BAR vs A-Bolt in 338 win mag

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bear slayer

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I'm thinking of buying a bar or A-Bolt in 338 mag for my everything in north america rifle. Im just wondering about the reliability and accuracy of there rifles. By the way they both have B.O.S.S. does this actually work like browning says it does? Anyone who has or had one of these rifles please tell me what you think of them good or bad.
Thanks
 
I would get the A-bolt over the BAR... they both function well and are reliable... but the bolt action will function every time no matter what.... :idea:
.338WM is a great choice for big-game...you gonna shoot deer with it too :?:
 
I like the a-bolt as well,but the recoil may be a bit stiff!THe boss works but is loud,tames the recoil very nice from the ones I have shot but is LOUD.I would take the bolt over a semi just for the reliability reasons.The bar would kick less i bet.
 
I actually considered the same rifle combo but went with a cz-550 in 375 H&H and am happy as heck with an accurate light kicking rifle.Light because the gun is so heavy..People gripe about a couple of pounds in a rifle being so bad.If i want a couple pounds less in a hunting set up I take a big #### before I leave camp..
 
recoil in either is fine for a big rifle , no worse than you would expect, it does come down to your prefference and style of hunting, the a-bolt being lighter and accurate (I have found in the ones I have owned right up to 375H&H) , the BAR is accurate as well but a fairly heavy rifle , not something I would pack on a walking hunt or mountain type hunt , the auto does work well and havent seen 1 jam yet either , guess thats a good point .

either one depending on your style of hunting will do the job well IMHO :D
 
I don't lke a-bolts in the more powderful cartridges because they seem to produce more felt recoil than other rifles with the same cartridge.As for the boss system,I owned one and will never own another.If you don't reload they will allow you to tune the gun to improve accuracy with a given load.Then again I have found that my guns without the boss shoot just as accurately or moreso with proper loads.The standard boss is so loud that a single shot without hearing protection can cause your ears to ring for several hours.Either you hunt with hearing protection or after a few years your hearing will be so damaged that it won't matter.Additionally,the boss on my rifle kept coming loose which changed the point of impact.Lastly,the boss equipped rifles are equipped with shorter barrels to compensate for the length of the boss ,so they produce less velocity than non boss equipped rifles.
As for the BAR,I owned one in 7mmremmag and sold it after it jammed in cold wet weather.It also jammed twice for the friend that I sold it to under similar conditions.Yet it always functioned perfectly at the range or in warmer,drier conditions.
 
bear slayer said:
I'm thinking of buying a bar or A-Bolt in 338 mag for my everything in north america rifle. Im just wondering about the reliability and accuracy of there rifles. By the way they both have B.O.S.S. does this actually work like browning says it does? Anyone who has or had one of these rifles please tell me what you think of them good or bad.
Thanks
Click to expand...
What other calibers do you own/shoot :?:

What will the .338 be mainly used for :?:

SC..................
 
I have owned both, and really liked both! Neither one had the BOSS, but they were both quite accurate - although the BAR was more accurate! This is with tailored handloads and factory loads.

The BAR in .338 is a real pussycat to shoot as well, it's heavier than the A-Bolt, but you can gauge that by hefting both a decide for yourself. I shot both of these rifles a lot, and never had a malfunction of any kind with either. :D

Best wishes, Jeff/1911.
 
Well personally I always had a fondness for the BARs in 300WM and 338WM, and would suggest that the BAR Stalker in 338WM with the BOSS would be a good rifle if you can get one.
The BARs in the magnum calibers need some serious, but damned serious neglect to get them to start stumbling and choking. I would rate them as a fine choice.
Since I also have a personal dislike for the Abolts (theres a poll in this forum on them :lol: ) I would take the BAR.

The BOSS does work like browning says, and does a pretty good job. It is HARSH, it is a very abrupt and sharp brake and can be downright unpleasant at times. That said, for hunting you can use the BOSS CR, which allows the tuning feature, without the brake feature.

