Anyone Else Getting Disgusted With Browning??
- Thread starter Tabacco Brook
- Start date
CR Cruiser
New member
- Location
- Campbell River, BC
Earlier this year, I was looking for a new 270. I have a 12 year old A-bolt 7mm but I was looking for something a with a little less recoil but with a decent trajectory. I was in at the local sporting goods store and they had a non-current 270 X-bolt hunter FLD special edition on the shelf. It was everything I was looking for, raised cheek, nice wood stock and blued barrel. I bought it and it turned out to be not just a really good looking rifle but a tack driver too. Sub MOA with off the shelf ammo.
Later this fall a good friend gave me a Sauer 300 win mag. Gorgeous rifle with the slickest action made. I put a Zeiss Conquest on it and found that is was spraying lead all over the place. Tried a different scope with no improvement. I tried everthing I could think of to no avail. Sent it to a really good gunsmith who went over it with a fine tooth comb. Free floated the barrel, glass bedded and recrowned it. Marginal improvement but still shooting all over the target. I've put it to bed for a while trying to decide whether to rebarrel it or just cut my losses and keep it as a decoration. I still wanted a 300 win mag so I did some research.
Browning had an X-bolt Medallion with wood/blue. I ordered one but with a little buyer's remorse decided that it was not quite what I was lookin for. I wanted a high grade shiny wood stock with a raised cheek and the Medallion wsn't quite there. After more research, I found that Browning had the White Gold Medallion with the stock that I wanted but it was SS and I really wanted blued. And it was a fair bit more expensive. WTH, you only live once. I just got it Thursday and I love it. It's almost a piece of artwork. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet but I'm expecting that it will be as accurate as the 270 I bought earlier.
Later this fall a good friend gave me a Sauer 300 win mag. Gorgeous rifle with the slickest action made. I put a Zeiss Conquest on it and found that is was spraying lead all over the place. Tried a different scope with no improvement. I tried everthing I could think of to no avail. Sent it to a really good gunsmith who went over it with a fine tooth comb. Free floated the barrel, glass bedded and recrowned it. Marginal improvement but still shooting all over the target. I've put it to bed for a while trying to decide whether to rebarrel it or just cut my losses and keep it as a decoration. I still wanted a 300 win mag so I did some research.
Browning had an X-bolt Medallion with wood/blue. I ordered one but with a little buyer's remorse decided that it was not quite what I was lookin for. I wanted a high grade shiny wood stock with a raised cheek and the Medallion wsn't quite there. After more research, I found that Browning had the White Gold Medallion with the stock that I wanted but it was SS and I really wanted blued. And it was a fair bit more expensive. WTH, you only live once. I just got it Thursday and I love it. It's almost a piece of artwork. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet but I'm expecting that it will be as accurate as the 270 I bought earlier.
This is why I think Ruger does it up right......
They have the ho-hum American line in your run of the mill cartridges and produce M77's in most conventional cartridges as well......
But at least once a month or so, they have a "special release", a limited run of an M77 in wood and blue or wood and stainless in a "not run of the mill" chamebering, like .358 win, .275 Rigby etc.... and they sell like hotcakes.....
They have the ho-hum American line in your run of the mill cartridges and produce M77's in most conventional cartridges as well......
But at least once a month or so, they have a "special release", a limited run of an M77 in wood and blue or wood and stainless in a "not run of the mill" chamebering, like .358 win, .275 Rigby etc.... and they sell like hotcakes.....
bettieguitar
Regular
Really? I used to think the same for myself. Then this showed up.
Is that controlled feed? Yea, didn't think so. Kind of heavy for a canoe paddle too.
bettieguitar
Regular
I don't recall seeing Jesus here. I mean I know He is here but not signed up as a Forum Member. Be respectful of Him, and to those who respect Him. God Bless.
Everyone has their preferences. I have no preference. Also saves me a bit of cash on the rifle. Never had an issue with any of my push feed rifles. Never had one cost me a critter. Maybe if I was hunting Lions I would want a control feed but lets be honest. Keep your kit in good order and it will do its job.
- Location
- West Quebec
^^^ A lot of new buyers don't see spending for quality items that should last a lifetime..
Absolutely - but then, if a person is going to be a casual hunter, that brings the rifle out for 1 week a year, the often can't (or won't) justify a $1000+ rifle. For such people, a $500 scoped rifle is fine. When we were younger, the vast majority of hunters had what? A 303 that they had paid the princely sum of $10-$30 for at Eaton's. A lot of "snobs" used to ridicule them over their choice of gun. Very few hunters are gun nuts (not gunnutz).
- Location
- West Quebec
As long as the items hold together and function properly I have no issues with the cheaper firearms
Xthree
Tabacco Brook
Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I may be tired of seeing Browning constantly putting out an over abundance of composite clad rifles,.. but to imply that an X-Bolt is good for nothing more than a canoe paddle just because it is push feed and not controlled feed is just plane wrong. These rifles are a quality built, deadly accurate, flawless functioning firearm.
When I’m hunting in a nice stand I’ll use me nice old wood blued ‘60’s Rem 725. (Never happens) when I’m out with my stock bouncing against my center council or in the snow rain packing for miles it in the cold, sitting damp in the tent for a week, dropping it, bouncing and rubbing in my quad scabard, I use my Finnlights, they are tools to be used, and for backs woods hunting the light weight grippy synthetics and rust resistant stainless win hands down, they both have there uses.
Tabacco Brook
Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
When I started this thread it wasn't my intention to completely bash Browning bolt action, (X-Bolt), rifles,... it was to share my disappointment towards the lack of traditional styling and the lack of some old, not so common, chamberings in their line up once in awhile.
Sure, I could go out and probably find other rifles with different wood styling and different chamberings than Browning offers,... but as the posts have rolled in on this thread, some suggesting this rifle and that rifle, it dawned on me why I am dwelling on my disappointment with Browning,... it's because I like the features of Browning above other rifles,.. such as,..
...the short 60 degree bolt lift provides plenty of clearance between handle and scope,..
...the top tang 2 position safety, your thumb is naturally laying there so IMO it is the proper place for the safety to be,...
...the bolt unlock button is a great feature, no fooling with the safety to open the bolt,...
...the rotary center feed polymer magazine, won't bend won't rust, holds rounds securely in place during recoil, rounds being centered in line with the bore make chambering smooth, and the polymer lets to rounds slide from the magazine like silk,...
...and the action is glass bedded
So I guess this is why I haven't gone out and bought another brand of rifle,.... not that there is anything wrong with other rifles and there features, it's just that I really like the features and simplicity of use that the Browning X-Bolt offers.
Sure, I could go out and probably find other rifles with different wood styling and different chamberings than Browning offers,... but as the posts have rolled in on this thread, some suggesting this rifle and that rifle, it dawned on me why I am dwelling on my disappointment with Browning,... it's because I like the features of Browning above other rifles,.. such as,..
...the short 60 degree bolt lift provides plenty of clearance between handle and scope,..
...the top tang 2 position safety, your thumb is naturally laying there so IMO it is the proper place for the safety to be,...
...the bolt unlock button is a great feature, no fooling with the safety to open the bolt,...
...the rotary center feed polymer magazine, won't bend won't rust, holds rounds securely in place during recoil, rounds being centered in line with the bore make chambering smooth, and the polymer lets to rounds slide from the magazine like silk,...
...and the action is glass bedded
So I guess this is why I haven't gone out and bought another brand of rifle,.... not that there is anything wrong with other rifles and there features, it's just that I really like the features and simplicity of use that the Browning X-Bolt offers.
