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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 13,268
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 13,268 |
Otto is my co-pilot.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 860
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 860 |
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 really like my X-Bolt too. If I had the opportunity to pick up another X-Bolt or an A-Bolt for a good deal I wouldn't hesitate.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,808
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,808 |
The closest I've ever come to one is seeing them on a rack in a gun shop, so I'm eminently qualified to comment on them. Like most of Browning's Japanese firearms, their aesthetics just don't appeal to me. I do know a couple of fellows locally who like them, but they are a couple of middle-aged lard-azzes who ride their quads to the stand, sit up there a while, and call it hunting.
Mathew 22: 37-39
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,972
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,972 |
Just handle one first and make sure it fits you well.
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 19,722
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 19,722 |
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. Wait until you decide to rebarrel one. Not a problem. If I ever burn out a barrel, I will send the gun down the road and buy another. Because thats your only option.
NRA Lifetime Member
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,364 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,364 Likes: 2 |
After getting my first real job in 1992 I bought a Stainless Stalker. I think they may have been pretty new at that time. I kept it oiled like I would a blued rifle and the thing rusted like crazy on the barrel. I had it in a cabinet sitting beside my old Savage 99 and the Savage didn't rust a bit, but the Browning sure did. I sent it back, they bead blasted it and I then sold it. i liked the gun, shot good, just rusted bad for some reason.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,044
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,044 |
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. Nice buck!
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that lightening ain't distributed right." - Mark Twain
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,993
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,993 |
All the half dozen I have used have been boringly accurate right out of the box. They do not have the feel of a M70 or a Mauser but have worked quite well for me when I have used them. I let guests who do not have rifles use a 7-08 for deer. It has been used to kill a whole bunch of deer without any problems.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 19,816 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 19,816 Likes: 1 |
"Be sure you're right. Then go ahead." Fess Parker as Davy Crockett
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 574
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 574 |
I've got a stainless stalker in 7mmRemMag with the compensated and uncompensated BOSS systems. If it was a .308 or 30/06, it would probably be my favorite deer rifle. It's accurate, has that short bolt throw, fits me well, and it has a great trigger, but it's loud as hell with the compensated BOSS, and it sucks down powder like crazy.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 16,915
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 16,915 |
I have a Micro Medallion in 284 Winchester. Great little gun.
Denny.
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,675
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,675 |
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?
Get one of these instead. The .264 Win Mag in the rifle it was intended for. I was surprised to see that they are making them, I picked one up about 6 months ago. http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/itemdetail.asp?id=535108229&mid=535108
A government, to afford the needful protection and exercise proper care for the welfare of a people, must have homogeneity in its constituents.
-Jefferson Davis
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,634
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,634 |
I have not seen one fail in the field since... oh, May of last year... But I haven't seen one in the field since, either.
In the field, with far less exposure to them, I have seen more A-Bolts fail than all other makes/models combined.
I have absolutely nothing against Browning and have a number of other models that I really like...
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,731
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,731 |
Had a stainless stalker in 280rem years ago. It was darn accurate and I never had a single issue with it.
Currently they are not my cup of tea, I have moved on to CRF rifles. I'd never bet against one being accurate but some have had reliability issues with them. The majority of the folks here think they are junk. YMMV
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 16,740
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 16,740 |
A .270 A-Bolt? How can you look at yourself in the morning. He can't there is a big grey square over his face
A government is the most dangerous threat to man�s rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 18,508
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 18,508 |
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. Wait until you decide to rebarrel one. Not a problem. If I ever burn out a barrel, I will send the gun down the road and buy another. Because thats your only option. Horsechit. I've rebarreled 4. The length of some after market scope mounting screws were longish and could flatten the barrel threads. Easily avoided.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,886
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,886 |
Have you heard the fat girl and moped joke?
The A bolt fits in there too. Sure they might work, but life is too short.
Last edited by Ralphie; 06/18/13.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,506
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,506 |
my main elk hunting bud has used the same abolt stalker (7mmremmag) for over 20 years. he has killed quite a few elk and a truck load of deer. never an issue as far as i know. he just bought a new (2012) abolt in 30-06, so he must like em'. if you can get a reasonable deal, i say get the 264 win mag abolt and go hunting.
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