A Bolt II

12 May 2002, 17:00

trigger

A Bolt II

What do you folks think of the Browning A Bolt II.

I have been looking for Light weight rifle for my son(15) to deer hunt with in the Southeast. We have looked - a lot.
The Remington Mountain rifle in 7-08 feels good to both of us. However, we are disapointed in the quality and I don't like the way Remington is handling the "safety issue".
The Winchweester FWT classic short action does not feel as good - is a little heavier, but we like the safety and the claw extractor (I shot Mausers myself.) Have read lately of problems with scope mounts needing shims.
Tonight we looked at a Browning A Bolt II stalker short action- blued with synthtic stock - -no boss. He loved it. We liked the balance, the mag box and the bolt through.
The BOSS is out of the question - UGLY and from my experience at the range much too LOUD.

I don't know much about the A Bolt II. Things like
Are they accurate out of the box?
Quality or safety problems?
Is the trigger adjustable?
Are there after market triggers?
Is it amy harder to glass bed than a Mauser of Remington?
Can you guys help me on this one?
Thanks

13 May 2002, 09:45

milosmate

Brought one late last year,270 stainless stalker(no boss).
I think its a great rifle that shoots very well out the box.
Got mine shooting 3/4 moa with a little load development.
You can also adjust the trigger pull lighter yourself.
You read about people buying new rifles that dont shoot well and start spending money on them, not with the browning I brought!
Good luck.

13 May 2002, 01:46

matt salm

I've got two. The first is a stainless stalker (with BOSS) in 338 Win Mag that shoots great (first three groups fired with it were all under 3/4"--they were three-shot groups). The second one is maybe better yet, it is the standard Hunter with gloss stock and matte steel in 243. It shoots extremely well for a 22" light barrel. 5-shot groups have been at and below 1" for this one. Both handle well, have nice triggers that needed no adjustment, and shoot great---I like them.

Not much is said about them as they are not a favorite for rebarreling and such, but they seem to work fine "as is". Some also bitch about their 'investment cast' recievers but I've never heard of one being unsafe.

If it fits your son and he likes it, let him have it I says (IMHO).

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Shoot straight, shoot often.
Matt

14 May 2002, 08:55

larrys

I love the Brownings. If it is for your son, try the Micro Hunter. It is shorter and somewhat lighter and my Micro-Medallion (earlier version) came already partially bedded and very accurate in 308. My son is now in college and I still can't get it away from him.

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Larry

14 May 2002, 11:12

RJS

My brother's 280 a-bolt satin/syn stalker without boss shoots 3 factory win ballistic silvertips into a dime size hole at 100 yds.
Sure gets peoples attention at the range.

This is with a factory rifle out of the box. I am thinking about replacing my rem 22-250 and maybe another 1 or 2 rifles with tikkas or a-bolts and save myself $$$ and hassle trying to get these rems to shoot.

RJS

14 May 2002, 23:49

HHI #4694

The A-Bolt is seriously over engineered Japanese trash. Too many pieces, pins, springs, etc. They have a wonderful reputation for breaking down in the field. Not a serious hunting rifle by any stretch of the imagination. Should be fine for the one box a year deer hunter. Don't mean to insult other fellows rifles, but this is factual.

15 May 2002, 05:00

Stonecreek

One box a year is a lot for even a serious big game hunter. Last year I took 3 head of game with 4 rounds. That ratio would yield 15 head with a box. I suspect that very few people would exceed this number.

As to the A-bolt, it is nicely lightened compared to the standard American "war club". The metallurgy is good, as is the finish. While the trigger is adjustable, I could never take all of the creep out of mine, but it is as good as the Remington, though not quite the equal of the Winchester. I don't particularly care for the aluminum magazine cover and am ambivilent about the "detachable but fixed" magazine. Reputation (which is exactly that, since rifles vary tremendously) for accuracy is better than Winchester, and at least as good as Remington.

My recommendation: I would choose it over the other two if I were in your position.

By the way, I completely agree with you on Remington and the safety issue. They are trying to charge people to fix a problem that is their fault, should have been fixed 30 years ago, and has caused dozens of innocent (though some foolish and some cautious) people great pain, suffering, and sometimes their lives. Something's wrong when a corporation finds it cheaper to keep on maiming people than to fix a simple mechanical device.

15 May 2002, 05:31

growler

I only have experience with one A-bolt in 7mm mag. Bought in 1986 far more than 1000 rounds and 10 seasons of hunting. No problems. Shoots sub moa out of the box with hand loads. I haven't even adjusyed the trigger. This is more than I can say about some of the other factory rifles i have had over the years.

