Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles So why not Browning?

I have been on the campfire for awhile now and as I ponder my next purchase it seems that Brownings are conspicuously absent from discussion here.

I have one Stainless Stalker in 30-06 circa mid-80's, a couple of Kimbers, A couple of Weatherby's and a few Remingtons and with the exception of the Browning, all seem to get more airplay here.

Is there something in particular folks don't like about Brownings? Something in the newer models than I have that I should be aware of?

I welcome your thoughts.

Dan

Do they still have aluminum components in the triggers?

I think they are highly polished turds..... There isn't much I could like about an A-bolt. A Remington 700 or Winchester 70 is a much better action. I can't grasp hot glue bedding the recoil lug or attaching barrels to actions via locktight. They just don't inspire me at all...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

If I were a Japanese-made gun collector, I suppose I'd have several.

The bottom line for me is; 3 shots in 3/4" or less @ 100yds. That is what it is all about, nothing more. If it is held together with duck tape and shoots 3/4" groups @ 100 yards, it is a far better firearm then one that has a hard time with 1-1/2" groups.

So, I'm sorry to hear if I have to rip my A-bolt apart it may be more difficult. AMF Harleys had the same easy takedown as Win and Rem and mechanics just loved the he11 out of them.

I would rather have a rifle that shoots then have spare parts!

A pressure point and no bedding is better then free floated and at least some bedding?

I do have a Rifle that I was thinking of having glass bedded but you know, I could do the same thing with hot glue and save $99. Thank you.

Sorry Ahlman's.

they just look too glossy for my tastes...

There's nothing wrong with a Browning A-Bolt at all, as far as the basic quality of the rifle ... I've not seen one yet that didn't shoot as well as any other RemChester or similar. They are a tad more expensive, at least down here, but they are a good product.

To answer your question about why they don't get much play around here, is simply because this is a forum full of mostly rifle loonies ... and being a loony means you want to constantly tinker with and customize your rifles ... which is the problem with the Brownings ... other than putting a McMillan stock on it, there ain't much you can do to it ... not that it needs it ... just simply put, there are basically no aftermarket parts for it.

My local smith told me he doesn't like them because they are harder to work on than the 'others' ... but more precisely, they rarely need any work, which isn't a good thing for a gunsmith, ya know? He told me of one single instance he knew of where the trigger on one broke, but that was a guy that had is rifle on a hunt high in the mountains, freezing cold and snowy, for days on end ... trigger guard got brittle, and when it got bumped kinda hard, it cracked. Other than that, he's seen no real issues with any he knows of. Also, my uncle has an A-Bolt Medallion in .270win he's been using for 19 years straight, and has never had a single problem with it ... from feeding, ejection, accuracy and reliability, there's narry been a hitch.

the warrentys suck they won't stand behind their products.

It is the same Co. as winchester isn't it.

I like my old BLR81 in .308 that I've had for several years. Wood looks really good after having the glassey finish stripped off and having a oil finish applied to the wood. And for being made in Japan, so is the Toyota I drive to work every day.

The A-Bolt Hunters are now (once again) comming with a nice matte finish on the steel and a very dull matte on the stock. My Dad just picked up a 325 WSM hunter and there's nothing shiny at all on that rifle.

i love my browning ,just bought it a few weeks ago,aND IT WILL SHOOT ONE HOLE GROUPS IF YOU CAN HOLD IT,IT SHOOTS BETTER THAN MY REM AND SAVAGE .

I don't like high gloss stocks for a hunting rifle like you see on some of the Brownings, but then, I don't like the Remington 700 BDL either, for the same reason. As a previous post points out the Browning Hunter models have a satin finished stock, so there's something for everyone, I guess.

I have a Browning Stainless Stalker in 270 WSM. With factory ammo, it will shoot about 3/4" groups at 100 yards. That's good enough for me!

Not made in America always seems to come up when someone mentions Browning A-Bolts. Then again, the Howa and the Vanguard are both made in Japan and they get favorable airtime.

The list of not made here rifles also includes Sako, Tikka and others from Europe, but some folks here cream themselves when those brands are mentioned.

Aluminium trigger components? The famed Win 70 FWT that I owned had an aluminium trigger guard. Seems to be a pretty good market, selling all-steel bottom metal for Win 70's.

Warranty department wont stand behind products? Browning and Winchester are both owned by the same parent company. My "Riflemans Rifle" that I owned had to go back to the warranty department 3 times. Never got the problem fixed. It found a home elsewhere.

I own 2 A-bolts, and they shoot good. Will I only buy Brownings? No. Whatever fills the niche that I am trying to fill will get the nod.

The next time someone bashes a certain brand, ask them if they ever owned that particular brand, and what specific problem(s) they had with it. You will probably find that they never owned one and are going by hearsay.

Just my two cents.

Honestly - I am not sure what it is but I just don't "like" them. They are about the only game in town in a short action compact lefty, yet everytime I pick one up I just think "yuck" and put it back down.

no flies on the A-bolt, just not many aftermarket accessories for them. Steel floorplates and trigger gaurds are on the way sometime. I love my brownings, I have treated the in ways that would seem cruel and unusual and have never had a problem with them............blake

I had almost forgotten about the brittle triggers. I've had 3 come in over the last year with that problem. As far as mechanics goes, I've had few problems with any of the big 3 (Rem/Win/Br). Like some of the others have posted, I just don't care for the plastic looking stocks, although nearly the same thing can be said of Remmies......

I have a feeling the major issue is cost factor, at least in these parts...

I'm sorry if you had that experience. But, my experience was fantastic. I had to send an A-Bolt medallion (243) in for a warranty repair. My customer service experience with them was top notch. They were very courteous and helpful. The turn around time was extremely fast.
I'm not sure what the standard "warranty" time frame is on them, but I had owned that gun for several years before I had to send it in. And, there was no cost to me other than the initial shipping charge to get it there.
Not to mention, it went to Utah for repairs, not Japan.

To top it off, the gunsmith that worked on my rifle did a follow up call to make sure I was happy with everything once it had been returned.

So, in other words, blanket statements like yours are not worth taking into consideration.

I own Brownings, Remingtons, and Winchesters, They all shoot good. But, none of them shot as good straight out of the box as the Brownings. That is just my experience, yours may vary. But, I also like to fiddle with guns, As mentioned earlier, you can't really do that with a Browning.

The point is, I think that it is great that we have several choices of the brand and style of gun we buy. How boring would it be if we could only buy a Remington 700?

Ryan

I bought my blued, synthetic 223 used about 10 yrs ago. The second time I removed the action from the stock I snapped the trigger 'shoe' off. Sent it back to Browning and had it back in 3 weeks with no charge. Only had it out of the stock a few times since then.

It has a lot to like. Very accurate. Stock fit, function and feel are fine for me. Durable finish, only signs of wear are on the bolt knob. I like the mag/clip set up best of all factory offerings. Barrel always cleans easily. Very smooth action. Adjusted trigger not noticably different from my Rem triggers.

Only complaint is my personal dislike of the tang safety. Works fine, easy and quiet to operate, I just prefer the Remington positioning of the safety.

I own Two Browning Rifles.
One BLR in 358 with the worst trigger known to Mankind but it will shoot into an Inch at 100 yds.
I have an Abolt in 25/06 that shoots an easy 3/4" @100 yds.
What upsets me is that I also have a Savage 11F that cost less than 1/2 what the Brownings did and shoots the best of any Rifle I ever had off the shelf.
My complaint about Brownings are Price and Glossy finish both are over done.
But if you like bright shiny baubles that go Bang they are the way to go. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />