Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles browning a-bolt

Maybe all of the epoxy from the barrel threads oozed out of the receiver, got in the trigger group, and sealed the parts so they couldnt rust.

Honestly, I thought they would have rusted up more.

I have no doubt that someone has seen some rust up. Guns are just tools, you use them, but if you abuse them, expect failures. If I left my tools out in the rain, could I blame Sears or Snap-On because they rusted up? Take care of your "stuff", it was your coin that bought it.

Bottom line, testing in a ziplock aside (haven't hunted in a baggie yet), this design is better. Bottom line!

Dam Winchester quality control again,they put everything on the wrong side <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Chuck, you are correct we do not hunt in a baggie. I agree with you on that one.

Where we disagree, is on your comment on the better design of the winchester action.


Winchester is now closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The design can not be that great or else they would not close up.

That is the true BOTTOM LINE.........John <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Powerguy.... As Ron White says..."Next time you have a thought....just let it go."


Winchester is closed and the guns are disappearing of the shelves in record sales. Everyone recognizes that the Model 70 is a darn good rifle.

What killed Winchester was their pitiful Union.

Sometimes, simplicity with a trigger and action is a good thing.

Oh and by the way, if the Win70 is such a horrible rifle...how did it win:

"The 2005 NRA Golden Bullseye "Rifle of the Year" award winner. "

Ok....no more Winny stuff....Back to the A-Bolt....

My favorite shotgun is the citori,but after owning an a-bolt,I will never own another.The rifle was quite accurate,but I simply hated the over complicated magazine sytem.Either have a floorplate or a removeable magazine,but don't combine the two.I also have no use at all for a tang safety on a hunting rifle.Lastly,the stock design resulted in more felt recoil than any other rifle that I have ever fired in the same chambering.

MY question to you is: If winchester is such a terrific gun then why were they not disappearing off the shelves before the announced plant closure?


What is a darn good rifle: I have owned 3 Winchesters, 2 savages, 2 Brownings, 1 Ruger and a Weatherby and they have all killed game for me. So I guess that they all would be darn good rifles in my book. I only have 1 Winchester left as it has sentimental value. The other model 70's were not to my liking and they are gone and I do not miss them.


Who told you that Winchesters were horrible rifles? I didn't.



Are you absolutely sure that the union was the demise of them? Are you on the inside of Winchester or is this merely speculation on your part?

If the union was the problem then are Remington, Ruger and Savage all produced by non union employees?

I enjoy a good debate but lets spare the Ron White/Larry the Cable Guy quotes. It detracts from the topic.

Winchester, better design, poor execution...Browning, poor design, better execution?

Powerguy....all in jest...I meant no offense...

By the way, gang, I officially made my decision.....with a full purchase today.

Too many people scared me away from the A-Bolt, in terms of it being a rugged hunting rifle. Plus...I was having way too much difficulty finding a 325.

Therefore, I picked up the last 325WSM I could find in Colorado in a Winchester Model 70. It is already bore sighted and I will pop away tomorrow morning.

I took my A-bolt II .375 H&H Stainless Stalker hunting in Southeast AK and it sat on the deck of an open boat for 7-days and was crusted with salt. I got home wiped it down and tore the bolt & trigger apart and no rust. I've also left it in the bushes in some pretty heavy rains for a week of caribou hunting. The only thing that rusted up was my leupold rings & mounts. My blued .338 BAR had to go get reblued from the same hunt and was in rough shape. My Weatherby Stainless Mark V was in a covered boat around salt water on a different hunt and developed some small rust spots on it. So my A-bolt so far has held up the best around saltwater. I'll see how the Kimber does next!!!

375Matt,

This is a "Rockin" report..... Another reason for me to eventually own an A-Bolt.

Good discussion here.

Hope your winny shoots good for ya, nothin like taken a new rig to the range for the 1st time..........John

From what everyone tells me I shouldn't like that rifle but I do. Out of the 8 scoped rifles I own it is the most accurate also, I am using 270 grain X-bullets with 75 grains of RL-15, cci magnum primers and the boss set on the 270 grain factory recomended setting.

Shot the 325 this morning.... I only ran 4 rounds through it, as the wind was blowing hard.

Can't wait to get back out to the range next weekend and see how she groups at 200 yards.

Honestly, what I learned today that would be applicable to the A-Bolt is that the recoil on the 325 isn't too much. The A-Bolt I had on order was with a BOSS system. I am now glad that I didn't get the ordered A-Bolt. I think I want an A-Bolt some day soon, but will need to research to determine what caliber to get one in.

matt, don't you hang out with Big Stick from time to time. I am surprised he hasn't tossed that rifle off the side of a mountain..........Blake

I have owned an A bolt for 15 years +/-. I love it. Back about the time Tim Taylor was touting more power I was playing with reloading and trying to find for myself where the upper limit was <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> (I dont recommend doing this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> )

As I kept adding more and more powder to the 300 mag casings, I started seeing, flat primers, primers that would fall out of the case, split necks...... Then at a bad time I had the ejector button on the face of the bolt stick and not pop out. I couldnt get the empty case off the face of the bolt.

After the first shot that missed, I watched the 5 point bull elk walk off, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> all the time I am working the bolt in and out of the gun, trying to get the empty off the bolt, of course it tried to pick up another shell which complicated the issue <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It took a gun smith to remedy the problem and remove the brass off the face of the bolt to allow the ejector button to get freed up. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

I have not gone down that road again, ....ah to be yound and dumb again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I would buy another A bolt in a flash, love the removable clip from the cover plate on the botton of the stock.

I once asked him about the Browning Mtn. Gun and the reply was simply "Browning is Schitt". I don't talk much about the A-Bolt to the Paradise crowd, it's like having a gay relative in the family. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am not sure the "salt water test" proved anything. I am also curious about the Paint they use on a Toyota? Must be pretty tough to endure a catastrophic rifle disaster and not even get scratched!

Toyota, they are made in Japan-Browning A-Bolts are made in Japan! Maybe Toyota could lend Miruku some of that paint!

Please.
Do NOT relate REAL LIFE experiences on this Forum.
They are irrelevant in the minds of the BIASED... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

now that is funny............blake