Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Browning Rifles???

What do you guys think of the current production Browning rifles? You don’t see a lot of them around my area, but a buddy of mine has an Abolt II in .300 Winchester that’s a tack driver. I’ve looked for used Abolt’s and they are going for as much or more than they were new. Even their BLR and BAR rifles- many guys on here using them?

We bought my son an X-Bolt for Christmas in 2021. Nice rifle and accurate, but iota mostly expected as it’s 6.5 PRC. After shooting it last summer, I was pleasantly surprised by it.

Not a scientific data point, but it seems like Brownings are the overwhelming favorite among deer hunters in the South more so than I observe in the Northwest. I might have to join the Buckmark crowd if I were in the market for a new caliber.

I was a Remington 700 and Winchester model 70 guy for years Bought one browning abolt and the flood gates opened Love the fit feel and weight and accuracy in every one I own

I've only had one Browning, a B-78 in .45/70 which supplied more meat than any other rifle I've owned. I got old, it got heavy and I sold it but, it did everything asked of it.

The original abolt and abolt II were very nice rifles. The buck was dropped with the abolt 3. Lots of flaws, dislikes so the abolt line got a bad rap. Believe me, the abolt 3 is no where near the abolt and abolt 2. As far as the newer xbolts, I'm not sure how they stack up to the older models but they do appear to have a pretty good following.

I have a medallion abolt II 7 mag with the Boss system bought is 1995 and it still drives tacks. The bolt is as slick or slicker than my tikkas.

Have an 1890 WY Centennial in 25-06 w/30" bbl. almost 4000 fps with Barnes 80s, sub moa and kills like a lightining bolt.

Every one that I’ve ever had shot well and was put together well. The two that I wish I still had were the lefty A-Bolt Medallion in 7 Mag & a BLR in 308.

Not much love for Browning Rifles publicly expressed.

I find them to be very accurate and most wood stocked Browings have a pretty nice chunk of wood under all that urethene.

ya!

GWB

I have and use an SS Xbolt CF .308 Win. I like everything about the rifle -- light weight, weather resistant, short bolt throw and plenty accurate.

I grew up bow hunting. From there I started ML hunting as the bases I was stationed on didn't allow rifle hunting.
Once I got out, I picked up handgun and rifle hunting. I had had other rifles up to that point, but after getting in some OT, I splurged and bought a Browning A-Bolt II SS Stalker in 7-08. It was my favorite rifle right up until I got into suppressed hunting and I gifted it to a good friend of mine who was just getting into deer hunting. It is now his favorite rifle.

I have not yet owned an X-Bolt, mainly because I have been building guns to my specs (shorter barrels with threads for suppressors), but now that Browning has come out with the Suppressor Ready version of the X-Bolt Speed, I am going to have to pick one up. I have been looking at the 7PRC version pretty hard.

The two main issues I have with the newer Brownings are 1) the triggers. Brownings have never had great triggers and from what I have seen the X-Bolts are no exception. Fortunately, their newest version does allow for a spring kit to be installed to help with it (similar to Savage and Ruger Americans). 2) the new magazine design. I was a big fan of the mag being held in by a hinged floorplate. It made loading and unloading super easy while also keeping everything buttoned up cleanly. I am sure that some probably like the newer detachable mag setup, but I prefer floorplates for that classic look, even on modern guns.

The one X-bolt I had was sporting very nice walnut (as GW mentioned above) and the action was very slick. My problem was purely aesthetic... I just couldn't get past how the detachable mag distorted the lines of the stock.

I have a box full of them. They all drive tacks, much like the Ruger's, Winchesters and Remingtons I have. I just really like the tang safety and lock on close feature so I don't always have to check to make sure the bolt is firmly closed.

As mentioned above by someone, they are what all the cool kids use down here in the south. It's the dream rifle for most of those that carry a Savage Axis or Ruger American.

