Browning Buck Mark Sporter
.22 LR No. 021026102, $572
Reviewed: February 2007
This is a quick-handling plinker that sports a very nice set of open sights. Acquiring the target, whether it was paper on the shooting range or small game, was very easy, and the Browning was a pleasure to carry and handle.
Just about anyone who has ever pulled a trigger will admit that there are times when their goal is to send a lot of lead down range with a minimum of effort and a maximum of fun. Call it "Rock and Roll" or just plinking, this type of shooting can be accomplished with about any firearm, but is best suited for what can be described as a cross between handguns and rifles.
One model that falls in this category is the Browning Buck Mark Sporter, which lists for $572. The Browning is basically a version of the manufacturer’s popular handgun that has been adapted to use a rifle stock and barrel. It uses easy-to-load 10-round magazines and is capable of semiautomatic rapid fire favored by plinkers trying to punch holes in a target.
Other than the space-age look of the grip, this quick and light rifle features a classic appearance of a quality firearm with its lightly oiled walnut stock and forearm and matte-finished barrel and action. Both attractive and easy to handle, the Browning was the immediate favorite among the old-school members of our team.
The rifle tips the scale at just under 5 pounds, and its 18-inch barrel and overall length of 33.5 inches provide a quick-pointing platform, we thought.
The large opening between the pistol grip and the stock and the slight rise in the comb of the stock caused our team slight problems in measuring the stock dimensions. We settled on a drop at the comb of 1.5 inches and drop at the heel of 1.25 inches.
Bringing the fiber-optic sights to bear on targets was easy for all our team members, a big plus for snapping off a quick, accurate shot.
The rifle’s length of pull of 15.25 inches was satisfactory for each of our shooters, and we liked the wood feel of the comb of the stock. Breaking at just over 4 pounds, the trigger pull was a little heavy for our tastes, but falls within the parameters of the standards found in most out-of-the-box rifles.
We were also particularly pleased with the accessibility of the action that allowed single shot loading with ease. We experienced no malfunctions with any of the ammunition, but removing a jammed round would have been easily accomplished.
Accuracy with the Buck Mark, using the open sights and a steady rest, included our best 10-shot groups at 50 yards being about 1.5 inches in diameter, and the rifle seemed to favor the CCI Standard ammunition. With a red-dot optic or a low-power scope, accuracy should improve.
As noted earlier, there were no malfunctions of any kind with the Browning. All of our shooters were right handed, so we found the magazine release and safety on the right side of the pistol grip were easy to use and very effective. The magazine drop was smooth and quick each time it was released.
Because of the Buck Mark’s balance, shooting from the hip (always make sure you are firing in a safe direction) was both fun and acceptably accurate.
.22 LR No. 021026102, $572
Reviewed: February 2007
This is a quick-handling plinker that sports a very nice set of open sights. Acquiring the target, whether it was paper on the shooting range or small game, was very easy, and the Browning was a pleasure to carry and handle.
Just about anyone who has ever pulled a trigger will admit that there are times when their goal is to send a lot of lead down range with a minimum of effort and a maximum of fun. Call it "Rock and Roll" or just plinking, this type of shooting can be accomplished with about any firearm, but is best suited for what can be described as a cross between handguns and rifles.
One model that falls in this category is the Browning Buck Mark Sporter, which lists for $572. The Browning is basically a version of the manufacturer’s popular handgun that has been adapted to use a rifle stock and barrel. It uses easy-to-load 10-round magazines and is capable of semiautomatic rapid fire favored by plinkers trying to punch holes in a target.
Other than the space-age look of the grip, this quick and light rifle features a classic appearance of a quality firearm with its lightly oiled walnut stock and forearm and matte-finished barrel and action. Both attractive and easy to handle, the Browning was the immediate favorite among the old-school members of our team.
The rifle tips the scale at just under 5 pounds, and its 18-inch barrel and overall length of 33.5 inches provide a quick-pointing platform, we thought.
The large opening between the pistol grip and the stock and the slight rise in the comb of the stock caused our team slight problems in measuring the stock dimensions. We settled on a drop at the comb of 1.5 inches and drop at the heel of 1.25 inches.
Bringing the fiber-optic sights to bear on targets was easy for all our team members, a big plus for snapping off a quick, accurate shot.
The rifle’s length of pull of 15.25 inches was satisfactory for each of our shooters, and we liked the wood feel of the comb of the stock. Breaking at just over 4 pounds, the trigger pull was a little heavy for our tastes, but falls within the parameters of the standards found in most out-of-the-box rifles.
We were also particularly pleased with the accessibility of the action that allowed single shot loading with ease. We experienced no malfunctions with any of the ammunition, but removing a jammed round would have been easily accomplished.
Accuracy with the Buck Mark, using the open sights and a steady rest, included our best 10-shot groups at 50 yards being about 1.5 inches in diameter, and the rifle seemed to favor the CCI Standard ammunition. With a red-dot optic or a low-power scope, accuracy should improve.
As noted earlier, there were no malfunctions of any kind with the Browning. All of our shooters were right handed, so we found the magazine release and safety on the right side of the pistol grip were easy to use and very effective. The magazine drop was smooth and quick each time it was released.
Because of the Buck Mark’s balance, shooting from the hip (always make sure you are firing in a safe direction) was both fun and acceptably accurate.
runaway:
