Thinking about trading an older Savage 99 E for one of these, it's the composite stalker in 30-06.

Good rifles?

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A buddy bought one back in the 90s. As I recall it shot OK, but he bought it for it's detachable magazine. He had a lot of frustration with the magazine system, and grew to hate that rifle.

He was usually quick to sell something that didn't meet his expectations. I think he buried that rifle in a field waterway. He didn't think it was good enough to sell.

That said, a whole lotta guys have done a lot of good shooting with them.

Have a Micro Hunter. Like the 60 degree bolt throw and the tang safety. Did like my Savage 99s before I sold them. they baanced really well.

I have one with a boss in a 06, bought new along time ago, it shoots 1/2 inch all day long with just about anything that I run thru it.

If it is an A-Bolt I or II it is a great rifle and much better than the Savage.........if it is an AB3 run don't walk away

Mine's the same: A-Bolt II Stainless Stalker, .30-06, with BOSS-CR. About the most accurate rifle I own.

It is light, has good ergonomics - I like the tang safety which locks the bolt, and the shape and low-lift of the bolt handle make fast follow-up shots easy. I like the way the mag works too. I really like this little rifle.

I’ve always liked a bolts, everyone I’ve been around has shot good to excellent. Fit “me” really good too. 👍

I have several and I love them. I like the short bolt throw. I like the fit and finish. Mine have all shot well and feel very well build.

I have an A-Bolt in 270WSM , every accurate from day one . Usually one inch groups at 100yds or better with factory ammo. Has been a very good deer rifle . I have plenty of other types/brands of deer rifles( some more expensive), the A-Bolt is still my favorite for the field . Several minor dings in the wood that says it is a deer stand gun. 20 years of hunting with it.

I have an A-bolt in 338 Winchester mag that I bought in 1988. Shoots great and is fairly lite weight. Great gun and would be last gun I would ever get rid of. I have probably shot over 100 animals with it from deer and elk to many African animals

I like my ABolt 3006 but I cant warm up to the BOSS on the barrel. It was given to me so I got zero in it. I like the tang safety and it fits me great. Durability of the mat finish on the metal is sketchy compared to my other rifles but not terrible. Its as accurate as I can shoot anything.
Not fussy on ammo. I have thought about getting a 25-06 barrel put on it. I just have other rifles I like more so the a bolt sits in the safe.

I grew up shooting coyotes with a Micro Medallion 22-250, very accurate little rifle.

Later I worked for a decade in a Browning service center and my fondness kind of waned for them.

I developed the opinion that they’re a decent and usually accurate rifle for the guy who wants to buy a rifle, mount a scope, and hunt deer a week or two a year. They aren’t very user friendly if you like to tinker and modify your rifles compared to other makes. The triggers aren’t usually very adjustable, they may or may not be rebarrel candidates and the only way to find out it to potentially ruin the action attempting to pull the barrel, and stock options are slim aftermarket wise. The sleeved bolt, tiny extractor mortis, and Rube Goldberg trigger and safety in aluminum housing have all been known to give issues in rough conditions. I’m also not wild about the magazine setup.

I’m sure others’ mileage will vary.

This sums it up nicely.

I've got four of them... love the tang safety and all mine are 1/2 - 3/4" guns with good ammo. All mine are the BOSS...

I wouldn't do the trade but there is nothing wrong with an A-bolt other then they dissolve when exposed to Alaskan weather.

You're well out of the loop Ed, they DO NOT dissolve!! They grenade as soon as they cross the Alaskan border.

A lot of truth in this post, but that being said, I have owned a BUNCH of A-bolt II rifles and still have two in my safe.

While I’ve never owned a browning rifle, I sighted in several for friends. They just don’t fit me well. That said, my best friend has used an abolt 1 in 7mm rem mag) and abolt 2 in 30-06 for the last 25 years and killed dozens of elk and deer. Both rifles are accurate and have never let him down.

I have a late 90's A-Bolt in 280, no BOSS. My absolute favorite rifle.

Pretty well sums it up.

This all sounds a bit like WAA...WAA to me.
I have many different makes of factory and custom rifles, the A-Bolt is a great factory rifle. the trigger is easily tweaked with testing a few springs. been shooting one for decades with no issues and I kinda like the magazine, it is just different in a non-tactical way that is out with the tacticool crowd

We all have different tastes. I didn't particularly care for mine, functionally or aesthetically. Shot well enough, though.

Have a 7-08 Micro I inherited from my brother. Love 150 Nosler BT’s . Staying until I pass.

GreggH

Quite awhile back one of the gun heads here mentioned that Browning made a limited run of Xbolts in 358 WIN. I wouldnt mind having one of those, but he said they are few and far between. I believe Grice gun shop in PENN sold them

My dad is NOT a rifle guy.

He loves bird hunting and shotguns.

Owns exactly ONE centerfire rifle for deer. Its a Browning ABolt II hunter in .270 with the matte walnut and matte finish on the metal. Has a Bushnell 3200 3x-9x on it. Hes the guy that buys a box of ammo, uses 3 to verify zero in october then kills 1 or 2 deer every year.

For years he shot Federal Blue box 130gr softpoints and killed a lot of deer.

Had some shoulder issues and was hating shooting even a few shots.

I found a couple of boxes of Hornady Lite I think its a 120gr SST at about 257bob velocity.

Damn rifle puts three into a dime at 100yds and the deer dont seem to know its a reduced load

I have a 284win and a 270win, both are good carry rifles and accurate.