I'm more of a Ruger M77 and Winchester Model 70 fan myself, but I'm the exception to the rule around here, especially when it comes to Winchesters. I do have an A-Bolt II WGM in 270 Win. It's one of my most accurate rifles. I also have a BAR Longtrac in 30-06. It's accurate enough for deer or hog hunting and balances and carries far better than any Rem semi-auto I've ever handled or shot.

Overall, I'm not as enamored by Brownings as many around this part of the country are, but I like them well enough that those two have earned a permanent spot in my safe.

I do think the X-Bolts are butt ugly with the detachable mag and that God awful "bottom metal" that extends up both sides of the stock.

I’ve had a bunch of A-Bolts and never had one that wouldn’t shoot.
Still have these three in ‘06, .22lr and .22WMR
There’s a stalker .308 my dad has of mine too.

Yes.

B78’s are no slouch either

I can’t say enough good things about my X Bolt Hells Canyon / McMillan 6.5 Creedmoor. Have shot it out to 1000 yards. Very little barrel fouling, out of the box accurate and feeds as smooth as it gets. Would not hesitate to buy another one.

The only Browning that would not shoot was a synthetic stainless 300 RUM circa 2000

I'm a lefty. Started with a Rem 700. Never really Winchester, but after they quit making them in left hand, I got on the Winchester train. At one time I had 9 of those.

Finally got an A-Bolt and now it's my favorite. I have 4 of them. I'm going to sell off everything else shortly. Love the tang safety, 60° bolt throw, etc. Carrying anything else doesn't seem natural anymore.

That’s what I thought when I posted this thread…everyone has good things to say about Browning rifles (except for the style of the X-Bolts, which I agree, they’re not attractive). But you really don’t hear much about them compared to other rifles. I’ve also noticed they were more popular in the south, when I’ve hunted with folks from there- the Browning’s were pretty popular, but you don’t see too many here in the NE. Perplexing, but maybe I can start to change the trend!

What? No mention about how they are easily futzed up by bad weather, river sand, and other environmental hazards?

Those things futz me up too, so that wouldn’t keep me from buying one. The oogly part might, but compared to a lot of rifles from Yurrup, they’re almost classic in appearance. Rifles in that price range simply don’t show up in local shops around here. Cheap stuff is all the rage.

I want one of them pretty bad. To me they’re the coolest single shot going. Nice rifle JM.

Got a Stainless Stalker A-Bolt II in 300 WSM that is a tack driver. It is my favorite hunting rifle.

If anyone knows where a lefty 7mm wsm is, let me know.

A few of them have followed me home over the last 30 years........



High Wall, 30-06 Springfield




X-Bolt Max Long Range, 6PRC




A-Bolt, 300 Win Mag, rattle-can paint.




Custom Micro Medallion, 7mm-08




M71, 348 Win., High Wall, 300 H&H, M63, 218 Bee




Browning 1895, 30-40 Krag (Top)




1885 High Wall




Hells Canyon Speed, 26 Nosler




Max Long Range, 6.8 Western




BAR, 7mag.

ya!

GWB

An 1895 in .30-06 is on my WTB list.

My first center fire was a left hand .270 A Bolt Stainless Stalker with a BOSS. That was about 35 years ago. I used it for everything even small varmints. I still use it from time to time. It’s the one rifle that’s been with me the longest and traveled the most. I could fill up this page talking about it. It’s one of those guns that’s so much a part of me that I can make a difficult shot with it quickly and not remember where I aimed. It has plenty of patina on it too.

Had an A-Bolt II for a quick minute in .270. It was recalled by Browning due to improper heat treating of the sear if I remember correctly. I always liked the feel of them.

You are correct. But after changing out bith my Tikka T3 trigger springs I did some searching around. I found that the spring could also be changed out in the Browning. Boy did it make a diifference. You could get a few different spring tensions. Mine is set to about the same pull as both my Tikkas. Very nice now for a just a few bucks.

