A-bolt stainless stalker? well made or not? (vs Savage and T3)

I own remington, browning, savage and CZ. The Browning is by far the nicest rifle. The action cycles smooth as silk. If you really look at the magazine, you will notice that it has shoulder stops for the rounds - the idea being to protect the bullet tips from recoil damage - a great idea I haven't seen anywhere else - and it shoot ok, I get 1/2"groups @ 100 yards when I do my part.

The only issue I have with it is the weak stock.

JK
 
Last edited:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrylDB
If you have half a brain in your head, the Browning Mag system is great.



SuperCub said:
I totally agree that it would be only a half wit that would like that mag system!! :D




.
Click to expand...
OOh, good one paul, you got me there. Coming from a guy who thinks the 760-7600 rifle is the greatest made with its simple mag system. (which pretty much explains why your opinion aint worth a lick of salt)
So please explain to me what you think is a simple and safe mag system...
 
stubblejumper said:
Of course it is,since there is no stupid floorplate to deal with.You simply squeeze the release and remove the mag,then push a fresh mag into place.With the a-bolt you must push the floorplate latch and drop the floorplate ,then unlatch the magazine,then latch a fresh mag to the floorplate,then close the floorplate.How much money would you be willing to bet that you can change a mag in your a-bolt as fast as I can change one in my 700?How about just installing a mag?
Click to expand...


I'll take that bet...

and about the rem mag...
Yeah, a pair of scissor latches that flop around like a button on a ####house door. And the "Simple Mag assembly weighs about 7 oz's itself. one of the scissor latches isnt in all the way, and bye bye mag...
Not by any stretch a superior design
 
DarrylDB said:
OOh, good one paul, you got me there. Coming from a guy who thinks the 760-7600 rifle is the greatest made with its simple mag system.
Click to expand...
I never said the 760/7600 is "the greatest made". I just said I like them, but have also many times in the past said that the mags on the 760/7600 are the biggest culprit for feeding problems on these rifles. On the other hand fixing this is cheap and easy. About $30 will do it for a new mag. Try to buy a new Browning mag for $30.

DarrylDB said:
(which pretty much explains why your opinion aint worth a lick of salt)
Click to expand...
You are absolutely correct that my opinion is not worth "a lick of salt". There are very many more people out there with a vast amount more of knowledge and experience that I have. Again, I was just basing my opinion on my own personal experience, given the fact the I have owned an A-Bolt and 760/7600s both for many years.

DarrylDB said:
So please explain to me what you think is a simple and safe mag system...
Click to expand...
Since we are talking about bolt action rifles in this thread, not pumps/semis/levers, I will make my comparison to a "simple and safe mag system" in other bolt action rifles.

I think the Remington BDL system is about as simple and reliable as they come, and if one just has to have a detachable mag for their bolt gun, the Tikka system seems to work very well, with the only drawback being that they are expensive to replace.

Paul :)
 
Mag complicated,gimme a break:rolleyes: . It is a scissor type spring underneath the follower as opposed to the usual Z shaped spring. This allows for even pressure front and rear so that a cartridge will not nose dive.Together with the anti bind bolt this makes for a very smooth feeding rifle.
Bottom line. A-Bolt is a fine rifle.
 
The Browning Mag system is the best of them all. You can load them three different ways, over the top like a closed well, under by changing mags or just push the shells in while it is attached to the open floor plate.
Click to expand...

Bigred,

What cartridge are you talking about?

Both my previous A-Bolts could not be loaded by simply dropping a shell in the port. The bullet would push straight into the base of the barrel under the chamber. You had to actually have it in the magazine to give it the proper angle. I don't like that and I have not experienced it in the 12 or so other brands/models I've fired. Both of mine were from the 06 family of cases but someone on HS said they couldn't chamber this way with their 7mm Rem Mag.

This actually happens because of how low the magazine sits and that's why both my previous A-Bolts would jam if I tried to cycle too fast or too slow. It's way too sharp of an angle.

I know guys are going to say they have never experienced this but several people have on the thousand or so A-Bolt threads over the years.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. I think the A-Bolt magazine system is one of the worse ever. Rattles, Jams, works loose from too many working parts. Simplicity is the way to go and Browning fails in that category.

They are shiny though!
 
Last edited:
I have been using my A bolt for 20 years now, with no problems. I agree that it would take me longer to replace an empty mag than it would in my T3, but fail to see where this is a concern when hunting/ shooting.If 3/4/5 shots aren't enough, more time should be spent practicing your shooting and less at fast mag changing. My buddy has a new A bolt and the system has been improved as the mag is guided into place where mine is not.

As a long time hunter safety instucter, one of the things we have been teaching is to unload your firearm before crossing a fence or unstable area. With the Abolt, the mag stays attached to the rifle so reloading is a breeze. With most other rifles (I believe Marlin copied Browning) the mag is easy to drop or can be a pain to find if put in a pocket to free up a hand for the crossing.............maybe I'm naive in thinking that hunters actually unload in the name of safety.
:D
 
** A- Bolt **

I own an A - BOLT in .338 and Love it , Shoot's Good Groups and Fit's Me Well . I also own 4 Of the Old BELGUM Made BROWNING Bolt Rifles , And I Prefer them over The ** A Bolt ** for CRAFTSMANSHIP , They All Have Wood Stock's on them, Don't Use them For Hunting Anymore Since I Bought the Composite A Bolt :cool:
 
savagefan said:
The A-bolt mag. is a road hunters best friend, Wink!
Click to expand...

A normal detach is way better and you don't have a floor plate to wear or break.

Almost all the major companies make a detach model. So if you think about it, the A-Bolt is handicapped.:D
 
I find the A-bolt magazine and floor plate design very user friendly. I can change clips (and have) in the heat of battle very quickly. I know it sounds funny that 5 shots are not enough but sometimes...things happen. I've had an A-bolt II Composite Stalker in .270 Winchester since 1995 and I really like it.

I just bought an A-bolt II Stainless Stalker in .375 H&H yesterday and I can hardly wait to shoot it. Hopefully tomorrow.

Best regards,

Slooshark1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom