[A Bolt]

Although I am "Shotgun Crazy", the Browning White Gold A Bolt is my dream rifle, and has been since I first saw them in a magazine. However, this past week I ran across a A bolt 30.06 Hunter model, and traded for it. I really like it, but am interested in all opinions of the A bolt, any problem or idiosyncrases I should expect to find? What is the dif between the A Bolt and the A Bolt II? Thanks for all opinions, good or bad, just be honest, I'm a big boy. :roll:

 

[uglydog]

I've got the A-bolt II in 300 Win mag and it is my favorite rifle. It has been my main gun for all big game for several years. It is very accurate and with the BOSS system is fairly pleasant to shoot. The trigger is a little heavier and doesn't break as cleanly as I wished but I hear there is a new replacement trigger finally available that I've been told can correct this. Otherwise I have no complaints with the gun.

 

[cowpoke]

I have an A-bolt II stalker in 22-250, no BOSS on mine and it can shoot!!

Near as I can tell some of the differences between A-bolts and A-bolt II's are a different bolt/ bolt sleeve system and I think maybe a slightly different trigger.

I really like the short bolt throw, escpecially with gloves on in the winter.

The only thing I have heard some people not hapy with is the way the box magazine hooks into the floor plate. They would prefer either a slide in slide out magazine or a floorplate with out the magazine attached to it.

The only thing about mine that is a little inconvnient is that it is hard to load it through the top bolt opening when loading the magazine. It is easier by far to open the magazine floor plate and load the magazine with it hanging open. Not a big deal thogh and with your model haveing a longer cartridge lenght that might not be a problem.

 

[chips]

i sont feel to comfortable with A-bolts. the action just feels really stiff to me. personally, i would go with a remington 700 bdl. but, its jst a matter of which you like better, and feel more comfortable shooting.

 

[john wall]

i have three a bolts. the worst one shoots .4 moa, the best shoots .2 moa, at 200 yards. i have not taken the time to fine tune the worst one. moyers makes an outstanding trigger. i also have a rem 700 bdl sts in 7m/m mag, i like it too. the browning has a more robust extractor, the remmie has a better out of the box trigger, it is more adjustable. i also have a ruger 77 mkII in 308, the ugly little stainless survival rifle, that shoots .5 moa with mexican match ammo. i like it too. the worst browning i have outshoots every other rifle i have. the best browning thinks it is a bench gun.

 

[A Bolt]

Thanks for all the replies. I took it to range to sight in my scope, and got the best grouping I have ever had with a rifle.
LOL Mr. Wall, your last line is what I wanted to hear 8)

 

[8pointduck]

Chips ! What kind of off brand a-bolt look alike are you talkin about! This is one of the slickest rifles around : :shock:

 

[Drop-Shot]

hey 8pointduck do you guys run dogs for deer in south ga?We did in ms and I liked just hearing the dogs and waiting to see what appears.The anti-hunters are all up in the air in mississippi about dogs,whats going on in your neck of the woods about that?Drop-Shot

 

[markIVbigblock]

drop shot talk about anti hunters gettin there panties in a wad I hunt black bears up north w/ some guys and we use hounds when people hear that they sure get upset. but whatever.

Aaron

 

[BlackIce]

Mark... where up north?.... the UP?

 

[8pointduck]

DP ,They do in South Georgia, but its not the antis that are complaining ,its the land owners that dont like there still hunting interupted by tresspassing dogs or hunters.It has caused such a problem that legislation has had to be bruoght into law .It is mostly toward the deer dogging clubs.

Hunting deer with dogs was the only way we hunted deer in South Carolina..There too it is becomming a thing of the past, but at a much slower pace.I've always loved the chase and still do , but I haven't deer hunted with dogs in many years

 

[markIVbigblock]

yeah the UP and northern LP Im not quite sure where we go i go w/ some old timers they know where to go they use a strike box and have about 4-5 hounds they are some real good ole boys before they had enough money to buy a strike box theyd just put a piece of carpet on the hood of the the truck and the dog would stand there one of the guys used to even have a pet black bear but he turned on him one day so he had to shoot him he was a big SOB too. anyways its really somethin to see a big ole black bear dive way out of a tree and take on the dogs it doesnt happen often but its not a good situation anyone else ever hunted bear w/ hounds?