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Growler

15 May 2002, 05:56

HenryC470

I like my A Bolt II (no BOSS). It's only a 30-06 (one of the three calibers available in a left-handed rifle from most any manufacturer), so there is no need of a muzzle brake. 1000 and some rounds through it, and no malfunctions. That shiny finish is tougher than it looks. I have been through plenty of briars and rain showers with this rifle, and you'd never know it by looking at the stock. Trigger was 4 pounds, crisp, out of the box and hasn't been adjusted.

H. C.

15 May 2002, 09:04

scot

Can't understand why anyone would buy a new rifle, when you can get a nice but used pre 64 model 70 for less money. In every way the old Winchester is a better rifle. If it is a weight and handyness issue get a used featherweight.

15 May 2002, 09:23

Jon A

If that's the rifle your son likes, get it. You'll never regret it.

I have two A-Bolts, my Dad has one and my brother has one. All have been very accurate right out of the box and performed flawlessly in every way.

It seems anytime you ask opinions about A-Bolts basically everybody who has ever owned one will tell you how much they love it and highly recommend it.

Then you hear opinions like this:

quote:
Originally posted by And then you Awoke:
The A-Bolt is seriously over engineered Japanese trash. Too many pieces, pins, springs, etc. They have a wonderful reputation for breaking down in the field. Not a serious hunting rifle by any stretch of the imagination. Should be fine for the one box a year deer hunter. Don't mean to insult other fellows rifles, but this is factual.

Funny how you don't seem to see threads like this about A-Bolts:

http://www.serveroptions.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/001278.html

15 May 2002, 10:34

milosmate

quote:
Originally posted by And then you Awoke:
The A-Bolt is seriously over engineered Japanese trash. Too many pieces, pins, springs, etc. They have a wonderful reputation for breaking down in the field. Not a serious hunting rifle by any stretch of the imagination. Should be fine for the one box a year deer hunter. Don't mean to insult other fellows rifles, but this is factual.

Lets have some facts to back up your statement!!!!

15 May 2002, 10:40

Bubster

Try the Tikka rifle. i just picked up a stainless/synthetic in .22-250 for coyote hunting. Man does that thing shoot. The first load I tried in the rifle, 38.2 gr. Varget behing a 52 gr. Berger MEF Moly was absolutely amazing as far as accuracy was concerned. They wont break your wallet either. I had seen the rifles on my dealers shelf but was never interested until I started reading posts on this site. They make a full line of calibers and sizes as well. Shooting Times has an article in this months issue about a 7-08 that they had tested. It delivered one hole groups a 100 yds. with factory ammo. Try it out, I promise you won't be disappointed.

16 May 2002, 01:11

<Gunner>

Scot - I keep hearing comments like yours on this and other forums. Please advise where I can find a "nice but used" pre-64 Winchester (any flavor) for less than the $459 that I can get an A Bolt for?

Thanks in advance!

Kevin

16 May 2002, 04:50

scot

Please advise where I can find a "nice but used" pre-64 Winchester (any flavor) for less than the $459

I am a local guy and not well traveled, cant comment on the rest of the country, "Trigger Hill" in Salinas California has one now and again. When I see one for less than $400 I grab it. For tht money I expect a messed up stock. So far the metal has been fine. I Refinish the stock and touch up the blue.

Haunt your local gunshop that carries used guns??

Good luck,

Scot

PS. Failing a M-70 I would opt for a Rem M-700. Brownings are glossy, designed by engineers, not gun people and also tend to rust. Something about the Japanese steel. I am not saying it is not a non functional piece of junk, just not my style and not something I could be happy with . But that is why we have chioces.

16 May 2002, 16:26

Jon A

Sorry trigger, I realized I didn't answer some of your questions:

On the trigger, my 7mm-08 had a bit of creep, my 300 Win had a lot of creep. I attacked the 300's trigger with a file and got most of it out but was afraid to go any further. They are adjustable for weight but not very far (still fairly heavy on the lightest setting). Keep in mind, both of mine are 80's vintage, I've heard the newer ones are better but I don't know that for sure.

The only aftermarket trigger I know of for them is made by Moyers. It's adjustable for creep, weight and overtravel but I have no first-hand experience with it. You can get them through Midway.