Or you can pull the spring and clip a coil or two off... I have done that to three of mine and used them for years.

It has fed my family and that matters most.

Its my first Browning.

Hells Canyon Long Range .270 WSM...........I love it!!
It is very well made, fit and finish is superb.

It is very accurate, feeds like butter from the mag, and wears an SWFA fixed 12X mil/mil.

I have run 130 ballistic tips and that has accounted for 2 deer and one turkey. Pigs 4, up this point. My hunting companion uses an A Bolt in .243 WSSM and kills deer every year with that rifle.

I have loaded 90 grain gold dots for the 6.8 in it and it is hell on jack rabbits and coyotes.

Would I buy another one...yes.

As far as it being a "thing" here in the south I guess it kinda is.

It seems that once the the silver haired older guys get one its "the one" when business is at hand. But the same can be said for older remingtons and winchesters that have been companions on past hunts with good memories.

I am now edging my way in to that crowd one hair at a time...ha ha.

The remark about the axis and the ruger are true as steps to "that Browning"

My dad collected long guns for decades.
Brownings were then and even so now considered the "holy grail" for the common guy to have in South Louisiana.

Killed my first deer with a Browning BLR in 308 Win, the only Brownings that I have now are a Citori and A5 in 12ga and a Belgium Bar in 270 Win

. I used to have a Browning A-Bolt in 270 about 20 years ago. also, my hunting partner and his wife also have older A-Bolts. Yes, they handle well and are accurate. The wood stocks are classy looking as well. However, as all 3 of us learned, the bolt interior is complex (ie, any issues and you got to send it back to Browning or to a gunsmith). In fact that is what happened to my friend and wife, though after being repaired, they both kept their A-Bolts Compare that to an Winchester 70 bolt (which is super easy to field strip and maintain). I'm not saying the M70 is better than the A-bolt but to me it is more user friendly to maintain to prevent issues from occuring (which is important to me). YMMV.

Anybody know or willing to measure max COAL in an X-bolt 223? I see they're available w/1:8 twist bbls, wondering if they got the mag box right along with the twist?

I have an Abolt II Stalker as well- in 260 and it is my go to rig. A few things- I put a spring kit on mine so it isn't just newer rifles. The trigger is perfect and it took about one minute start to finish.
I loved the skinny feel to it but it kicked hard for a 260 and was inconsistent. I learned it was picky about how you laid it on a rest. Put a B and C stock on it and wow - thing is a consistent tack driver and so much more comfortable to shoot. Love the 60° bolt throw and how the detach mag mounts to the floor plate. Nice and lightweight rifle paired with an ultraflex slogan sling is the easiest carrying thing you can imagine.

Oh- added later here but I also have a B92 lever action in 44 mag. Great actions and fun rifle.

I have hunted with an A-bolt II SS in 270 WSM since a long time. This gun is very accurate with almost anything I feed it. It handles very well. I had a local gunsmith shorten the trigger spring and the trigger pull improved significantly. He did that by grinding off one end of the spring. He was very careful not to remove a lot material, just a little.

I also have an X-bolt in 300 WSM. It is a very accurate gun and handles well. The trigger is better than the A-bolt. I am not crazy of the detachable magazine arrangement but I have had no issues. However I prefer the detachable magazine arrangement of the A-bolt because it is almost impossible to accidentally drop the magazine. Overall I like the X-bolt very much.

The new production xbolts and abolt3 suck ass, but the older abolts last forever and quality is excellent.

I bought my A bolt stainless stalker in 92 took 3 inches off barrell (338 WM), mostly looks for moose and shoots just fine .. I am a lefty and it was what I found first - no regrets - there have been Remingtons and Savage in other calibres ... going to try some 180/185 weights this spring ... a little age suggests getting rid of some recoil ....

Had an Abolt and an xbolt. Shot great but never could get used to the palm swells as a left hander shooting right handed guns.

