Pre 81 Browning BLR 243 Win

Buckmastr

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Picked this up recently. Came with a 4X Bushnell. Not really a lever gun guy but this is a nice trim little setup. Anyone have any experience with these? What are they worth?
Thanks!





 
I've had a few of them in .308, and one in 358 that I regret selling, nice handy little guns, surprisingly accurate.
Spare magazines are near impossible to find and can sell for well over $250.00.

They were available in .243, .308, and .358 only.

I'd say yours is worth up to $800.00 if it's clean and all original.

The real early ones were made in Belgium, production moved to Japan around 1972.
 
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I think it was one of the first .243 BLR's in Canada when I was at Barotto Sports in Calgary... one of the owners took it off the shelf, grabbed a Redfield scope and a box of 100 grain Dominion ammo... told me to mount it up and shoot it on the weekend...

I did and it shot under an inch. That became his new deer hunting rifle.

Later I heard comments from other BLR owners about how good they shoot...

The Japanese made rifles do the same.

It's ridiculous how pricey magazines became... I would have thought someone would manufacture an aftermarket one for $100... they would sell all they can make...
 
Nice unit c'ept'in awf course fur the eye bawls.
Iff'in you decide to keep'er, find a nice Leupold
2x7-28 or similar.

Them old BLR's looky fabbyewluzz with a Leupold awn'im.
 
Nice unit c'ept'in awf course fur the eye bawls.
Iff'in you decide to keep'er, find a nice Leupold
2x7-28 or similar.

Them old BLR's looky fabbyewluzz with a Leupold awn'im.

I like your style!
I put a Leupold 3-9 compact on it. Loaded some 77 gr Lapuas with some D4064. And hit the range this evening.
I forgot how much fun it is to get a lever action on the paper at 100 yards, good thing the berm was snow covered!

Shot under an inch. Just like guntech said it would.
That was fun.

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Here I am with my very first rifle I purchased and first ever deer I shot. Yes, Belgium Browning made in the 308 Winchester. I purchased it at Canadian tire in 1977, and returned home with it under my arm, riding my 10 speed bicycle. Yes, they call it a lever action, however it runs on gears, and not levers, which makes if very smooth. I could not tell you how accurate it was, hence over 4 decades ago, plus as long as I hit a 6" carboard plate at 100 paces, I was happy.
Yes, was an Elmer Fudd back then, and haven't changed since. LOL!!!
https://imgur.com/a/cP484Tj
 
I have had one since 1973 ( made in 1973 I think). Bought many more deer rifles since but this is my #1 deer Rifle.
Killed over a dozen deer with no issues. The .243 is a killer 4 deer.
 
As stated above, the magazines are nearly impossible to find. I have a friend that was looking for one for years, when I came across one for $250 I snapped it uo for him
 
Awesome photo track.

The 243 BLR is the gun that killed the marlin 336 for me. Hate to say it but it’s quite an upgrade for a deer only rifle
 
Loved those older Blr rifles,I cleaned up a few of them and they are very well built ,and every one of thrm shoots nice groups,sometimes the cheapest ammo makes the best groups.$1000 in my neck of the woods for one in good condition.
 
Yup, if you're a lever action guy you won't find anything better than the original BLR. As mentioned they run on rack and pinion gears not levers and cams, they're smooth as silk. They are very accurate because they lock up solidly at the front of the bolt like most bolt actions. Reliability is excellent. So is build quality. These early models with the narrow magazine have one flaw however. Great care must be used in loading the magazine, if not done carefully the cartridges can pop pop up vertically like your fingers when the lever is cycled. Also, they are a b!tch to reassemble if you remove the bolt, some gunsmiths won't even tackle this. Love 'em. She won't sell my .358 back to me!
 
Have it listed in the EE but that’s not going anywhere. So I built a nice hunting load for it
0.7” -100 yards with Speer 100gr BTSP 46.5 D4350sc @2.67” - 2920 FPS
Nice gun. Guess there’s worse rifles to have to keep.

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The old BLR's are nice rifles but they are not worth as much as most get listed for... they are discontinued and the biggest detraction being no magazines available...
 
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