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I have owned two BLR’s in the past. They were both Belgium steel receiver.308’s. I love the idea of the BLR, but for some reason they seem to fall short when it comes to my affection for them.
My hunting falls into two categories, stand hunting farm county where shots may be close or out to 300 yards, or big woods hunting in the Adirondacks where shots usually come quick at close range. Theoretically, the BLR, should be great for either application. Realistically, I rarely used it for stand hunting, and even less for still hunting the Adirondacks. To make it a good still hunting rifle, I paired a fairly low powered scope with it, making it less than ideal for stand hunting low light. And for still hunting the protruding magazine made it difficult to carry comfortably, and being butt heavy it didn’t point very well.
Lately I have been lusting another one, crazy right? There was a Belgium.308 for sale here a couple weeks ago I almost jumped at. But I keep going back to the fact I’ve had 2 of them and didn’t warm up to them. One variation that has always intrigued me is the stainless version with the laminate stock. The alloy receiver would make it somewhat lighter than my old steel receiver guns were, and the flush mount magazine would make it much handier for one hand carry.
I already have a really nice Winchester 88 carbine, so the BLR would really be redundant, but I guess that’s what being a rifle loony is, right?

The BLR has an exposed hammer?

The 88 doesn’t.

Certainly one needs both……no?

The BLR usually requires trigger work……

I am sure the 88 could use some too.

They were both improved over the years, I understand the older BLR action is not built as strong.

The 88 as I understand it was also modified in the bolt/ action.

The 88 used model 70 barrels.

I find them ill balanced Rube Goldberg contraptions. I’ve handled, shot, worked on, and rebarreled quite a few. For me they’re an easy pass. YMMV

You’re right, there is something unbalanced about them. I think the length of pull is a little too long for me, that along with them being muzzle light, make for a poor pointing rifle.

I was wondering if the alloy receiver did anything to alleviate them being butt heavy?

i have some of the newer BLRs S.S. i think the newer BLR`s handle better than the older steel BLRs , i have a 300 Win. mag. and a 7mm Rem.mag. both are accurate my favorite is a take-down S.S. 30-06 shoots well ,handles great works well for blood trail`n deer for people too.

I guess I'm a dissenting voice, because I like mine. Did some stand hunting and used one in Maine with lower power scope still hunting. I had some win 94s I wanted to like but couldn't and switched to the BLRs. More common chamberings and more power in case of longer range shots. Browning triggers were always not the best even on their shotguns, but my BLRs are fine for minute of deer as far as I would need to shoot.

I got a first model .358 BLR in 1981 and hunted a bit with it liking it's compactness and ease of handling but, there was something about it that just wasn't right. Sold it in '13 then 7 years later I felt the need for another. Got a stainless steel laminate take down in .358 and found it was very picky and wouldn't shoot nearly as well as my first model. Then last year I ran across a 7mm08 with a pistol grip stock and thought this is the one! It was very picky also and the only load it shot worth a hoot was with 154 round nose bullets. I missed coyotes with both at close range because I had to look for them in the scope because they just didn't fit me very well. Both are long gone now but, if I ever feel the need for another BLR, it will be the steel receiver first model because I consider the aluminum receiver models inferior.

i took my favorite BLR take down SS 30-06 to a good gunsmith who made the trigger work much better it shoots an 1 inch - 1 1/4 groups at 100 yds. with a 1-6 Burris scope which is good enough for me. now i feel the opposite i like the S.S. frame much better its lighter and not heavy . the Aluminum receiver is very strong i have one in a 300 Win. mag and have never had any trouble with this BLR 300 Win.Mag. , this BLR is also accurate but it does have some recoil . i use real good bench rest equipment and a cement bench on my rifle range when i check my rifles for accuracy and sight in always , i also buy more expensive scopes that fit and work much better for me also.

I have a few of the pistol grip blrs a 30-06 308, 22-250 , 223, and my son has one in 7mm 08. the 06 I cut the buttstock down to fit me with a heavy coat on and then cut the barrel down to 19 inches and put an 11.5 degree inverted crown on it . It has become my go to rifle in the safe !

I’ve hunted extensively with a Belgian BLR in 308 and a newer Japan made model in 7mm-08. Aesthetically the Belgian appealed to me, and it was astonishingly accurate, in spite of a somewhat heavy trader. But… yes the balance could be better, it’s heavy to carry and muzzle light for off hand shots. The post 81 rifle didn’t shoot quite as well, had an additional safety that I didn’t like very much, and the trigger was even worse. However, it was lighter, and better balanced I guess due to the alloy receiver. I made my best snap shot ever on a deer that I jumped in heavy cover. The trigger, superfluous safety, glossy stock and gold plated trigger eventually got the better of me and I sold it. I miss both of them.

I've owned a few in 257 Roberts, 284, and 358. I tried to like them, but they all had straight grip stocks and I do better with a pistol grip style stock, so they went down the road. I sold the 358 to a guy in AK and he still sends me pictures of the game that he has killed with it.

I have to agree with Dogslife57 as I like my early steel frame BLR in .358. For me, it works extremely well for Deer, Bear and Elk here in western WA. Out of all the rifles I own and hunt with my BLR is my favorite.

I've had and used the belgian and pre81 miroku
both. Never any problems with either one.
One shot as well as the other
IMO they're great guns

I love the steel actioned, straight grips. They balance great for me and are very slick. They have been my game rifles since 1974. Started with a used BLR .308 in 1974 then added .223 and .257 '81's in the early '80's. I tried, but never liked the balance of the alloy lightweights. With good loads, mine all shoot. The .223 stays at about an inch, the others are a bit better but that's fine for me since I've never found a need to go past an honest 300 yards, even in West Texas.

Had an 81 in .358. Never warmed up to it, the "Made in Japan" stamp on the barrel grated on me. It strung all loads vertically, had issues with trigger freezing and action binding. so I sold it. Talked to the guy recently that bought it and he said it became known in his camp as the "jinxed rifle" after several unexplained misses so he traded it for a 9mm pistol.

I appreciate the honest opinions expressed in this discussion. I have been tempted by a BLR in 358 for a long time and sorta scratched that itch with a mid-50s straight grip Marlin in 35 Remington, which handles great and runs very slick. I gas the old cartridge up a bit to 2150 fps, which covers anything in the woods here and then some.

I've handled a few BLRs and (probably because I'm used to traditional lever actions) they never felt quite right to me. You fellas probably saved me some money.

I love my straight grip 81 in .358. Wouldn't take a farm in Georgia for it.

I’m looking at maybe the pistol grip version in either .308 or .358 with the alloy frame. The super high gloss finish would have to go though.

i have a few of the new ones i like the alloy frames but the gloss finish needs to be satin