I like my 270wsm ABII Ti action. The only problem I've had is the duratouch coating turned into a sticky mess.

They'll replace that for you.

I have one of the original A-bolts that came with the Boss system back in the early 90's. A Medallion 7mm rem mag. I'm 50 and its still the queen of my safe however that beautiful wood stock does have a few nicks and scratches due to where i hunt. My bolt even to this day is very slick similar to my tikkas. Was very accurate with the factory setting and never really thought about playing around with the Boss system because it was so accurate. I've taken the Boss off and put the CR Boss on just because it was so damn loud. I still use it from time to time, but now when I go, I grab my Tikka 308 because its much shorter barrel makes it easy to handle in my tower stands.

I owned one of the early models, it was by far the most accurate rifle i ever owned. I sold it in a fit of stupidity and have regretted it ever since . Tried to by it back from the guy but he just laughed ..

I had one back in the 90's sometime. Stainless Stalker. The 'stainless" started getting stains on it just sitting in the cabinet, even though I kept it oiled. Sent it back to Browning and they media blasted it. Gun shot good, but that soured me on it and I sold it.

I have an A-bolt, CZ 550 and Rem 700. Love them all but the A-bolt has somethings that make it my favorite.
Likes- diskiles
I love the detachable mag system. It can't fall out. I found I did have bend the tab on it to get it snap more firmly into the floorplate to my liking but I did it with my hands in a few seconds.
Trigger- I bought a set of two Wolf springs. Swapped out for the one I wanted and in less than a minute had a magnificent crisp, light trigger. Perfect.
Love the bolt throw and angled bolt. Makes other rifles feel clunky. Feeds slick and very fast.

It is lightweight. I bought a Slogan rifle sling that gives when you shoulder the rifle and used SK rings system so it looks very sleek. Mounted a light VX3 on it.
GREAT rig in my opinion.

Such a pleasure to carry.
No I do not use it in salty environment or use wd-40 on my trigger or bolt.

DISlike- while I loved the feel and slenderness of the original synthetic stock but that thing kicked out of all proportion to caliber. I also found it was hyper sensitive to where you rested the stock when shooting. I replaced it with a Bell and Carlson and the thing became a much softer and incredibly accurate and consistent shooter.

I know. I contacted them but I had to send it for undetermined amount of time and they would replace the stock which I didn't want because my B&C doesn't have the aluminum bedding block.

I have a lefty 270 A Bolt Stainless Stalker with a BOSS and a Nikon 3-9. It was my first centerfire rifle. It was the gun I used for everything from Prairie dogs to Elk. I would also carry it while antler hunting and varmint calling. Over the past 30 years it has become so familiar to me that it feels so comfortable and I’m forever confident in it. It’s the one gun I find I use on my hunts. I tend to choose it over my customs.

I have had mine for 27y bought it new

Shoots 1/2-3/4” groups

My goto, never thought much about it except grab it and go

I have an A-Bolt 2 stainless White Gold Medallion in 6.5x55 Swede that I bedded into a McMillan Sako Classic Edge stock (a match made in heaven). I topped it with a Meopta Meopro fixed 6x with a German #4 reticle. It carries and handles like a dream, shoots like a laser beam and kills like the hammer of Thor! RJ

On this same topic, like I mentioned, my A-bolt stock does have some scars, not bad, but it does. Does anyone make a replacement stock for the A-bolt II? I would consider getting one but keeping the original as well. Hell I even had my bolt engraved in script with my name back when I was around 15-16 when it was offered.

Bell & Carlson offered stocks for the A-Bolt.

RJ how long ago did you get the edge stock?

If memory serves me correctly, it was 2012. RJ

Mcmillan has really reduced their offerings these days.

I've got 3 A Bolts...

Bought them after deer season back in Minnesota around 1990....after Deer Season but right before year end, when the State of Minnesota charged tax on inventory at the end of the year...

bought All three at the same time... $250 each.... 30/06, 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag...

pass the 30/06 on to my son.. and don't shoot the 300 Win or 338 Win much anymore, as I hunt mainly with the 260 Rem these days...

but its against my religion to get rid of an accurate rifle... hence I still have all three in the gun safe...

I do carry the 300 Win Mag hunting some seasons... with a load of 22 grains of Unique and a 150 grain Ballistic tip...
basically a bolt action 30/30 equivalent...doesn't kick much... probably due to a good stock design...
but each time it has been taken it, it dropped a blacktail with no issues... Bag/ Flop results...

damn good rifles in my book... mine are all three A Bolt 1s....two synthetic stocks and one with a high glossy wood stock... which I replaced with another Factory Synthetic Stock....

last deer killed with one of them was the 06.... 150 grain FN Speer IIRC pushed by 30 grains of 4198....shot by one of my Boy Scouts, friend of my son...as it is really his rifle.... gave it to him on his 12th birthday in 2006.

Had the same scope on my A-bolt -also a 6,5, 260Rem.

I have a 90's A-Bolt stainless, synthetic in .308. It wears a Kahles 2-7x36 AH with a German #4 reticle. Shoots lights out and has killed a whole lot a deer. It has been my favored deer rifle but now is in the possession of one of my boys. It has been his fave as well.

I’ve had a few pass thru over the years Abolts and Abolt II’s. They all shot well to very well. Just never kept any. Mine we stainless stalkers and stalkers. Don’t miss any of them. Can’t say that for other rifles I’ve sold off thru the years.