BLR's Love them, leave them, keep them or sell them?

[cody c]

Having never owned one, but a friend of mine is really interested in a takedown for hiking in bear territory (mountain climber) and a bit of hunting.

He commented the other day, it seems there is a lot of them on the EE, but hard to find a take down which would be his preference for safe vehicle storage. Perhaps in comparison to the Win 94 and 336's based on quantity there is a fair bit of them on the exchange.

Personally I find the take down function interesting, but not useful to my use of hunting arms, I'm not in a float plane or in some form of transit often.

So my question is: Are people buying these, finding they don't like them and then turning them over often? Or for those of you who own them, or have owned them, are they something that grows on you? or just grows old?

Your thoughts?

 

[razorbeck]

I love them own 5 including 2 take downs they will be the last ones I would sell

 

[Terry Perkins]

I don't think the takedown model would work as quickly as the regular model in bear country. Bears don't keep to a schedule as to when they show up.

Are people buying these, finding they don't like them and then turning them over often? Or for those of you who own them, or have owned them, are they something that grows on you? or just grows old?

I'm not sure why there seems to be so many for sale. I owned one a long time ago, sold it, and regretted it. Just 2 years ago I bought another one. This one, I'm not getting rid of. They're light, they're accurate, and good for deer or moose. Because they are ubiquitous, and people change priorities...this could be the reason. I certainly don't think it's the quality of the firearm.

 

[AntekPL]

Have mine in .358 Winchester, take down. Love it.

 

[phinton81]

I shot all my moose with one, sold it and haven't shot one since They handle well, are accurate and lightweight. Hard to go wrong,

Patrick

 

[saskcop]

I have one in .243 and it is dead accurate and one of the best rifles I have ever owned for carrying all day long in the bush. I had one in .308 and selling it was one of my greatest gun blunders of all time. The prices on the new ones are a tad spendy, but if a person is proficient with one, it may be the only rifle you ever need.

 

[klaus enuff]

I like mine. I have the lightweight stainless takedown in .308 and I must echo the sentiments expressed above; it is one of the best rifles to carry all day. I don't think I will be selling it anytime soon. IMO the takedown feature is almost essential, although I have yet to take it on a float plane this feature is invaluable when cleaning. And I really like being able to bring it along with me discreetly in my pack.

I also have a 30-30 savage 99 takedown and a non takedown .308, nothing carries as well as a flat sided gun. For this pumps and levers excel. Rounding out my collection I have a remington 7615, rossi ranchhand in .44 mag, a norinco .22 lever and an 1886 in 45-70. I guess you could include my Ruger no.1's in 300 and 458 win mag too now that I think about it.

Save the lack of a shotgun I am well equipped to hunt anything in North America with ease. But yes, to answer your question, I like the BLR a lot lol.

 

[Hank44]

I don't think the takedown model would work as quickly as the regular model in bear country. Bears don't keep to a schedule as to when they show up.


I'm not sure why there seems to be so many for sale. I owned one a long time ago, sold it, and regretted it. Just 2 years ago I bought another one. This one, I'm not getting rid of. They're light, they're accurate, and good for deer or moose. Because they are ubiquitous, and people change priorities...this could be the reason. I certainly don't think it's the quality of the firearm.

I think he means carry the rifle assembled, then take it down to do his climbing perhaps? I agree though, a dissembled, folded or packed away rifle is not a viable defense tool.

 

[Trois Pistoles]

I have the BLR in 358 Winchester and love it. It's light and the open sights are fine enough to shoot out to about 100 yards with practice, and 75 under stress Mine is not a takedown, so I can't speak to that. An alternative to consider: if your friend wants quick access to a firearm, combined with something light to carry, a short action BLR (20" barrel) is a great choice if paired with a Vorn backpack: www.vornequipment.com

If he had a takedown, he could just keep the takedown assembled when out in the wild in that case.

BTW: although 358 is a great cal, and the BLR is commonly available in it, it's best suited to reloaders due to limited ammunition availability.

 

[cody c]

I think he means carry the rifle assembled, then take it down to do his climbing perhaps? I agree though, a dissembled, folded or packed away rifle is not a viable defense tool.

Haha yes, you got it.

I see no benefit to the takedown personally, other than the cool factor and maybe cleaning. As for my friend, his needs would be storing it discretely in a locked vehicle in a remote location. For example camping not more than a hundred kms from the city, and leaving it locked under a seat or in a small compartment while out for the day. Some climbing routes involve longer hikes and some have close access with almost no likelihood of coming across a bear, where camp food smells would be more of a risk for example.

