Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tell me about the Browning A-Bolt..

I have the opportunity to pick up a new Browning A-Bolt Medallion, 264 Win Mag with a 26"(!) barrel.. a caliber that I have been wanting for a long time.. but I have NO experience with the A-Bolt?

Anyone wanna bring me up to speed?

I am going to start selling snacks, popcorn lots of popcorn.

I'm with Viking. The bolts will come off in your hand, the barrel will fall off on the 15th shot, and the trigger will freeze in 80deg weather.


I love my A Bolts and they are very accurate. Never tried one in that caliber but would buy it in a heartbeat if a bargain.

A lot of folks here at the Fire don't like them. I have had one for 20+ years (a 270) that is on its second barrel. It has accounted for a huge amount of Mule Deer and Elk, not to mention rock chucks, coyotes, ground squirrels, badgers, etc, etc. For a while it was my only centerfire rifle, so it got used for everything.

It rarely get used these days, except as a loaner. The new tube, which is a browning "take off" .270 barrel with the BOSS brake on it is sub moa as well with hand loads and easy for kids to shoot.

Here is a pic from the first day I hunted with the old Browning A Bolt many moons ago... It has proven itself over and over again since then.

I bought some new A-bolt's in the early 90's. They were the Stalker models. I've hunted with them more than any other rifles I have. I've been very pleased with them. They're accurate and perform well in the field. These had fluted bolts, were glass bedded at the recoil lug, the barrels were free floated, and I believe they had coned breeches (I'd have to look at one again to make sure of that). They came from the factory that way. They have been, and are, very good rifles for me.

Love the 60 degree bolt lift. Makes mounting a scope low a tater job. Have 2 right now an A-Bolt .22 and a Micro Medallion in 7mm-08. Used to have one in .30-06 that I traded off for a prettier .30-06 that didn't shoot near as good. Still kicking myself over that. I say get it and go shoot stuff with it.

I have an a-bolt Micro in .308. It is terrible. Boringly reliable, around MOA with most any ammo, sub-MOA with good handloads. No personality whatsoever

Okay seriously, the trigger is too stiff, and the pistol grip isn't very well shaped. A few people have reported failures of action components.

I think they are generally pretty good rifles.

A .270 A-Bolt? How can you look at yourself in the morning.

I've got one in 300 wsm that's taken quite a few elk and done very well. It shoots MOA and it's as reliable as a hammer so far. I've got quite a few friends with the same and none have ever had any problems.

OK, where are all the rock chunkers this morning? Sobering up?

you called?

my wife has a stalker in 243. works fine shoots great

They get a lot of hate on this site, but I love them. In fact the only thing I like better for the money may be an X-bolt. Between myself, my brother, my dad and my cousins, we own 10 a-bolts that have killed more than 1,200 whitetails in the last 20 years.....and we've never had a failure of any kind.

I have ONE I received new as a gift, or a trade with a friend. It's chambered in 22 Hornet and the only A Bolt I've ever owned. It shoots fine, but doesn't see much use.

As soon as I got it, I took it to my 'smith to get the trigger fixed. It was pretty bad.

As soon as I walked in the door with it, Richard said;"I ain't making it into a K Hornet". He knows me pretty well.

I had no intention of going that route since I need a few rifles to leave my Grandkids that won't handload. This little jewel will go to a Grandaughter and I even keep it "purty".

Richard said he made a K Hornet on an A Bolt for a guy and it "blew up". I'm sure that was not the words he used, but I can't remember the nature of the failure.

He explained that the guy was the kind to push the envelope and also to keep using cases beyond where they should be junked, but the incident pointed out a design feature in the action that he didn't much like, and he would no longer chamber an A Bolt for a wildcat cartridge.

Secondhand rock thrown!

Wait until you decide to rebarrel one.

I will try to capsulize the A-bolt and some of its history on the Fire for you.

The anti's say the bolt is overcomplicated with too many parts. They fear a malfunction though I can't remember any being reported. For the purist it is not easily disassembled.

The most common gripe was that the trigger system invited rust and freezing. These complaints seemed to come from folks using them in extreme conditions of salt and cold - like Alaska. Most, including myself, in reasonable conditions while taking proper care of the gun have zero problems and high praise. The best lube and anti-seize for the triggers seems to be old fashioned lighter fluid.