My older A-bolt medallion in 280 is my most accurate rifle

I've had zero experience with any A-bolt 3; however, my experiences with 10-12 X-Bolts have been exceptional with respect to form, function, finish, accuracy and overall performance. I have owned them in 6.5 Creedmoor, 280 Ackley, 7 Mag, 300 Mag and 6.5 PRC and each has been exceptional, on all counts. Mine have all been the Hell's Canyon speed version. I've not owned an X-bolt in a different configuration than the Hell's Canyon.

A-Bolts x (a bunch) +++++

Ditto with both the Hell's Canyon Speed x 3 and the Max Long Range x 2.

ya!

GWB

2 A-bolt II’s here, 270WSM and 223WSSM varmint. The 223 shoots tiny groups and is what I usually grab to hunt coyotes. The weight is not as heavy as my other varmint guns. The 270 shoots MOA handles well and it’s light but kicks hard at the bench.

I’ve had over the years a 7RM, 270, 243, 22lr. Everyone of them shot well and my buddies that had other calibers were great as well. I don’t own any anymore, but I’ve not seen one that didn’t shoot from that a-bolt & a-bolt II. I have zero experience with the a-bolt III or x-bolt. I’m one of the SE guys and I don’t have many good friends and “gun guys” that have any late model browning rifles.

Got a Maple x-bolt I got from my Dad. I wouldn't have bought it but it shoots damn good.

Lots of truth here. When I was a kid all of my relatives in that part of the world were duck guys who shot 870s or the occasional BPS and lusted after a browning gold.

I have an X-Bolt Stainless Stalker and it's a great rifle. Like the others have said it's accurate, short bolt throw, tang safety and detachable 4 shot mag. I've had no issues with the coating on the stock peeling. I also had a BLR81 in 308. I really liked that one too. It was surprisingly accurate for having such a skinny barrel. The only reason I sold it was because of the crazy price I got for it.

My only Browning rifle is the 7Rmag BAR that was my first rifle bought in 1974. I wanted a 270 or 30-06 but all they had was 7Rmag & 300 Wmag on the shelf and my grandfather said if it didn’t say Browning he wasn’t paying for it so a 7mag it was.

I’ve had BLRs, 1885s and B78s and now an ABolt II Medallion. All have been very accurate, beautiful, and trouble free.

I have a soon to be going down the road Xbolt Stainless Stalker. Ergos are very good but a mediocre shooter. Had to be sent back to Browning for the sticky stock syndrome. Some how I broke the little rod that connects the push button bolt release to the trigger assembly, easy to fix but shouldn't have happened. Little aftermarket support at this time and my 700's and Steyr shoot better. Very much an upgraded Ruger RAR.

The only Brownings I had that wouldn't shoot to my specs were the BLR's. I have had 4 of them and none were better than 1 3/4" even with handholds. Crappy trigger did not help... I REALLY wanted to get one to shoot good. Had the pre-81's and the BLR's... lots of people have good shooters but mine were mediocre... at best.

You must have gotten a clunker. And frankly comparing them to Ruger RAR is a stretch. The Ruger isn't anywhere near the same quality of rifle.

I've seen, own or shot probably 10-12 X-bolts and haven't seen one that wouldn't shoot MOA or better with decent ammo. The three I have now, 2x 308 and 1x 30-06 will shoot 3/4 MOA with my hand loads. That's been my experience anyway.

I currently own both, take them apart and look at them. Xbolt is a pig with lipstick. 3/4 MOA isn't good enough, not today at least.

BLR’s are are pretty popular with those who hunt them. Ive had several over the years, the trigger probably being the most problematic on them.

A friend had a Stainless Stalker in 338 we called the Flying Wedge due to relatively small surface area of the butt. It seemed to put a real crease in your shoulder. At the time, I was shooting a 340 Wby semi-custom on a Rem 700 action. Had a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad, much greater surface area.

The Flying Wedge was much more wicked.

100 yds.......



200 yds.

speaking of pigs........




