Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Considering a Browning BLR .300wsm

I have a BLR in a 7mm magnum and .358.

Looking at the .300 WSM, any comments on loading and ejecting issues and accuracy? I haven’t read about any, just checking.

Thank you

Steve

I have a 270wsm and just load to fit the magazine. Don't bump the shoulder or they won't chamber all the way. Factory ammo should be ok. Had a magazine that wouldn't feed properly but was an easy adjustment.
Like the rifle and it shoots well. Shiny stock , not so much. Took my last shiras moose with my 270wsm BLR.

I've mentioned it before on here but I had issues with a BLR failing to fire. Seemed worse in cooler weather, but would do it occasionally even in warm temperatures. I found a lot of complaints online of others with the same issue. Now my son in law has experienced the same thing with his. He has a BLR stainless in 308. The gun is only a couple of years old. He was out on his trapline and went to shoot a ptarmigan for supper. No dice gun just went click. He went through all the shells in the clip thinking at first it might be a bad primer. It wasn't. As Im sure most of you know we have had a lot of trouble with grizzly this past winter. My son in law was on a remote trapline and certainly didnt have confidence in his BLR after that. He has decided to sell it and buy a bolt gun. Im not trying to diss the BLR, as I actually like them. They shoot and handle very well, but I would caution anyone who might find themselves in bear country that they cant be trusted. Especially in an extreme environment. To many other good reliable rifles to choose from in my opinion.

yukon254 if that problem changes with temp I would think that the bolt has a heavy oil or greese in it. try soaking it in kerosene and then just spraying it full of a good lite gun oil.I own a small heard of these blrs and have not one complaint. jmho.

i now have 3 BLR`S 300 Win.mag.,308 WIN. 7MM Rem.Mag. all 3 have never failed me. but i did Have a Remington 700 s.s. 338 Win. Mag. fail up in the mountains on a horse back trip and rifle was in a leather open holster/scabbard in a snow storm, i was ridin horse in grizzly country all 3 of us on horses our 700`s all failed that day plus a big sow and 2 cubs ran the other way. so any gun can fail but after that day i learned never have a shell in any rifle during a storm or until i need to use it ,any rifle can freeze up but when you jack a shell in chamber that will unfreeze or break ice loose so rifle will fire then. we always run rifles dry as posted above too.

My 7mm BLR flawless last year on our NF moose hunt.

.358 is good as well.

Good advice, and also the most common comment I get whenever I tell folks about the problems with the BLR. I always run my rifles dry. The BLR in question was throughly cleaned and degreased a few times during the time I owned it. Lots of complaints online from guys in much warmer climes that have had the same problem.

pete53 comparing the BLR to the Remington 700 is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I've been guiding for 30+ years now and I have seen more R700s fail than all other makes combined. They are known to freeze up. Hopefully when you said you learned never to have a shell in a rifle during a storm, you meant in the magazine and not the chamber!?? Cant imagine a more unsafe practice than to carry a hot rifle in a leather scabbard on a moving horse. It would never be allowed by any guide or outfitter I know.

The Remington 700 will freeze regardless of whether you have a round chambered or not. Usually its the trigger that causes problems in severe weather. Not all rifles are equal. I've never seen or heard of a Ruger 77 failure, same goes for the Winchester model 70. The Mauser 98 is another one that seldom if ever has problems in the field. First Nation hunters up here prefer lever actions and the Winchester 94 is very popular in the communities, because of their reliability. The BLR in my opinion is just to delicate for a serious wilderness rifle. Its impossible to disassemble and clean in the field, and there are to many moving parts. While it is probably just fine for the hunter that hunts from a tree stand or hunts just a few days each year, it is one of the worst rifle choices for someone who uses a rifle for months at a time in a wilderness environment. Another thing to consider is that very few gunsmiths have the knowledge or are willing to work on them. At least up here anyway. I couldnt find one that would touch mine.

you could be right about freeze up rifles ,thats why i now hunt with either a single shot Ruger #1 or my pre 64 Winchesters,i did mean no cartridge in chamber of rifle but i forget some people may think the other way. the reason many people hunt with a Winchester lever is they are just a cheaper rifle to buy and yes are easier to take of. but a native friend up there he uses only his Ruger bolt rifle S.S. 300 Win,mag. open sights and i am surprised how well he shoots with that Ruger rifle a long ways out on caribou . as far as my Browning BLR`s i have never had a problem with any of them ,but maybe its because i take better care of my equipment ?

The Rugers are hard to beat. Thats what I carry most of the time. You probably do take better care of your equipment, no argument there, but then again you are not spending 6-8 months at a time in the bush working 16 hour days guiding hunters, anglers and trappers. I simply have to many other things to do on a daily basis than worry about meticulously cleaning my rifle every day. Im not alone. I know a lot of guys in my position. When a moose or bear causes a problem I cant be worried about my rifle doing its job. Winter is the worst. Throw your rifle in an open scabbard on your snow machine where you have easy access to it, then run 100 miles. That fine snow will be packed around your gun so tight its like concrete. See what works in those conditions and you will realize why I dont trust BLRs. Had a cow moose take a run at me this morning when I went to feed the ponies. My KBD turned her, but it could just have easily taken a shot in front of her to turn things my way....I think of rifles this way, they are a tool. A tool you will need rarely, but when you need it, you will need it worse than you ever needed anything before. They can save your life, mine has many times. I expect it to work 100% of the time, no exceptions. I like rifles, and am without question a real rifle loony. I've had my share over the years, but any one I've ever had a problem with was gone in a few days. Like my dad used to say, 'a good horse eats the same amount of hay as a bad one.'

no argument here ,my rifles ride in my truck 365/24hr./7days a week until i need it or head to the woods, but i do need a accurate rifle .so we use our rifles probably a little different sometimes. good luck,Pete53