold medallion. I'm not trying to say they are the best shooting rifle out there however i feel they are a good choice and worth the money. I like many browning fans have a buckmark on my shoulder and the word browning as an arm band tattooed. ok it was college, and there was alchol involved however i dont regret it too much
LOL
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15th, 2009 03:25 AM |
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13th Post |
Sprint
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Paul B wrote:
I have three Browning rifles. A clone of the 1895 Winchester lever action in 30-06, a BLR (first model) in .358 Win. and B-78 single shot in 30-06. I have not done much with the 1895 yet other than tinker with some cast bullets load, but the gun shows promise. The BLR took a bit of tinkering but it's quite accurate now withfactory ammo and handload hovering right at the one inch mark. The B-78 was a surprise though. When I first tested it at the range with factory ammo, groups were under an inch for the most part except when I screwed up. Handloads have run about the same. Years ago, I had one of their T-bolt .22 rifles and I've been kicking myself for ever getting rid of that one.
The only thing I dislike about the Browning is that bright mirror super shiny finish they use. Looks pretty but I do not feel it is practical on a rifle I'd hunt with.
Paul B.
What tinkering did you do with your BLR? I've taken mine to more than one gunsmith with a hope to get a better trigger. One guy just said, "want a better trigger? Get a bolt action." Ask me if I've ever been back.
Mine's in .270, and while it shoots OK, it isn't anything to write home about.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15th, 2009 04:05 PM |
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Paul B
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My BLR is one of the early Japanese models with the magazine that hangs down below the receiver. I relieved the metal on the barrel band where it contacts the barrel, relieved the contact where the forearm touches the reciever and made sue the nut at the front of the forearm was properly tightened. Also he forearm was free floated as well.The gun went from 3 to 4 inch groups to 1 to 1.25 inch groups. The only drawback is now the forearm rattles a bit.  Now if I can figure out a way to stop that without losing the accuracy, I'll be a happy camper. However, due to other projects, that one is sitting on the back burner for now. I haven't touched the trigger and when I asked my gunsmith if he'd try and clean it up a bit, he said he wouldn't touch that one with a ten foot pole. He's a pretty savvy gunsmith so I'll go along with what he said. You can get used to it if you try.
Paul B.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15th, 2009 11:01 PM |
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Sprint
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Paul B wrote:
My BLR is one of the early Japanese models with the magazine that hangs down below the receiver. I relieved the metal on the barrel band where it contacts the barrel, relieved the contact where the forearm touches the reciever and made sue the nut at the front of the forearm was properly tightened. Also he forearm was free floated as well.The gun went from 3 to 4 inch groups to 1 to 1.25 inch groups. The only drawback is now the forearm rattles a bit. Now if I can figure out a way to stop that without losing the accuracy, I'll be a happy camper. However, due to other projects, that one is sitting on the back burner for now. I haven't touched the trigger and when I asked my gunsmith if he'd try and clean it up a bit, he said he wouldn't touch that one with a ten foot pole. He's a pretty savvy gunsmith so I'll go along with what he said. You can get used to it if you try.
Paul B.
Thanks! I'll try that with the fore-stock. Mine's a bit later vintage, I think, and I don't recall a band. That creepy trigger causes me to flinch unless I really concentrate.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30th, 2009 12:06 PM |
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Festus
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I have 2 BAR's (1-338 Win Mag, & 1 -30-06), 1 A-Bolt (270 WSM), & 2 BLR's (1- 30-06 & 1-358 Win). All are capable of 1 to 1.5 MOA with the 30-06 BAR shooting to ½” MOA (1.5” @ 300yards…). The A-Bolt is also very accurate and a dream to carry due to the reasonable weight. As for being made in Japan, people will drive a Toyota truck or Lexus and complain about a rifle made in Japan.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30th, 2009 02:15 PM |
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17th Post |
swampshooter
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I've been told by a quality riflesmith that you can't replace barrels on the a-bolt rifles. They are not threaded, but pinned and permanently glued into place.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30th, 2009 05:34 PM |
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Hillbilly
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I broke down and got an X-Bolt .308 as a late Christmas present last go round. It's the stainless with dura-tech rubberized "armor" stock. It really holds to your hands and has a great trigger feel to it. I think it'll give the Savage accu-trigger a go for the glory, but it's a dang site more cash than the Savage. If I'd a thunk about it I'd have gotten the Savage in .308, but it was Christmas and I was feelin sorry for myself, but that's another story.
I think FNH owns Browning and Winchester now. I heard the Winnies were being made in SC, but the Brownings still in Jay-pan.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30th, 2009 07:57 PM |
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kman
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i have 3 brownings i love them all, 1 is a s auto 5 shotgun, one is an a-bolt II, and a bar. only one is made and japan it is a 7mm mag (a-bolt)i love it, it shoots .5 inch groups at a hundred yards, the bar is a .308 it shoots 1.25 or 1" groups at 100 yards. i have not one complante about any of them, as a matter of fact i will take the a-bolt with me hunting before i take my a-7 sako 30-06( it shoots .25" groups at 150 yards) the reason is i love the feal of the a-bolt, but as with any type of production manufactoring they will have a few bad ones, do not let the bad ones upset you they will make it right unlike REMINGTON, but that is another story for another time.
just my 2 cents
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| Posted: Sat Oct 31st, 2009 12:37 AM |
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Thecyberguy
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The 770 I believe is the one. I bought a youth model for my son in 243. It is a good shooter, but I think I read the barrel is pressed in.
I have a Browning lever in 243. This may sound crazy but, I have never reloaded for it. Most of my reloading was with handguns because I and a few friends did a lot of shooting.
I like the BLR to carry and it shoots decent.
Have a good 'un, Guy
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