Browning BBRs

Jack Robinson

Jack Robinson

CGN Regular
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Location
Alberta / Mazatlan
Bought my first one, a 300 Win Mag in 1980, since then I've got 4 more , a 25-06, a short action 7-08 and two I've rebarrelled, a 338 to 7x61 S&H and a 7mm Rem Mag to 264 Win Mag. Just wondered if anyone else is a fan.
 
I am. Just got my .338 BBR after lusting after it for a year. Made in the days of quality before quantity. If you ever get tired of your 25-06 or 7-08...........;)
 
Mine was a grade 1 in 25-06. It was a backup gun that i lent to a cousin's boyfriend....went from a perfect specimen to a big scratch in one hour. That would not have happened to me in 10 years. The inspiration for me to sell my too pretty too use firearms, as i got angry every time i saw the scratch.

Now have two "brother in law" guns for the quad or for a idiot to pack. Pretty, heavy, enormously strong action similar to a Wea Mark V, and super accurate. A interim gun between the FN Belgium AV and the Abolt, with a lot of the features of the Abolt.
 
I am a big fan. my dad bought a bbr when he was in his early 20's and hunted with it a lot. we've since re barreled it and put a McMillan on it as the original stock broke from a tumble in some steep country, and It is my gun now. I have used it from the time I've been ten and basically the only gun I find myself grabbing. shoots great, awesome feeling rifle and carries well. it has killed a lot of critters over the years. It will always be the first rifle i grab on just about any hunt I go on.
 
Got a 1979 in .30-06 which I really like, it just 'fits.' Bought it used with some scratches already installed in the stock but I'm kind of old school and dig the Weatherby-esque look of it. Seriously thinking of re-barrelling it and sprucing it up.
 
I've never owned an unaltered one, but do have one in .338 that the previous owner re-barreled with a Lilja heavy sporter barrel. It's scarred and weathered from its past life, but it shoots like a house on fire. And since it killed the one grizzly I ever shot at, I can't imagine ever letting it go :)
 
Bulky...yes. Heavy though? Well maybe compared to a synthetic. I was a little concerned before I picked mine up because I'd heard complaints about weight. I have to say that we as a culture must be becoming a bunch of pussies. I work construction, so I'm used to walking around in steel toes, with a loaded tool belt on my hip, and and my hands are rarely empty. I don't find it heavy at all. I certainly prefer it to a synthetic when shooting .338.


Mike Webb said:
Don't care for the BBR too much, very heavy and bulky. But on the upside they generally shoot well.
Click to expand...
 
Jack Robinson said:
Bought my first one, a 300 Win Mag in 1980, since then I've got 4 more , a 25-06, a short action 7-08 and two I've rebarrelled, a 338 to 7x61 S&H and a 7mm Rem Mag to 264 Win Mag. Just wondered if anyone else is a fan.
Click to expand...

I bought my BBR brand new in 1984. .270 Winchester. It's a tack driver - consistent 5/8" groups of 3 @ 100 yards with my reloads of 150 gr Hornady over 46.0 grains of IMR4064 using Nikon Monarch scope (the original Monarch, not the latest and greatest). It was my second big game rifle, after my 444 Marlin in 1978. It is still in excellent condition despite tromping around the bush to get to my stand each year, I baby it probably too much but I like the looks, handling and shooting and want to be able to pass it down to my son when the time comes.

Yup, it isn't a lightweight gun, but I'm a big boy, well over 6', and I don't mind the burden because of the way the thing shoots.

Been trying to figure out how to post pix, if anybody can give me step-by-step (i.e. Picture Uploading for Dummies) I'd be glad to do so.

OldNewGuy
 
Browning BBR...

Had one in 7mm-08 for awhile. Nice but a heavy rifle.

2004-11-13_125143_BBR708b.jpg



2004-11-13_125210_BBR708c.jpg


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NAA.
 
I've got 5 buddies that shoot them and not one of them will part with one. One guys dad carries one in 22-250 in his tractor for yotes, brought it over for me to clean, almost made me weep, what a mess!
 
BBR - engineered by a bank vault designer!

Thanks to Super Moderator NAA for the picture uploading info. I've inserted a couple of pics of my 1984 BBR as well as a picture of one of the reasons this firearm is a bit heavier than some others in the same class. From what I was told by a guy at Browning, this firearm was built in Japan by Miroku. Not the current version of Miroku who still builds for Browning, but a previous incarnation which went bankrupt due to the high costs of the product they were building. It shows in the fit and finish of these BBR's - for example, have a look at the bolt and the intricate machining compared to a more typical bolt from a current rifle. Browning, apparently, also lost money on every one of these they sold from what I've been told.

Here's my BBR:
Full1984BrowningBBR270Win_zps29219628.jpg



BrowningvsWeatherbybolts270Win_zps3c32c574.jpg


It's a darn fine rifle, almost a work of art in fit and finish, and I don't ever plan to get rid of it.

OldNewGuy
 
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