Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles A-Bolt Hate

Getting away from glittering generalities and gunscribe gack and into specific nuance of design, materials, etc: What exactly are the pros and cons of the Browning A-Bolt, and why do so many Campfire riflemen seem to have a disdain for them? I have no experience with them. I have a buddy who owns one in 30-06 and absolutely swears by it as a deer killing machine that has never given him a problem.

It's a rifle some folks love to hate. Mine were both very good, very reliable and very accurate. If I remember correctly our own MuleDeer (or his wife) likes them too.

I think many Remington owners don't like other brands of guns that shoot well out of the box. Gunsmiths need employment too you know.

Oh Jeez Brian.

Read This thread and draw your own conclusions....

I have a Remington but have always been a Ruger guy. Simply put the A-bolt doesn't have the ergos, is shinier than a stripper's g-string and costs more than the Ruger.

Never really had any accuracy issues save one 300wm so I saw/see no reason to buy an A-bolt. It just has NEVER done ANYTHING better than other things out there but they sure price em like they do.

I love Browning shotguns but I'll never pay money for their rifles.

Wow... 34 pages on the referenced post above... i will be reading for weeks...

Enjoy your read .............HB

Lots of dislikes coming from wet Alaska, and for a reason. If it works there it will work damn near anywhere.

I can tell you for certain that just because it works in VA don't mean it works in the Tongass.

I paid 550 bucks for mine, its accurate, light, pretty, and its real fun to shoot. I see why there's hate for em...

Sloppy and bad trigger design, three lugs don't bear well and more difficult to accurize, bad bolt handle design, magazine hinged floorplate? C'mon! Pot metal trigger guard. Here is a question, Have you ever seen a Browning A-bolt used by guides, outfitter and PH? I sure don't. One renowned gunsmith once told me, "when that barrel goes out on the A-bolt, it's nothing more than scrap metal, No one will work with it."

I know personally of three guides that use A-Borts for brown bear guiding. The metalurgy of their particular rifles has been tested around saltwater for a long time and they have never had a problem... So not all A-Borts will fail... But I would never use tham again.

I don't care for A-bolts myself but most folks don't hunt in the Tongass {seems like you'da noticed that while you was there dumbass} and an A-bort would do them just fine.

John Moses uses them...don't need any other reason to hate them....

Someone else hating one particular model of rifle would not keep me from buying one. But if you follow the pack, do whatever the pack does. I have one A-bolt, a Ruger or two, a CZ, and two Tikkas. I would sooner have another Tikka, but if Browning made an Abolt in 6.5 Swede, and it called my name, I'd answer, and forget the crowd.

Shot a couple, handled a few more, they just didn't do it for me. I don't hate them, but don't see the point of spending money on something that's not even close to what I'm looking for.

bought an A-bolt Micro in .308 a few years ago, mainly 'cause my other light bolt action had problems before deer season one year.

The pistol grip shape isn't exactly right, and the trigger is too stiff, lawyer-proof, like just about all modern Brownings.

Otherwise the big gripe about it is its boring reliability - good handloads always go an inch or less at 100 yards. As for durability this one now has a big honking scar on the left side where it fell off a bench onto concrete. The point of impact moved a whole inch at 100 yards. Nothing broken.



It ain't a classic, but it's not a bad light rifle.

My first "deer rifle" was a Micro Hunter bought for me 17 years ago IIRC. After years of hunting, some in the rain, some in the snow, some in dry dusty conditions the pot metal tiger guard and flimsy bolt stop are still intact.

Do I think Brownings are "The best in the world?" No. Do I think they are "the biggest POS in the world?" No.

They are just one of so many decent choices we have today.

Regurgitated internet hyperbole's notwithstanding.

i got a abolt micro 7mm/08 i love it i have hunted all weather conditions its never failed

I like them because of the short bolt throw, smooth action, excellent accuracy (or precision, if you like), and the ergos/fit are very good for me (tang safety, stock shape). I wish they were a little heavier. In fact, I filled the empty space in my last walnut-stocked one with shot for just that reason. Their fit/finish is excellent, and they can be had in shiny, matte, or stainless as you please. If they were made in America, they'd be perfect to me.

They run with the others in their market.

Never even thought about owning a Browning until Grice came out with the special A-Bolt II Feather-Lite 20" 358 Win. Purchased one, mounted Low Talley rings and the scope is a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8x36 matte finish. Excellent shooter and a joy to carry. Wish I would've purchased another Grice special in the 284 Win.

Ken