Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Any tips for reloading a rifle with the BOSS?

I just recently purchased my first reloading setup and have been acquiring the necessary components to begin loading for all of my rifles. I have two browning composite stalkers with the BOSS. One is a 7mm-08 and the other a 300 Win. Mag. With the adjustable BOSS, what is the best way to work up loads for these guns? Should I set the BOSS and forget it and adjust the loads, or keep adjusting the BOSS as well. It seems like I would be adding alot of variables by tuning the BOSS but that is what it is on there for. I do not have any idea how to find the new sweet spots without lots of trial and error. These were a great idea when i was shooting factory loads but now seem like possibly an unneeded item with handloads. Please educate me on the best method. Thanks.

Pick a load you like (bullet, powder, etc). Set the BOSS to the sweet spot for that bullet weight. Adjust the BOSS from there if necessary.

First, cut the BOSS off and sell it to some sucker. Then start loading for both with H4350.
The BOSS is one of the loudest brakes I have ever heard.

...or just by the CR Boss that isn't ported.

If it were me, I'd remove the BOSS from the barrel, work up your loads, pick the one you like best then put the BOSS back on and tune it from there. I think you're right in that trying different loads and constantly adjusting the BOSS at the same time is just introducing too many variables and you're just chasing your tail with each adjustment from either BOSS or loads.

you beat me to it!!

Yessir, have your Smith cut the boss off and re-crown your rifle with a nice 11 degree recessed target crown.

Gunner

You can get the initial settings on Brownings website or Google "Browning BOSS settings". I shoot 2 shots at the 1st setting, if tight enough for my liking then a 3rd shot. If not, move the BOSS 1/4 turn whichever way tightens up the group. You probably know this already.

I don't get the lack of love for the BOSS, sure it's noisy, but the CR replacement takes care of that. I have a Win. 70 22/250 w/BOSS, I've run 21 rds down the tube experimenting, with 40-55 gr loads I'm getting 9/16-5/8" groups from a Featherweight barrel. Gonna load some more and move the settings in 1/10 increments.

Despite the BOSS being terribly loud, they work wonders for recoil on carts where needed. I personally wouldn't own one, but I've worked up loads for 4 guns with them. My process was just set it where recommended, and load multiple different loads to test. You could mess with the setting on the load that shoots the most consistent. I was lucky enough with all of them that they shot certain loads great where they were first set.

That's the sweetest thing about the BOSS, it works !
You pick out the load you want, bullet type, powder, speed, then you adjust the BOSS to where you get MOA.
You don't need to try 4 different powders, and 10 different bullets with 50 different powder weights using 6 different primers.
I have one on my 7-08 and it's one of the most accurate rifles I own.
PS, try and find the non-ported boss, works the same just a little guieter.

I load for 3 BAR's and one A-Bolt with BOSS's. I agree with the above poster. Pick components and velocity. If it's in the ball park, then start adjusting the BOSS. Put blue lock tight on the threads.
I love the BOSS on my BAR in 270 for yote hunting. I can see the hit or miss through the scope.
The BOSS on the 338 mag BAR is a shoulder saver and makes shooting such a canon fun.
Enjoy!

Agree...they work. Still dont like the noise and extra length. Dont own one anymore but it wasnt because it wouldnt shoot.

I have a rifle (my 6.5 Grendel - Max) with a thread for a supressor and with this on I have a excellent result with the 123gn Aax giving me 1/3 moa at 200yds.
I want to run cast bullets but not through the supressor and have made up a muzzle weight from the 5 inches from the chamber end of an un-used barrel. I will be able to screw it back and forward on a barrel nut and lock it in place when "the load" is sorted and it will have a cap made that screws onto the old reciever thread with an apropriate sized hole for the bullet exit so it is like an un-ported BOSS but with a semblance of an expansion chamber.
I can get my cast bullet to a hunting velocity so is it just a matter of turning the weight in or out to get the accuracy I need. Because it is the same weight as the supressor is there any chance that the same scope setting can be used? I know - suck it and see but it will be a day or two untill the muzzle weight will be finished and I have a hunt sorted so it might be a few weeks till I can put any of this to the test and I wondered if the collective wisdom (or those that respond to BOSS threads) might have an intuitive answer.

Thanks for the input guys. I do have the BOSS CR on both of my rifles to save my ears a little. I do have H4350 for the 7mm-08 with 120 gr. ballistic tipa and 140 gr. partitions to start with and for the 300 WM I have RL 22 with 180 gr partitions and 168 gr. ballistic tips. Now the fun begins.

I forgot to add that I do agree with one of the above pasters in that the BOSS does add some weight and length to my rifle which can be a small hinderance. It is not bad on the 7mm-08 but on the 300 WM it is noticable. My brother has an abolt in a 300 WSM without the BOSS and his is super accurate and feels much nicer in your hands.

I have a Browning Medallion in 7RM with a BOSS. That thing is crazy accurate. I set the BOSS at the suggested spot for bullet weight and worked up loads. It shoots MOA easily out to 550. The farthest I've shot so far. Funny thing about That rifle, the hotter the load the tighter it groups and it don't walk as it gets hot. It'll burn you and still shoot right.

Yes and no.. 'Yes', it CAN work for accuracy, but 'no' in that it's also loud (like a brake) and it's ugly to most.. If it was the cat's azz, Browning or Winchester would not have discontinued 'em and reports were that it was due to slow sales.. I think they only lasted 3-4 years of production but I'd have to check.. Blue book shows a 10% premium for BOSS rifles but the market is just the opposite - sales of BOSS rifles are difficult, at best, and can usually be bought for less than book values..

I get a couple in every year where the customer has me cut 'em off and machine a new crown on the muzzle..

Browning used to list basic sweet spots for different cartridges on their web site, don't know if they still do.

Noise and weight are the price one pays, but I like the concept. It's nice to pick ones slug, load to the desired velocity, and then make it shoot. That's the way I start with many conventional rifles, and then I have to sacrifice the slug or velocity to get it to perform.

I had a BAR with a BOSS for about 14 years and recently replaced it with a non-BOSS BAR in the same caliber (30-06). The BOSS never worked for me as far as tuning gun to load, but helped with recoil. Recoil was not why I bought it though and my replacement BAR feels about the same. Purely subjective, of course. Loud? Holy crap! I still have nightmares about the first time I shot it at a deer. Very painful. I hunted with it for a few years and killed probably 3 dozen deer and hogs but finally put it away. I couldn't handle the muzzle blast and hearing protection turned out to be impractical in the deer woods. Just my opinion - if you handload, you can probably tune a load to your rifle much more effectively than the BOSS will tune your rifle to a load. Good luck!

Oh yeah, they're ugly as a mud fence.