We used to hear a lot of stories about not being able to change out the factory barrels, gunsmiths not wanting to touch them, but that argument seems to have gone to sleep these days. An earlier posting on this thread mentions a rebarreled A-bolt.

Of course there is some dislike for the BOSS associated with them. I can understand not liking but they have proven themselves as valid as long as the extra bulk and less than pleasing appearance are not minded.

Many just don't like the aesthetics. To each his own I guess, I seem a minority who finds them pleasing. The naysayers don't like the fact it has a detachable mag or that the bottom plate is not steel ( why steel is needed ? ? ? ?) or the overly the shiny finish many A-bolts had. Basically- because it wasn't an M70. One valid beef is the mirror finish stainless bolt shroud. Matte would have been much more sensible.

I have an A-bolt Stalker. The only problem with it was that the factory stock, while loving the skinny feel of it, kicked like a mule. I replaced it with a Bell and Carlson and it is much more pleasant if somewhat less svelte. The one item to note about the replacement was that the screw for the trigger guard was just a touch too short in the new stock so I had to replaced it with a longer one. The mag floor plate kept it in there until I replaced it. Note- this was not the rear action screw so no biggee.

I love the detach mag system it has. It is the best of all worlds to me in that I have a removable mag but one that is highly unlikely to ever drop loose on its own. I prefer it over the X-bolt 'improvement' design..

The maligned trigger I have found to be exceptional. I bought a Timney trigger kit. The kit is just a pair of springs - (one heavier than the other but both seemed lighter than factory) for like $15. It took less than one minute to replace the spring with one of the Timney's and adjust it. Super simple. I have a perfect, crisp, non creeping, light trigger. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE can do this.

I painted my stainless barrel and stock and put a small strip of camo tape over the reflective bolt shroud. Added lightweight S&K rings and a 12 ounce VX3 and have a great carrying rig that shoots all bullets well- even those the twist rate should have issues with.

The short bolt and angle of the handle make for extremely fast follow up shots. Was asked by a fellow lease mate if I had seen the guy with the semi-auto. It is a serious Lee - Harvier! The action is nice and slick and I have never had, nor ever heard, a knock on its extractor.

I like its tang safety better than any other I have used.

I believe the barrels are buttoned and most find them above average in accuracy and not heavy foulers.

They are lightweight and compact feeling. Of course a 26 in barrel will change that a bit but I m willing to bet it will balance better than other rifles of that length. It may kick harder than you would think. I changed the recoil pad with an old Limbsaver- the gooey original one that basically glued itself to the carpet in my closet. It didn't help enough to matter but the Bell and Carlson sure did.


Hmm.. about all I can tell ya. Hope it helps.

He can't!! He's got a square "blacked out" on his mirror!

Sorry Mackay, it just "came to me." Do I have to sleep w/one eye open now?

Btw, have owned a couple A-bolts (.270 & .375 H&H) that were great guns. My partner's .338 A-bolt is a tack driver.

Bob

I got one when they 1st came out...after reading the write up in a gum mag in the 80's...LH 30/06 worked fine> killed a bear on Kodiak in 88...... then I layed my eyes upon a browning 1885 HW in '06.......

Not a problem. If I ever burn out a barrel, I will send the gun down the road and buy another.

Had an a-bolt medallion shot show special, bought on getting back into deer hunting after long hiatus. Previously used shotgun and borrowed rifles (brownings, hence the influence). Gun was beautiful, octagon barrel, lightweight (compared to later guns I bought), and mildest 30-06 recoil ever - it fit well. Shot 1" with whatever.

Despite that, as I built up a cabinet of other bolts and levers, the a-bolt just started to look/feel designed by an engineer who made appliances for a living. Purely personal impression, but I'd take say three rifles, the browning and either a ruger, sako, M70, or CZ bolt or anything else to the range and the browning just felt "cheap" when shot in rotation with the others. Also the trigger was much different (even after ernie spring); wider trigger and release felt different. Never took it hunting. We fell out of love and split up. I wish her well but don't miss her. In all fairness, it had positive attributes as mentioned already so am not pissing on it, it just wasn't a match. That it shot well and had a neat octagon barrel is not in dispute.