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Bought a nice steel frame Browning BLR 243 off a fellow 24member. Sent it to Neil Jones for a trigger job. Money well spent if you have a BLR. Anyone have one? I can't wait to drill Mr. Buck with it this season.

I have a 1st model in .358 which is a very handy carbine. How does yours shoot?

I wish someone would make an aftermarket magazine for the pre81's. I had an extra and sold it to a fellow here for $50 then found out they are selling over at gunbroker for $100+.
I would have kept the thing if I knew they were that rare.

My uncle is a one gun man...Pre-81 BLR .308. I saw him stunt shoot a 40ish inch Bull Moose at 350 yards with his old 4X Bushnell Buckhorn.

Emptied the magazine into the Bulls chest in about 10 seconds. I'll be damned if every round wasnt sitting in that Bulls lungs.

Gotta git me one of them fancy BLRs

I really like the old steel frame ones, particularly in 358 Win. A little extra weight doesn't hurt with that cartridge either.

I've never had a scope mounted to really speak to its accuracy potential. With open sights and my bad eyes, I can routinely keep inside a golf ball at 50 yards. Clay pigeons at 100 yards from field positions don't stand a chance. The trigger job really changed this rifle.

Get some 85g tsx for that .243 and pile 'em up like cord wood......: D

I've got a Model 81 in .308. Shoots 1.25" all day long with 3 different factory loads.

No trigger job, as I got used to the factory trigger and am happy with it.

I haven't bothered running any handloads thru it either, because it does just fine with factory stuff.

Has accounted for a pile of whitetails and hogs. One of my favorite hunting rifles.

It takes about 250 shots to smooth out the factory trigger on a BLR, at least it did on mine.

I have a newer Lightning BLR in 243 Win. The trigger was HORRIBLE when I got it (second-hand), but a little polishing with a tiny hard Arkansas fixed it right up. Pull weight is still high-ish (no trigger pull scale), but it breaks cleanly with no creep or grit, so it's easy to shoot well. Hornady's factory Superformance 58-grain V-Max ammo threw 3 into a cloverleaf, so I was pretty impressed!

I bought my BLR in 358 Win. in in 1984 to hunt deer in northern Maine. Living in South Florida, I quit hunting due to business and family commitments. Returned to Hunting in 97 and have not stopped since. I have a Leupold 3x9 40 mm sighted in at 150 yds. and shot 15+ deer and quite a few hogs in both South Carolina and Florida. I had the trigger worked on about 8 years ago and was it was smooth after that. My buddy and I decided to hunt in Junction, Texas and I went to a 270 A-Bolt a few years ago. Living in Colorado now and considering an upgrade again. I will not sell my BLR it's a keeper and I just may try it on elk up here. I have an either sex tag for 4th season.

A model '81 BLR .308 has been my primary rifle since I was in junior high school. I own many other rifles and have hunted with every one of them. However, I keep going back to the BLR. It shoots very well, is easy to carry and I know exactly what to expect. It has accounted for deer, a bear, coyotes and woodchucks. It was the best $379 dollars (new) I ever spent.

In fact, I found the receipt several months ago. The rifle, a Browning sling, spare magazine, Bushnell Sportview 3-9, Dock-O-Sil (sp)hard case and a hammer spur totaled $544 with tax in 1987.

-Z

I have two BLR's, a Belgium .308 and a steel framed .358. I'd love to find an older steel receiver .243, but they don't show up too often locally. The .308 is one of my favorite lever guns to hunt with, and I have taken several deer with it over the years.

I've got one in450 marlin. A gem to carry, but hell on the bench. Love it though

I've sent two of mine to Neil.....it is money well spent.

I had a pre 81 308 win blr that I never could get to shoot under 2" but Ive got 257 roberts ,358win and 450 marlin caliber BLRs all of them easily produce consistent 1"-1.2" 3 shot groups at 100 yards off the bench.

I found this thread so I have to boast my 358 Win. BLR tonight.

I made up so reloads for several rifles and went and shot them today.

I normally shoot groups at a 100 yards, but I decided to do what my best friend does and shoot at 50 yards to test group size of the reloads before stretching it out further.

I made up some 225 Sierra GKBTSP and some 225 Nosler Partitions and 2 out of 4 groups seriously measured .251!!!!

That means if I do my part I have a handy powerful lever gun that shoots around a half inch at a 100 yards.

Needless to say I'm very happy with the results.

I believe you! I have a newer BLR in 358 that shot the typical 1.25 to 1.5" groups until I tried IMR 4198. It's now one of my most accurate rifles. Shouldn't be but is. I shoot the 200 gr Hornady.

Dan

Dan, I was actually shocked because I tried the factory Winchester 200 grain silvertips and they didn't group well at all. Definitely not the BLRs fault. LOL

Joel

I bought my BLR to be my gun while driving deer. Lucked into it shooting well with my patented hand load for my sako Forester, 41.5 gn of h4350 and a nosler BT 95gn. Now I don't have to carry different 243 loads around.