If there's not a proverb about spending your time listening to other people's opinions versus figuring it out yourself, there should be one!!
My 30+ year-old A-bolt stalker in .300 WM is still puttin' them in under an inch. No failures from -20 degrees to 100 degrees.
My Ti A-bolt in 7mm WSM puts 160gr Accubonds in .75" at nearly 3000 fps. It's a nice gun to carry when it ain't flat.
Earlier this year I bought a double-abomination - Stainless A-bolt in .223 WSSM. It's a real PITA - I'm getting so many sub-half-inch groups (62gr Barnes TSX @ 3550 - 3600 fps) it makes 1" groups in my other rifles look silly.
I've only owned 3 Brownings. Maybe I just got lucky 3 times in a row...??? Only a few other rifles I have match them and NONE beat them. YMMV