Personally, I wish I had my 300 and 338 mags still :(
 
stubblejumper said:
I don't lke a-bolts in the more powderful cartridges because they seem to produce more felt recoil than other rifles with the same cartridge.As for the boss system,I owned one and will never own another.If you don't reload they will allow you to tune the gun to improve accuracy with a given load.Then again I have found that my guns without the boss shoot just as accurately or moreso with proper loads.The standard boss is so loud that a single shot without hearing protection can cause your ears to ring for several hours.Either you hunt with hearing protection or after a few years your hearing will be so damaged that it won't matter.Additionally,the boss on my rifle kept coming loose which changed the point of impact.Lastly,the boss equipped rifles are equipped with shorter barrels to compensate for the length of the boss ,so they produce less velocity than non boss equipped rifles.
As for the BAR,I owned one in 7mmremmag and sold it after it jammed in cold wet weather.It also jammed twice for the friend that I sold it to under similar conditions.Yet it always functioned perfectly at the range or in warmer,drier conditions.
Click to expand...

Hey stubble
Was your Browning a synthetic stock? I had a Stainless Stalker in 338WM for a while, and that stock just pounded me something fierce. I was wondering if the wood stocks were as bad.
 
John my 375H&H was in a a-bolt medalion and my 13 year old shot it with no problems , it has recoil but not a killer pounding like some say, and I have used a BAR in 338 (1 of my hunters had 1) it was verry exeptable and fun and fast , my buddy has a 338 in a stainless stalker and it dosnt even kick me as hard as the tikka T3 light stainless did in 300wm , everyone handles recoil differently shoot them to find out I guess :D
 
The BARs in the magnum calibers need some serious, but damned serious neglect to get them to start stumbling and choking.
Click to expand...

Mine was properly cared for as I am meticulous about gun maintenance.I do however notice that you are from the maritimes and I doubt that you see the cold temperaures that we see in alberta and saskatchewan in november and december.It does make a difference.

Hey stubble
Was your Browning a synthetic stock? I had a Stainless Stalker in 338WM for a while, and that stock just pounded me something fierce. I was wondering if the wood stocks were as bad.
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Mine was synthetic and a friends 300wm a-bolt had a wood stock.Both produced much more felt recoil than 700s in the same cartridges.I would much rather shoot my 300ultramags than the 338wm stainless stalker.
 
The stock on the Stainless stalker didn't fit me right, too short by a long ways.
I was fine if I had tons of clothes on, but otherwise it just didn't feel right. My 1886 Winchester has 2" added to the stock length for just that reason, and handles magnum 45-70 loads with little felt recoil.
 
I will mainly be using this rifle for moose and bear. I live in a shotgun only area and probably won't use it for deer. I currently have a Rem. 700 SPS (POS) in 300 wsm, old 303 brit, savage 210f, Rem. 710 in 7mm mag., and a brutal recoiling winchester 370 12 ga. single shot. Recoil doesn't bother me and i would definetly use the CR BOSS. Thanks everyone for your opinions keepem coming I'm still trying to decide.
 
I have a Browning A-Bolt Medallian in 338 win mag and I think its a great rifle. I have shot 1 3/4" groups with it at 200 yards. From the bench its not much fun to shoot, but when hunting you feel no recoil. But the cartridges are expensive. Hope this helps.
 
maybe not all sps's are like my 300 wsm but it deforms tips and makes deep scratches on the casings. it will not eject unfired ammo and the bolt is really rough.
I trust my 710 for better reliability than my sps. maybe its not designed to work well with the fat sharp shouldered wsm's
 
I really like the BAR. I would take one over the A-bolt, but without the BOSS system. You won't believe how little a BAR recoils in any given caliber until you try one. They are usually very accurate too. My dad's 7mm RM and my .270 both shot 1" groups with loads the rifles liked. Keep it clean and lubricate with graphite. You won't be dissapointed.

One caveat: The open sights are junk. At least on the older ones.
 
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