Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Deer Rifle: Browning or Winchester?

Here are a few of the Classics made in New Haven.

http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m513/jmr40/?action=view&current=targets009.jpg

http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m513/jmr40/?action=view&current=targets010.jpg

I have owned more than a couple, and seen them fail in the field. Do a search on A Bolts here and especially look at resident PH JJ Hacks comments about them. He has killed or seen under his guidance and close observation killed in his career as a PH and guide more game than probably any of the rest of us here, maybe more thn any 5 of us and he abhors them even more than I do. Mine (A borts) were accurate, and pretty, but were still crap.

Don't want to hickack this thread and turn it into another A Bolt Bashing thread, (there have been plenty here, and well deserved ones at that) I was answering a question based upon my expereinces. And yes, I DO and did know something about the subject. As always, YMMV.

Count me as one who values controlled round feed and rifle relaibility as very important and features that I seek. Better to have it and not need it (uberreliability/dependability) than to need it and not have it. I also abhor pot metal trigger housing and deicate pieces and parts that the Brownings to date have been known for. That is my view and opinon. The OP can give such the weight he thinks it deserves, which might be zero, and make his choice. I provided mine as per the thread request.

Browning A-Bolt ll HUNTER 30/06
safariman Offline
Campfire Kahuna

Registered: 06/18/05
Posts: 17859
Loc: Walla Walla USA / Zimbabwe
Another pretty gun here! Browwnings newest, updated, improved version of thier famous A Bolt rifle with engineering and anufacturing upgrades. I have never yet seen an A Bolt that did not shoot just lights OUT accurate. As with the 300WM version I just posted, I cannot find a safe ding, blemish, sctratch of any kind on this awsome looking rifle. Does not look as though a scope has ever been mounted yet so most likely still new, unfired. Beautiful wood with soft matte finish metal. All factory paperwork, manual etc in its original bag. $595.00 Shipped to your FFL.

Need a Gloss scope of good quality for another project so would consider such for a partial trade toward this fine rifle.

Very nice shooting with some accurate rifles and handloads, For years New Haven put out a well built rifle (yours maybe made during this period, I have no clue) I was refering to the junkers made in New Haven before they went so mercifully under and for good reason, if the SC rifles are of that poor quality there ain't much future for them either. Going by the reviews I don't think that is the case... consider yourself very lucky if your rifles were built just before New Haven choked out as they put out more dogs than anything else the last few years of production.................Hb

I am not above flipping almost any rifle <G> and the description was accurate. I also admitted in my post against them that they ARE accurate, and attractive. Also, I was commenting about rifle A Vs Rifle B choice and gave my opinion But, Why do you suppose I was selling and not keeping? Note that my recently aquired (at a GREAT price, and have written about it here) Pre 64 Model 70 300 H&H is NOT for sale despite the opportunity to clear a cool $1k on the deal if I did. Voting with my wallet, and actions, so to speak.

The top rifle is what I consider the Holy Grail of hunting rifles. I had been on the lookout for one for years and found it NIB at a gunshow back in May. It is a 1999 or 2000 gun I think. I paid a guy $700 for it and cut the hang tags off. It is one of the Stainless Classic Featherweights in 30-06.

I got home and looked on McMillian's Special's page and found an Edge stock at a reduced price for it and placed the order before ever firing the gun. Not the stock I would have ordered, but at that price, and to get it now, close enough. I put the redfield scope on it just to try it out, Since these photos I've put a Leupold 2.5-8X36 on it. It weighs 7.5 lbs as it sits and is a pretty good shooter.

The bottom rifle is a Classic stainless sporter from about the same time. I also found used at a gunshow. It had a Hogue stock on it. I bought the McMillan used from someone here and sold the Hogue the same way.

http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m513/jmr40/?action=view&current=guns1008.jpg


http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m513/jmr40/?action=view&current=guns1006.jpg

I have seen a few of the guns made closer to 2006 that were less than perfect. But most of the issues tend to be minor.

TommyJ,

I favor the Winchester because it's made in the USA and not by the japs who started WW2. I see more pride in owning a Winchester.

Also the M 70's have that superior three position safety that allows a hot chamber to be unloaded and still control the firing pin. The CRF is nice machinery as well.

Take a look at the Kimber 84M rifles. I prefer them for deer hunting when I have to carry the rifle any distance.

Handle both and make your choice on which feels better to you.Both are fine rifles.I prefer the Winchester but personal fit and feel will trump any other differences.

TommyJ,

They are both quality firearms. You will find lovers and haters of both. You will not go wrong with either. Go to a dealer, handle both, and base your choice on how they feel in your hands.

From what I have seen, most of the Browning haters are die hard CRF folks who hunt a lot of dangerous game. This will not matter for a deer rifle.

Base your choice on what looks and feels best to you. The accuracy and quality will be a wash.

These are pretty different guns (i.e., safety, CRF & not CRF, stock size & lines, etc). RH Clark is dead on --- you have to go touch, feel, and hold them to see which fits you best and is most commfortable...regardless of all the obvious differences.

While I would never consider an xbolt over a winnie, there is no wrong choice (unless the brownng haters are right....DK as I dont own one!), just the best choice for you based on what fits best.

Keep us posted!

Thanks very much everyone. This has been a big help. I'm going to town tomorrow and try them both. Right now, I'm hoping the Winchester fits best. TJ

Winchester for me, hands down

The comment was made earlier on this thread, not to buy a Browning because they were made by the "Japs" that started the war. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The folks making the Brownings today, had no more to do with starting the war than white people today had to do with starting/allowing slavery back when. Lets face it. It's a world economy. No. We Americans don't have a big enough piece of the action, but that is 100% Americas fault.

No need to explain yourself Mark..I recently sold a rem 788 because it wasnt my cup of tea either. Give me the CRF rifle any day of the week over the other as well. I've had too many problems with the pushfeed types to recommend a damn one....I dont care how pretty it is, if it can't be depended on it isn't going hunting.....Save that type for the guys that think they need to take 3 rifles on a hunt....

Go pick up the Sept. issue of Shooting Times and see what it says.

They did an 18 gun shoot out. Actually, they chose 6 different models and got 3 of each model to test, so as to have a broad sampling of each.

In the reliability test, the worst performer was The CZ 550. A CRF DESIGN AND A RIFLE FREQUENTLY USED TO HUNT DANGEROUS GAME.

Push feeds are very reliable. Saying they're not is a little crazy.

I like both types and am completely satisfied that you are much more likely to cause a jam thru improper operation, regardless of action type.

Their overall pick was the Winchester model 70. That just happens to be my pick too.

"I personally prefer the Winchester" Theodore Roosevelt

C'mon now, why do you have to bring my favorite rifle into this? I love my 550.

Either of the rifles you named would make a fine deer rifle. Compare them side by side and buy the one that YOU like better.

Personally I'd go with the Winchester, but I don't think you could go too wrong either way.

Not to turn this into a CRF vs PF debate. Personally I'm of the opinion that it matters little for most people. I slightly prefer CRF, but I'd rather have a PF that works than a CRF that does not work correctly. If the CZ in this test perfomed poorly it was because that individual rifle performed poorly, not the CRF system.

lolol
time for some body to break out a rusty pic of a browning trigger assembly that was abused to point where it looks like it sank on the good ruben james and recovered fifty years later and bash browning some more

I'm a CRF guy. Something about having positive loading, chambering, extraction and ejection. The older Winnys were smooth actions... not sure about the newer FN models.

I do think the X-Bolts feel really nice in the hand, but for cheaper a Tikka will probably out shoot either one.