Hi All,

Lately, I have wanted to purchase a Browning BAR. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the subject, such as function, accuracy, and caliber choice. I like the idea of a BAR because I would like a mild recoiling, hard-hitting rifle, something that is easier on my shoulder than my 300 Win Mag bolt gun. I was thinking of getting the Safari II either in 30-06 (because it is classic) or a .308 Win (because you can get inexpensive surplus ammo) and was going to stay away from magnum cartridges because of the reasons listed above.

Thanks,
Ben

I've got one in 270 and one in '06, love them both. Keep in mind the BAR's (atleast my Belgian gr.iii and iv)come only with a hard plastic butt plate in the non-magnum calibers. Plan to spend a little more to have a decelerator pad fitted.

I find both of mine to be acceptably accurate, both will consistentaly shoot 1-1.25" groups with factory loads they like.

Great gun. One of my hunting parnters shoots a 308 for whitetail. Mark loves his. His 308 is a killer. I personally would get the 30/06. You don't save any size or weight with the 308. The one disadvantage is that the BAR is fairly heavy (I am use to bolts). The other thing is being an auto you just have keep up the maintance.

Another friend of mine, Brian, is working on getting a bunch of different calibers so he can take a BAR for almost anything. He loves them so much he took it to Alaska for moose and caribou. BAR are the nicest autos out there for hunting in my opinion. Have fun

Hcliff

I don't have experience with a BAR, but I have used autoloading shotguns, and I have a mixed appraisal of them.

On the plus side, the gas operated autoloaders are softer on the shoulder than other action types. They also offer additional almost-instantaneous repeat shots without the shooter's doing more than pulling the trigger again.

On the negative side, gas operated autoloaders are inherently more dirty than other action types and more difficult to clean because the action needs to have the powder gases cleaned from the mechanism. If you're shooting only a few rounds in hunting, it may not be a problem, but if you're shooting a lot of rounds at the range, cleaning may become a big nusiance. Also, I've never had it happen myself, but I understand that some autoloading high power rifles will tear the rims off of cases if the chambers are allowed to become dirty so that cases stick in them.

Your reasons for wanting an autoloader seem reasonable. The BAR is likely the most accurate sporting auto rifle available. The .270 I have worked with will shoot right along with many bolt actions. Also, I've never experienced a malfuntction with it. I would recommend .30-06 for the same reasons as a previous poster.

Also, unless you are an experienced handloader and are accustomed to loading for autos, I would suggest sticking to factory loads.

I own 2 BAR's, one in 30-06 and one in 338WM. I bought the 30-06 in 1981 or so and has never had a problem at all which led me recently to purchase the 338WM. Both of these rifles are the original BAR's(actually the 2nd version). My only gripe with the originals was reloading after the gun has emptied and the bolt is locked back, I am fairly co ordinated and I always found it difficult to add a round or replace the mag. I cured this by buying a couple of extra magazines and filing down the bolt stop in the clip thereby allowing the bolt to close when the mag is emptied. It just works better for me.
The new model BAR's are denoted as BARII and they have cured this problem with an external bolt release. I am not totally familar with BARII, my buddy who owns one will not let me take it apart
I have two friends who own BARs and none have given them any problem, again you must keep them clean and lubed. Accuracy is above average for semi autos since the barrels are threaded into the receiver. I owned a rem 742 which caused me to buy the BAR, since the accuracy on the 742 in 30-06 was poor. The BAR is better balanced and is a nice looking gun in blue steel and wood.

My old bar has NEVER jammed yet. But I don't care for the fact that you can't remove the mag with the bolt back. I sometimes have to push the handle to fully lock the bolt forward. (it is kept clean) Accurate with some loads but I can't do a quick follow up at 100 yards with an 06 anyway, .223 yes - 06 no. I've never had to clean mine at the range.

I have a BAR with the BOSS in '06. With the right loads of IMR 4064 and 150 grain bullets, it puts some of my bolts to shame as far as accuracy goes. It is a bit heavy but it has never let me down.

Thanks for all the great information, and good hunting!
Ben

I currently own 3 BARs - .270wim .30 - 06 & .300winmag with BOSS system.
The .300 is pretty heavy but has virtually NO recoil like a .243 at the worst.
All are very accurate and relaible, never jam, and I will admit to even a bit of negligence toward those poor rifles that are often only used for drive hunts and rarely clean. Still they all perform perfectly.
I recommend it.

My grandfather used one for years in 7mm Rem Mag. It was very accurate and he took a lot of game with it. One thing I noticed was that it seemed to be pretty heavy when compared to my bolt action in the same caliber. My grandfather didn't walk much when he hunted, so that wasn't a factor to him though.

Mac

MAC, your dead on the nail about the gun being an arm full. I hunted with a fellow 3 years ago who had a BAR in a 300 Win mag and scope and all. It felt to me to weigh around 9 pounds loaded. It was to much weight for the older man and he ended up getting himself a model 70 feather weight 06 instead to carry on hunts.