Safety-wise, it gets some criticism for the 2-position safety. I personally love the safety. I guess it comes down to personal preference but I don't see a need for a 3-position safety unless the rifle has a blind magazine so the only way to unload it is to jack all of the rounds through the action. With an A-Bolt, the only time it's a concern is when you already have a round chambered and want to remove it. IMHO, if you can't point it in a safe direction and keep yourself from yanking the trigger for the 1/10 of a second it takes you to lift the bolt handle once, I don't want to be hunting with you....

Don't worry about bedding. They come glass bedded with the barrels free-floated from the factory (probably one of the reasons they are usually accurate "out of the box").

About the only other gripe I have with them is the recoil pads. My 7-08 came with a hard plastic buttplate (ouch!) but I'm pretty sure they stopped doing that years ago. My 300 had a rubber pad but it was hard as a rock. Being so light, it could beat a guy up. I put a Decellerator on it and that made a night and day difference.

Hope that helps.

16 May 2002, 16:33

Jon A

Oh, Scot, unless they've changed recently the Hunter and Stalker models come with dull, matte finishes. Yes, the Medallions are very "shiny!"

16 May 2002, 19:08

RK Deadeye

trigger,
The a bolt I own is a varmit rifle, it's in 22-250. This gun has the boss I adjusted it to factory specs and it shoots my favorite handload into nice 1/4 inch groups. I did lighten the trigger other then that it's all factory.

17 May 2002, 02:30

HHI #4694

Ask JJHACK the Brown Bear guide to post the picture of what became of the A-Bolt one of his bear hunters took to Alaska. You will be shocked! JJHACK is member here but also hangs out at 24hourcampfire.com. Safari magazine had a disgraceful article about the jap crap rifle ruining an expensive sheep hunt. Seems the potmetal trigger guard broke along with the pot metal trigger.

Go ahead and buy the A-Bolt, it won't bother any discriminating rifleman.I realize not all hunters can have class. A-Bolts are the Ford Pinto of hunting rifles and an eye sore to boot.

17 May 2002, 10:35

milosmate

quote:
Originally posted by And then you Awoke:
Ask JJHACK the Brown Bear guide to post the picture of what became of the A-Bolt one of his bear hunters took to Alaska. You will be shocked! JJHACK is member here but also hangs out at 24hourcampfire.com. Safari magazine had a disgraceful article about the jap crap rifle ruining an expensive sheep hunt. Seems the potmetal trigger guard broke along with the pot metal trigger.
Go ahead and buy the A-Bolt, it won't bother any discriminating rifleman.I realize not all hunters can have class. A-Bolts are the Ford Pinto of hunting rifles and an eye sore to boot.

What did he do with it? use it as a club.
Find it very hard to believe that it just fell off!!
You seem to be one of these Americans that only buy American.
Reading a lot of posts in here your fellow countrymen dont rate some of your American CRAP to highly either!!

18 May 2002, 03:51

dan belisle

The only experience I have with A-bolts is two rifles, mine and a friends. Never had a problem with mine, worked well out of the box, shot 1.25" groups (I know, that's lousy, but hey it's a hunting rifle). I eventually traded it, but there was nothing wrong with the rifle, I just came across something else I wanted. My friends' rifle, a south paw -06, arrived with the stock cracked clear through the wrist. Browning fixed/replaced (I don't actually remember which) and he still uses it for hunting, ten years on. I personally see no more problems with the Brownings than the RemChesters. FWIW - Dan

19 May 2002, 07:07

Dr. Lou

I have four A-Bolts: .270 composite Stalker that will shoot .25" groups with almost any ammo; 2-.375 H&H Medallions that shoot 1-2" groups; and a 338 Satinless Stalker that I have never shot. I have not hunted with one, but I have shot them at the range many times. To my mind, in general, Browning's quality and workmanship are comparable to any modern Winchester, Remington, Ruger, Weatherby, and the like. However, I don't particularly care for the Stalker's injection molded stock, but they're not bad for the price.

[This message has been edited by DOCTOR LOU (edited 05-19-2002).]

20 May 2002, 03:51

jorge

I own just one, a Micro-Medallion in 22 Hornet ( wood stock) and I like it. It shoots 1/4" groups with factory ammo. A friend of mine has a stainless Stalker in 300 Win and has used it to take game all over the world. I personally don't care too much for them however, the bolt is an absolute nightmare to take apart and re-assemble and the cheap,pot metal trigger guard breaks easily. I once owned one in 375 H&H, but the 25" barrel was way too long, the rifle was too light and frankly I didn't trust the tiny extractor for the big stuff. All the ones I've ever shot are very accurate. My father in law's 270 is another "quarter incher." I much prefer them over 700s, but give me a Model 70 everytime. jorge