Aaron

 

[Drop-Shot]

As I got older I stopped walking with the dogs,that was fun,and I would park my old 4X4 pickup on private land that I had permission to hunt on and wait for the deer and dogs.One year I counted 13 bucks all shooters but they were across a creek where I didn't have permission,so I could not shoot.One of the guys I hunted with used a browning and the wood was so pretty that it wasn't fun to hunt with this guy.Every body that knew him knew he was hard to get along with and didn't want any body to touch his browning.He made some great shots with that gun and deer within 200 yards was not safe,outside that we just watched the race.Would I ever buy a browning.no,I bought a browning semi-auto in 30/06 and got it through a gunsmith.The gun was shipped to browning 3 different times and when I got it back the 3rd time,a letter from browning consumers dept said you bought this browning BAR and it is not our property any more,stop sending the gun back.I wrote a steaming letter and swore off brownings.Even the gunsmith said I had a valid lawsuit here(even he could not group less than 3 inches with a whole days work at the range).I would buy almost anything other than browning for that reason,that being said,the browning bolts are good guns.Drop-Shot

 

[8pointduck]

DP, How long has this been. Thats a new one to me :shock: . What were they thinking. Thats not good customer service.

I have never had any trouble out of my Brownings so I have no exsperience with Browning in this capacity.

 

[Drop-Shot]

8point that had to be 87-90.The gunsmith took it back in trade on a ruger.I would buy a used BLR or a bolt gun but never a BAR again.I know they are supposed to shoot well.A man that was like a father to me had one in 243 and I watched him take some great shots.We never measured the groups but all holes touched.When I got mine I put a leupold 3x9 and went to the range.After I could not hit a pie plate at 50 yards I switched scopes and the same results,thats when I took it back to the gunsmith.He took it to the range and put a simmons 44 mag and went through 2 boxes of ammo(which he charged me for)and said the gun would have to go back to Browning.After the 3rd time they said the gun was within specs and they could do no more.The gunsmith took the gun all apart and found the reciever was not perfectly centered with the bore I think he said,the gun will always be a 3-31/2 inch gun he said.I traded for a ruger and some reloading parts.No new BAR's for me ever again.I love the looks but you have to find one that shoots.Drop-Shot

 

[Drop-Shot]

8point here's another,at a gun store a man looked at me and asked if I wanted to buy a browning highpower,shot only 100 times,I said no but another person I knew bought it.Didn;t you hear about the 3shot hang up?Every 3rd shot hung up.My friend sent the gun to browning and they said it was fixed,got it back and did the same thing.browning took pictures as he shot the entire box,noproblem found,after several times they said the problem was the magazine,the factory couldshoot5 clips in a row with no problemThey sent him his gun and accidentally sent a new it came with a new magazine and with it no malfunctions ever,I never thought about this example till later,so I bought the pistol and new mags and it was the best thing ever.So sometimes its not the gun,its something else.I don't know how that family did but they owed browning a great amount of pr.DropShot

 

[8pointduck]

DP,I have never really liked the BAR so I have never owned one.I do believe things at Browning are a little better now

 

[Drop-Shot]

8point I can understand where they are coming from,you can only do so much to a product.I used to own my on shop and a man brought me a a/c compressor and a accumulater and an orfice valve to put on his caprice,I have all the equiptment to drain an a/c and store and filter R-12.This was when you bought freon 12 at K-MART,in 12 oz cans.I flushed the system and put the parts on and charged the system and It cooled in the mid 40 degree on my guage,he said put more freon in ,it don't coolas well as it did before.At least 5 times I discharged his system and flushed and changed the orfice valve.Almost 1 year later he came back and I told him I could do no more with that system.The same thing browning told me.I made him a deal and browning offered no deals,I bought a compressor from GM and the system cooled like he wanted.It cost him 200.00 more but if browning offered me a deal like that I would think they were trying,but no as usual I end up with the stinky end of the stick.But I told them this would come back to haunt them,about 2 years later a rep from browning called me to ask if my problems were resolved,I told him I had to get rid of the gun and he came apart,he swore somebody was going to have to answer to this.Mabe they are better now,my friend that sent that browning highpower back several times and they called him later to ask if he was happy,he replied yes and I bought the gun from him and kept it for several yeare and traded for some thing,I don't remmember.They seem to have changed but I have limited experience since that.Drop-Shot