Being able to store under the seat of a SUV and not in a hard case makes it less attractive to thieves, and more attractive to take with I guess.


Lots of great input, I've been reading it all, thanks for the insight

 

[Milt Dale]

I had a take-down in 358, really great rifle but I just didn't use it so I sold it. I have a few levers but I am more of a bolt action guy. I have been tempted to get another but would only be interested in a short action .308 family stainless laminate take-down model.

 

[WhelanLad]

ohh all this BLR talk, id really love a 81 take down 30-06! they ask around $1400-1600 down here, so for now its on the back burners ha
WL

 

[klaus enuff]

I kept looking and looking for the model I had set my heart on (stainless laminate takedown in .308) and although I got to handle similar models in different calibres I never came across the one I wanted. And then as luck would have it when I finally came across the one I wanted it was also on sale for %15 off! Needless to say I bought it on the spot.

 

[OldNewGuy]

I kept looking and looking for the model I had set my heart on (stainless laminate takedown in .308) and although I got to handle similar models in different calibres I never came across the one I wanted. And then as luck would have it when I finally came across the one I wanted it was also on sale for %15 off! Needless to say I bought it on the spot.

Exactly what I have - bought it as an easy-to-transport (throw it in the backpack on the hike in to the base camp) back up for my trusty old 444 Marlin. Dropped a barrel-mounted Leupold extended eye relief FXii 2.5X28 scout scope on it to make up for aging eyes, and while it isn't the most accurate rifle I've got it's pretty darn good. All I did was make up a leather pouch with two pockets, one for the barrel/scope, the other for the buttstock/receiver, with a snug fit, drop it in the wall-tent or cabin and it's there if I have a need as a back-up rifle. The stainless helps me keep it in good shape, the takedown is easy to clean, the laminate is very durable.

O.N.G.

 

[NL-Hunter]

My primary moose rifle for years was a BLR in .30-06 It is a well built, quality hunting rifle with great accuracy.
My only complain was the heavy non-adjustable trigger. It takes a bit of shooting to get used to.

Some have chopped or replaced the trigger spring to get it lighter. A job for a competent smith.

 

[rkm456]

Had a blr in 243 and loved it. Didn't shoot it much because of what a nuisance it was to clean. If I could have gotten one in takedown I'd still have it.

Most aren't takedown because people are cheap and don't like paying the extra 100 bucks for the takedown model. They stopped producing the version I wanted a year before I had the money together to buy one. If I see what I was looking for again, I'll likely pick it up. Who doesn't love a lever gun?

 

[klaus enuff]

Exactly what I have - bought it as an easy-to-transport (throw it in the backpack on the hike in to the base camp) back up for my trusty old 444 Marlin. Dropped a barrel-mounted Leupold extended eye relief FXii 2.5X28 scout scope on it to make up for aging eyes, and while it isn't the most accurate rifle I've got it's pretty darn good. All I did was make up a leather pouch with two pockets, one for the barrel/scope, the other for the buttstock/receiver, with a snug fit, drop it in the wall-tent or cabin and it's there if I have a need as a back-up rifle. The stainless helps me keep it in good shape, the takedown is easy to clean, the laminate is very durable.

O.N.G.

We think alike except my pouch is made from some cheap car upholstery vinyl material and I am using mine more as a main rifle. Only thing I changed was adding sling studs

 

[jjohnwm]

I think that a takedown BLR in a suitable chambering would be a contender for the perfect all-around do-it-all (or at least do-most-of-it) rifle. I have one in .358Win and it's a sweetheart. It doesn't give up anything to solid-frame BLR's I have owned in the past, but allows you to move through an airport much more easily and discreetly than a full-length gun, and fits anywhere, in any vehicle.

In fact, if the Browning chambered it in .375Ruger I'd buy one immediately. My favourite bullet diameter, chambered in a short light hunting gun...and best of all it would actually make the .375Ruger seem like something worth owning.

 

[TheTooner]

I'd probably already own a BLR in .308Win if it weren't for the faint hope of finding a take down version if I can hold out long enough.

 

[Rob]

I think he means carry the rifle assembled, then take it down to do his climbing perhaps? I agree though, a dissembled, folded or packed away rifle is not a viable defense tool.

I note that the official English language tourist guide to Spitzbergen (biggest of the Svalbard island group just to the north of Norway) gave advice on the caliber of rifle that one MUST carry and also advised one practice so that the rifle could get onto target and into action in a few seconds. I can't remember how many seconds they advised but it wasn't many. Lots of those big white bears up there.