I just purchased a Belgian Browning Safari in .458. And after some major cleaning, my neighbor and I decided to see what it would do. We set up a target at 60 yards and loaded up a magazine of FL 510gn solids (it was all I had, other than reduced loads)I brought the rifle up to my shoulder, snugged it up, and HOLY JUMPIN #!@#*, the recoil was horrendous! Now I have owned and fired .458's in the past, I shoot a .450 Barnes, and numerous other big bores but???. Well I did notice when I received the rifle that it was awfully light, so after shooting it I decided to weigh it. It weighs 7lbs 3oz, on my digital fish scale. The good part is with open sights at 60yds I was 1 inch off dead center at 3 oclock. The bottom line (other than to share some humor )is I could use some help with reducing the recoil, so any help will be greatly appreciated. Take care and God bless.


cordell

Thats a pretty collectable gun, so I wouldn't suggest a muzzle brake or drilling out the buttstock and forend for recoil reducers...I'd just grin and bear it or sell it and replace it with another non collectable rifle. Adding a heavy scope might help....

However, long ago I resigned myself to the tortures of recoil, which I still do not cherish, but I get by....shoot it standing on our hind legs!

Life long flinching, detached retinas, sore neck and back, head aches, burning desire to chase buffalo..... Just a few reasons why you should send it to me!

Seriously you can learn to deal with it, but it is an honest commitment. I'm with Ray though, other than a really good recoil pad please don't modify a rifle like that.

In fact I've got a PF .458 m70 that shoots about one minute I'll trade straight across. It's a much better gun to put a break on and drill the stock. Heck I'll even have the work done before we swap.

Kyler

Why not just restock it?

I know where you're coming from. My Whitworth is under 9lbs. even with a scope. I used a sissy shoulder pad and a leather shooting jacket but still couldn't get use to the recoil. After about 20 rounds of factory ammo, hell I couldn't even remember my name. So to get use to the recoil, I started reloading cast bullets to .45-70 velocities and quit shooting light kicking rifles. After I conquered that, I went to Remington jacketed 405 bullets loaded up to the 2000 fps level. I got use to that. Then I down loaded 500 gr. Hornadys and finally worked up to 500 gr. bullets at 2200 fps. Don't get me wrong it still isn't enjoyable, but I can shoot groups off the bench, but now I've convinced myself the rifle is a "shooter" I now only shoot offhand and on sticks. It worked for me.

under 8 pounds?!?!

with 510s?

that DOES kick...

mine( my sons) is 8.25, with 405s at 2400.. and it's a puppy...

restock it!
jeffe

I used to have one of those in .375H&H and also had a Ruger MKII Mag., a Brno 602 and three P-64s in that cartridge. The Browning was the most umpleasant to shoot and was quite difficult from the bench whereas my old Mod. 70 with it's Clifton Arms, Dakota pattern stock was quite pleasant.

I shot that rifle alongside my Dakota 76-.338 Win. and the felt recoil was twice as bad, I think that it is the stock design and so I just sold the thing. I hate the alloy bottom metal on these and the Mod. 70 has a five rather than a four shot capacity, which I prefer.

I have had two in .30-06 and have one now and I find it recoils much more than my other .30-06 rifles of about the same weight, so, I consider the stock design to be at fault.

If you want to hang it on the wall leave it as is. If you want to shoot it install a good mercury recoil insert in the butt stock(may take two). I use them on all my big bores and they work, PERIOD. At 7 lb. 3 oz. I'll bet it walks to the rear smartly. Lawdog

Ray, Thanks for the input, I am sure it is a combination of the weight and poor stock design. My .450 Barnes with .500gn bullets at 2440 is a dream to shoot compared to this puppy, however it does weigh 10.5lbs with scope!
Kyler, You wouldn't try to take advantage of a poor old country boy would you
Dave, Yours is the route I will be taking, I think changing the stock and packing it full of recoil reducers and shot along with a decelerator pad should do the trick. Thanks for the help.
Hacksaw, I truly believe the 7lb 3oz stock on this Browning to be the problem. My old Mod 70 was stiff in the recoil department but nothing compared to this puppy.
Jeff, Restocking is going to be the answer, thanks for the input.
Kutenay,
I agree, my old Mod 70 was about 1/2 the recoil of this rascal. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

I will keep you guys posted as I continue. NOW HOW ABOUT SOME STOCK SUGGESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS ON WHERE TO FIND ONE Take care and God bless.

cordell

Hi Lawdog,
To give you an idea of how bad the recoil was, after shooting it, I came into the house and started telling my wife the truth about how much I spent on my gun collection!!!! I believe I still have an old reducer out in the reloading room. Where would be a good place to pick up a few more? I will probably put one in the forearm also. Thanks for responding and God bless.

cordell

My first modification would be to buy and fit a Blackburn or Sunny Hill drop mag. box, thus increasing the rifle's capacity by one and also the weight. Then, I would call Serengeti Stocks in Montana and discuss getting one of their stocks inletted for this rifle with d-box in a hard Bastogne walnut; I would then have this fitted and checkered by them.

These mods would, IMO, increase the weight of your rifle to where it should be for it's chambering. If, you load the 450 Swift A-Frame to about 2100, you should find it a reasonable gun to shoot and a most effective Grizzly buster. I actually like these rifles very much and would love to have one just like yours and would do the above mods.

I wish that Browning still made these to the standards that my present 1961 vintage one was made, there is not much on the market and has never been that matches them for quality, IMO. I am looking for one in .338 Win. even though I have 5 rifles in that cartridge already.........someday......