I certainly have enjoyed my Browning A-Bolt II in 300 WSM. Although I've got to get some new mounts for the scope. I was sitting in sheep camp just fingering the bolt and damned if I didn't notice that just as the bolt comes up at the end of its travel, it "clicks" off the corner of the back mount. I don't know how I missed that in four years. It's no big deal, but irritating. I'm going to have it looked at when I get back to the States next year. Any suggestions on mounts?

Well let's see, you get dirt in the action and it's no good. What about dirt in the barrel. I assume, dirt in the action is a Browning thing, right?
I propose if you suspect either, a cleaning is due. Don't know for sure, just surmising.

Roger QSL

I installed SS Buehler rings on mine.
For many years, the Weatherbys came standard with Buehler rings.

Ah the A-Bolt stainless stalker with Boss. Ugly as hell and totally nasty looking. I took mine in .375 H&H to Africa and the NTin OZ twice. Killed a whole lot of critters with it! 300 gr Woodleighs would shoot into <1 inch all day long. Light enough to carry all day and so ugly the character scratches are an improvement. I gave it to my PH as a gift. -Rob

Your comments have got me nervous now.

I "HAD" a a-bolt stainless stalker in 375 good shooter but recoil was viscious, the footprint of the stock on your shoulder is quite narrow, one of my buddies referred to it as the knife blade stock. I had the gun for about 3 years and put about 1500 rounds through it.
Two major problems i experienced with mine were the action screws were constantly shooting loose even though they were locktited in and torqued down.
Then an even greater problem was all 4 of the scope mounting screws pulled out after a day at the range, then they did it again after having them redrilled to 8-40. smith said they just don't make their recievers out of good steel. no other major malfuctions it always went bang and things died in front of it, as long as everything was tight!!!

I have owned a LH A-bolt II SS 375 HH for almost 10 years now, I have shot more than 1000 rounds through it without as much as a hickup. And it will hold sub 1" groups at 100 yards with various factory rounds. A great bargain pricewise......and a reliable, all weather rifle.

Many on this site will not accept anything less than a CRF rifle when it comes to bigbores (& some want it on all rifles). This bias runs deep. Look over the rifle, if it fits well & you like the action buy it.

I owned an stainless A-bolt in .338. In a phrase "a total and complete piece of crap". As Jorge said it has a pot metal trigger guard the whole rifle has a very "tinny" feeling to it. The A-bolt has a history of extractor failures it is a trigger block vs a sear block safety and of course it is push feed. I had the same problem as mentioned earlier with the stock screws comming lose no matter what I did to them.

I wouldn't give that rifle to my worst enemy to hunt dangerous game with. I sold mine after a year of frustration. I hate A-bolts. Cheap pieces of "crap-Olla".

But it was accurate when it worked.

I was turned away from them by the muzzle brake. I just don't like them.

That's what he said.

Hard to believe, but there are one or two guys out there who go hunting once or twice a year, and aren't as up on nomenclature as all the rifle addicts that hang out on AR. I even caught a guy (me) calling a magazine a clip last week.

Come on out to Idaho. I'll introduce you to my friend. You can shoot his rifle (I don't think he has shot it since the great bison hunt). Bring some money and you can shoot a bison with it. They taste good. Make sure you have room in the freezer though, those steaks stack up fast.

I love my Browning 525 shotguns (28 & 20 gauge), have no feelings one way or the other about A-Bolts, but positively loathe those BOSS devices. Probably lost five decibels right then and there.
JCN

Two winters ago I guided a fellow on an American Bison hunt. This particular buffalo had blown through a fence, and skedaddled for the local patch of 100 square miles of BLM ground, so it was a real hunt versus the standard pasture shoot for meat. After a day and a half we caught up with her. (My friend is carrying his Browning A-bolt ,375 H&H stainless stalker that he won from his company for meeting a sales goal) We get into position and I tell him to take the shot. Nothing. "Dude, you better shoot." "I can't." "Why not?" "The rear sight just fell off." We rummage around in the snow, find the rear sight blade, and he lines up the white line on the blade with the centerline on the base. "Now wait until I plug my e Ka-Boom ars." Fucking BOSS vents are lined up with my left ear canal, and about a foot away. "Shoot her again." "I can't" The floor plate had popped open and the shells were in the snow.
Sure I'd love to own an A-bolt. But only if it came with a salt wood stock, a BOSS, and some tastefull machine cut engraving. And a set screw for the rear sight blade.
JCN

The family that chases buffalo together has major fun.

I've got a lefty Stainless Stalker .375. Never really cared for it much, but it's always worked for me. Make sure you pull the action out of the stock and apply good rust preventative, because most of the trigger/safety mechanism is poorly blued carbon steel, and will rust fast if not kept well coated with a good rust preventative. Same goes for the magazine, I gave mine a couple coats of Rustoleum.

My rear sight blade fell off, too. Good thing my 1x4 Leupold hasn't failed.

I put a Decelerator pad on since the factory 'pad' was harder than the buttstock itself. The rifle has never had a malfunction as far as feeding and firing goes, and is accurate. I just don't like the rifle, which is why it's replacement is somewhere in the works. I'm not impressed by the short bolt throw, the trigger, the extractor, the removable mag, the overall style of the action, or the three lugs. Please, MRC, make my action this year...

RGB - You'll find no "Boss" on my rifles.



Roger - and with the sleeved bolts of the later models, no less.



Kensco - Some guns come with "Auto-Detractors". Buy what appeals to you and don't look back.

I have an A Bolt in 30.06 and have had one major problem. While elk hunting and unbeknown to me, some snow had fallen on the bolt which then melted and froze. Just a small drop of ice on the action rendered it inoperable. I had a shot at a decent bull and while trying to extract the bolt to load a round, the bolt would not open! The bull took off as I was trying to figure out what was wrong.

I also have had the screws on the stock loosen as a couple of others have mentioned. I now always check those screws before going out and protect the bolt the best I can while walking with the rifle. The ultimate remedy is to get a Model 70!

I had one and eventually sold it. It was accurate enough, but the detacahble magazine, pot metal trigger guard, and 26" barrel( ridiculous on a 375 and also notice i didn't mention CRF but I thought about it was not my cup of tea. Definetly get a Model 70. jorge