something wrong with browning??

My old man has an older Abolt...
Brother has an Xbolt...
I have an AB3.
The original Abolt only real issue or complaint is the dumb hybrid mag/hinged floorplate idea. They were good all steel mags however.
Xbolt mags are all plastic rotary type so meh on the durability, and quite expensive.
AB3 are a mix of plastic and steel and probably the best design of the 3.
 
I like my A-Bolt sporter 22-250. Very accurate and consistent, handles well. I tolerate the mag system.

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I've had both x-bolts and a-bolts. Nothing wrong with either, but I prefer the x-bolt mag system better. Was shooting my x-bolt 308 medallion this morning.
 
No enthusiasm for their bolt action rifles (fit/finish are excellent but not a mauser). I like their take-down stainless laminate BLR's. I have one in 358 Winchester - a fine quality fit-for-my purposes rifle.

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I like some older "Made in Belgium" Brownings, but for me, modern Japanese Brownings have a "cheap" mass produced feel and look to them.

Their glossy wood stock rifles have way too much gloss in my opinion.
Pretty to look at I guess, but boring with no character.
I have yet to see a Japanese made Browning that I would own.

I guess I'm from a generation where "made in Japan" means cheap, disposable, and really nothing more than an imitation of the real thing.

My USA Remington, Savage, Ruger, and Winchesters all serve me well, they are all accurate, function flawlessly and feel and look "right".
When I pick one up, I feel inspired to "head to the hills".

I'll take my guns "Made in the USA", any day thanks.
(made by people who probably hunt like I do)

...and at the end of the day, a good rifle that's "Made in the USA" will always hold it's value more than an Asian made gun!

"Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun" as they say.

John Browning himself was a true genius though, but he'd probably roll over in his grave if he new what was being produced in his name these days.
 
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If you plan to leave the Browning just as you bought it; it should be ok. They are more difficult to re barrel and very little after market parts such as stocks and triggers. Had a A bolt 30-06 years ago that was very accurate. Most recently I had a 7WSM. Best it would shoot was a inch and a quarter at 100 yds. Not acceptable to me. I like to have the option of after market pars if I want to easily re barrel or put on a different stock. So Browning is out for me. But as said earlier I think they are a decent gun overall.
 
I've owned a couple browning rifles but I won't buy them any more, I have no more interest in their products. I found both my A bolt and BLR to be okay guns with good fit and finish, to their credit Miroku is pretty good manufacturer, but after owning them for awhile I just found that I could never really warm up to them and sold them off. I'm not sure what it is about Browning that I don't like, for me it's kind of intangible. It seems to me that Browning rifles are designed by technically very competent engineers, but engineers that aren't themselves avid hunters/shooters. It's like they pick the features they think hunters want with focus groups. The end result is an overall technically competent rifle but one lacking in any soul or character. IMHO, YMMV etc.
 
Had a couple of brownings in the past. never had problems with them and were great at the time. No longer have any (Except for pistols) as my interests changed over the years.
 
Like a Camry. Expensive, ok looking, works well, boring. Expensive and boring are a bad mix for wide adoption, even when performance is good. Savage is cheaper, works well, but "brand whores" are unimpressed. Even Savage has more aftermarket options. If you drive a Camry, you would be happy with a Browning. The BLR is a different animal because it provides a well rounded modern lever option.
 
emerson said:
Like a Camry. Expensive, ok looking, works well, boring. Expensive and boring are a bad mix for wide adoption, even when performance is good. Savage is cheaper, works well, but "brand whores" are unimpressed. Even Savage has more aftermarket options. If you drive a Camry, you would be happy with a Browning. The BLR is a different animal because it provides a well rounded modern lever option.
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Here's my Camry in 30.06. Prints sub MOA with factory and 0.5" with partition hand loads. Kind of ugly though. The slick as gooseshick 33 degree throw and crisp as glass trigger break helps to make up for that. We call it the meat rifle. What model Savage are you comparing this to?
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I just got a SS stalker,chambered in 7mm.

Adjustable trigger
Smooth action,
Very accurate.

I like it better than my rem,savage,tikka,I've owned.
 
emerson said:
Like a Camry. Expensive, ok looking, works well, boring. Expensive and boring are a bad mix for wide adoption, even when performance is good. Savage is cheaper, works well, but "brand whores" are unimpressed. Even Savage has more aftermarket options. If you drive a Camry, you would be happy with a Browning. The BLR is a different animal because it provides a well rounded modern lever option.
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Oh the Savage guys......... always telling ya the answer when it wasn't even the question. ;)




OP,

Usually when there's not a lot of feedback on an item (but you know there's lots out there), it's because people are happy with them. Not many people take the time to post a rave review, but people always find time to post a rant.
 
Savage 116FCSS. Like a Chev or Ford product comparing to a Toyota. Nothing wrong with Brownings, more refined and prettier than Savage, although more expensive. I haven't noticed much of a performance difference though. Not many precision builds on Brownings, eh? Come to think of it, I've read of very few Browning rifles used in any build. Buy it, shoot it, no complaints from most. Not a fan of the high gloss "barroom" table finish myself. FWIW, I drove a Suburban too, not a sequoia. An apt comparison Savage-esque to Browning.
 
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I have a X-Bolt Long Range Hunter Carbon Fiber in a 300wm I got it for birthday present from the wife an I have no complaints about it has become my main elk, moose hunting gun the fit an finish is good has killed everything it was pionted at no complaints. If you want something that you can get more aftermarket parts not the rifle you want.
 
Those rifles are always better than average, doing what they're designed to do, and always with a touch of class. I don't think I know anybody that is unhappy with their x and a-bolts, and 9 times out of 10, they spend their free time in the field, not on the Internet.
 
The Kurgan said:
Those rifles are always better than average, doing what they're designed to do, and always with a touch of class. I don't think I know anybody that is unhappy with their x and a-bolts, and 9 times out of 10, they spend their free time in the field, not on the Internet.
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Good call. Or maybe gun nutting vs hunting. It takes all kinds.
 
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