Browning X-Bolt Hunter, 308 Win









Bowning Hell's Canyon Speed, 26 Nosler




Browning Max Long Range, 6.5 PRC


Seem to work on other stuff too......







Browning Max Long Range, 6.8 Western

YMMV

ya!

GWB

Ya wanna trade?

How much of a buy is the Browning going to be since it's a flop?

I have a 1990 Browning Abolt 7mm rem mag.

I put a B&C stock on it about 10 years ago

This rifle shoots awesome

I have A Bolt IIs in 708 and 270win and I'd buy another one if I found one for a good price no matter what round it was chambered in. I did own an ABII Medallion in 260rem that shot as good as it looked but someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse for it.

Somehow I got it in my head this was about their current bolt actions. Never owned one of those, but have two Low Walls that are permanent residents here. I’m always on the lookout for good deals on more, though goodness knows what for. Would like a nice SA 22 too, and maybe a BPR .22 or .22 mag.

Shotguns don’t get much play on this site, but Browning’s have been my favorites forever.

For GW......

Good Stuff!!!

Details??

Always interested in stories of porker perforation!

ya!

GWB

Missed that Steyr the first go 'round.............




Steyr Pro-Hunter, 376 Steyr

They are so butt ugly they are cool, and the one's I have are shooters.



Ten years ago they were the best kept secret out there, and one could sneak up on them for $450 to $750, but now the word is out!


As an aside,

I tell folks I operate within a "narrow band of mediocrity". Don't do anything real good. Don't do anything real bad.

At my advanced age, I'm not nearly as anal about getting sub-inch groups out of a "hunting rifle".

Then take into the fact that the pigs I hunt are constantly moving. From the time my brain sez' to "trip the trigger" until my finger does, the bullet exits the barrel and impacts (hopefully) on flesh, the buggers can move a foot or two.

ya!

GWB

Good question. Since it's likely to be bargain priced due to its RAR quality, I might be interested too. 🤔

The Xbolt is not RAR quality at any level just very similar in design. Truth is it has some very good features superior to others models available. I wanna love this rifle, just a little raw I got one built on Monday.

Given the number of these rifles that appear on the shelf, perhaps it's just a matter of time when the aftermarket follows and gunsmiths become more familiar with making them shoot.

GW, my Steyr was 500 out the door used and so ugly it would scare the paint off of a used car. The 2 things it does well are shoot and work every time. Aftermarket for this is nonexistent unfortunately also.

Price very reasonable Tech, no interest in it around here. If I can't sell, going to see if I can get it re barreled in a fast twist 280.

10/4.

A few more things I like. The SBS system, Bolt lock on safe and their two stage trigger.

ya!

GWB

I am always interested in "investments that shoot".

PM your way.

Best,

GWB

Not wanting to start a pissing match but what are some of the design similarities?

Other than removable mag I cannot think of anything else similar.

Hey now GWB...stealing my potential purchase eh?

With ALL the Browning experts here - I have a question. Are the stocks for a 7-08 the same as for a WSM??? A Bolt 1 & 2 only. I can't get past the looks of a 3. I have a 7-08 Micro with a standard stock on it and standard mag boxes. I'd like to buy another SA (Medallion preferred) and use this wood on it. Then I can go back to a Micro stock and mag on the 7-08.

Hey now both of ya!!😉

Both have tang safeties. Both have a short bolt throw (60 degree for X-bolt and 70 degree for RAR).

I have a nice A Bolt II in 300 win mag for sale if you are looking for that.

DBM
Tang safety
3 lug bolt design
Same bolt release and cocking indicator

Thanks, Oakster, but I already have a .300 Winchester (in a Model 700). I will probably end up with an X-Bolt, but I am pretty tempted by the BLR, also.

I had a Portugal assembled BAR in 7mm RM that I finally sold because it never lived up to my expectations.

I have a BLR circa 1971 in .243 that is a good shooter and my daughter likes.