blr vs M88

NAA said:
Have had a pre 64 Model 88 in .308 Win & 3 different BLR's in .308 Win. Have none of those now.

Between the two I'd take a BLR. Newer model with flush mount magazine.

As the Savage 99 has been added to the discussion in the above post, I'd have to say between the 3, I'd go with the Savage 99. I still have one, a 99F, pre mil serial #; mfg 1958 and in .308 Win.

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NAA.
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Gooder year...............huh?.................cou:
 
Both a good rifles. I own a few 88’s and love them.
I like the way they carry and look too. The blr just felt clunky
and look ugly imo
 
IMHO, a remington 7600 pump action in 308 is faster, simpler, cheaper and basically better in every way than either. The only lever 308 i would want is a savage 99 and that is not much.
To each their own i suppose.
 
Have a 88 and would do bad things for a BLR also. I own guns to own guns I could care who made them and where. I have Turk guns and European and US and Canadian made ones and they all have their place .
 
I own the BLR and the Model 88, and I like them both. They both look good, carry well, and have performed well for me. And they are fun to shoot!
They each have their pros and cons...
First and foremost, these are hunting rifles...not target or varmint rifles, so if and when I can achieve MOA with them, I am very happy!
While many here can and have taken them apart, that isn't my forte, so if and when needed, I take it to the gunsmith for that work...and I have only done do for rebarreling or installing new recoil pads for additional LOP.

My BLR is the pre-81 in 358 Win, and I have shot, packed and hunted with it a lot. It is my guiding, archery, horseback and atv rifle. Trigger has a lot of creep, but I have learned its pull profile and can consistently produce 1" groups with it.
I have also owned them in 243 and 308, but do not have these anymore. Have always wanted one in 284.

I have had a number of Model 88's over the years...all in 308... except one in 284 Win in pristine condition, which has been sold...and have either sold them or rebarreled them to other calibers. My 88's are now in 338 Federal. 7mm-08, and 250 Savage. The Savage is getting a Boyd's nutmeg laminated stock installed at this time, and I hope to one day find a nice piece of walnut and have it configured in the mannlicher style for the 7mm-08 (having wanted one after seeing what Joe Balickie built for John Wooters years ago).
Triggers are not great, but can be cleaned up with stoning easier than on the BLR.
Talking with Rogue River Rifleworks when they were still in Paso Robles, they advised to look for the post 64 models with later than s/n 180,000, as they had the improved trigger group. The trigger on my 7mm-08 is probably the best trigger I have ever seen on a Model 88. Breaks clean and crisp. (They had built a beautiful Model 88 in 358 Win for Craig Boddington back in the day) They would also change out the screw and install a recoil lug to improve the strength of the action/stock fit and accuracy of the rifle. (My gunsmith altered my 338 Federal to make it fit more like a Tikka and it seems to work fine)
The amount of drop in the stock on the 88 for use with open sights does little to mitigate the felt recoil in this rifle in a 308, and many find it objectionable. The LimbSaver pad on my 338 Federal makes shooting it off the bench quite manageable. The rifle is fairly weighty as they did not slim down the barrel when they did the install...but it does balance and handles well.
The issue with the stocks cracking in the wrist was due to loose screws allowing the action to recoil back against the wood in the grip, and worse on certain models (some had a cloverleaf shape to the back of the action). Proper glass bedding of the action and maintaining screw tension helps mitigate this issue.

Fit and balance for you should dictate which you choose for yourself.
Best of luck and enjoy!
 
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