Browning Tbolt

DGY

DGY

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Good evening all, I’m thinking of buying a browning T-bolt sporter and I don’t know what chambering to go with, 22lr, 17hmr or 22 mag ?
It will be mainly for small game(grouse and rabbit) hunting, and some plinking.
I already have 2 22lr and I was thinking that the 17hmr could be good for longer shots on grouse depending on bullet choices, I don’t want to waste meat as much as possible.
What are the pros and cons of the 17hmr?
 
.22 lr will be least costly to shoot. If thinking of .17 or .22 mag for rabbits or grouse I would say ultimate accuracy would most important,for headshots and no meat loss in that case the .17 would have the advantage. For larger coyote size animals the .22 magnum offers better penetration. Really can’t go wrong with any of them though, all would do the job.
 
I would pick the.22 lr and stick to solid bullets to minimize meat damage but if you want something different than a .22 go for the 17 but unless you head shoot there will be a mess. The mag option will work as well but again , stick to solids for small game.
 
I rock the t-bolt in HMR and love it. I've shot gophers and crows out to 200yds and have coyotes dropping like a sack of hammers at 150yds all day long. Not super cheap of course, but well worth it. i used .22WMR and i wasn't a fan. Too loud, bullet selection and availability generally sucks for most local shops, bullet drop is pretty crazy too.
 
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This is my very new to me 17HMR T-Bolt Stainless Laminate.. I freaking love it. I can poke eyeballs with it. It's so cool the straight pull. I can maintain objective while reloading.. It's the action that really does it for me but 17HMR is incredible given the wind isn't insane. but for grouse on the ground at fifty yards the heads just pop.
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Love my tbolt in 17hmr.
The cons are expensive ammo. Expensive quality rifle. And sometimes the trigger needs some messaging. Possible sticky stock recall on older used synthetic models.
The pros are extreme accuracy. Extra 10 shot mag stores in the butt stock. Fast follow up shots ( you won’t need them if you do your part). Light to carry.
 
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It all depends how much hunting you'll do vs plinking. If mostly for hunting, .22WMR or .17HMR is your choice. If your plinking takes the majority of your shooting, .22LR is the choice IMHO. Plinking with .22WMR and .17HMR is getting expensive with no additional benefit.
 
I’ve had both, the saltwood version and the newer style with the spare butt stock mag.
The spare mag is a cool feature but the older ones would be my choice.

No lawyer’in trigger awn’im.
5 plus pound triggers suck yhe big awscar.
 
This vid was pivotal in my cleaning up the stock trigger. If you watch it you will learn how to easily disassemble the bolt itself. You will notice the ramp that the trigger runs against. Just polish it and use appropriate lube. I used a felt wheel on a cordless rotary tool with JB bore paste to remove the tool marks and take the ramp to a mirror finish. This is the trick. IMHO Cheers

 
I owned an original Belgian T Bolt in the higher grade version that was a beautiful gun that I stupidly traded when I was young. Bought the same gun in 17HMR as the one pictured from 270WSMXbolt. It’s very accurate but the plastic cartridge trigger packs a major POS. Was advertised as adjustable and it’s not. Blind hole that does nothing and the gold trigger is gold painted plastic. What a #### ng joke. Sold every Browning gun I Owned as well as junk Savages!! Stop using shxt and these companies will stop building plastic junk
 
The Tbolt is quite a nice slim little rifle . JARD out of the US makes a metal trigger pack that replaces the plastic one that comes with the gun. About 300$ USD shipped so not on the cheap side .
They are a great gun but at today's price of 1k ish there are certainty alot of other options that open up.
 
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The Jard is a great trigger pack , easy to install (even if you have 10 thumbs) . Buy the extra trigger springs if you want to tinker even more
 
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45CAT said:
The Jard is a great trigger pack , easy to install (even if you have 10 thumbs) . Buy the extra trigger springs if you want to tinker even more
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I bought the Jard trigger! It is a great trigger but the gun required rebedding for it to fit properly. They are very accurate and so close to being a great gun from the factory. I did a trigger job on the original which made it much better but still terrible. Sad when you keep thinking the safeties on!!!
 
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I'm not much of a browning fan but do have a 22lr t bolt sporter in walnut, I do find the action slightly jerky coming in and out of battery but otherwise it's quite fast with effortless ejection once you get the hang of how it wants to the bolt to be worked.
Yes the original trigger sucked, I did manage to get mine down a bit working on it but ultimately the jard trigger was the best money spent on it, and no issues with mine swaping in.
And those slim sporter lines and light weight I really do love, hard to find these days in over weight and chunky 22's. If it wasn't for my old Annie the t bolt would be the first one I grab when I go hunting and plinking
 
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270WSMXBolt said:
. but for grouse on the ground at fifty yards the heads just pop.
View attachment 1016466
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Nice rifle!
- 50 yards shot, are you hunting grouse in open fields?

The only time I can think of, where longer shots could have taken at a ground bird, would have been at "birds of opportunity" encountered while driving to a given hunting spot...

+

OP, depending on how much plinking is involved. I'd probably go for a 22lr. Ammo is cheaper, easier to get... And I seldom encounter birds on the ground further than 30y

Browning used to make a cute sporter with a 16"
 
I have no time behind a T-Bolt but I've handled them, so I'll reserve comment on the gun and give my take on 22 vs HMR.

I'd echo what RifleDude said-unless the hunting application calls for HMR/22WMR. And by "calls for" I mean there is distance and downrange power required. I don't think rabbits/grouse probably qualify unless you're in a more open area than I used to hunt or your eyes are far better than mine.

I've spent a lot of time at the range in recent weeks with various 22s, ranging from decently accurate semis right up to an Anschutz 64 shooting good ammo it likes. Good reminder of what I'm capable of @ various distances...not that the news has been all good. lol

Put another way, be honest with yourself about what kind of accuracy you can achieve...and maybe consider that a different/better .22 might be the right answer? Even though I know a guy who just got a 22WMR, all things considered I think of 22WMR and 17HMR to be more centerfire-like in terms of how I chug through ammo using them. If you get a T-Bolt and it likes 17Gr. ballistic tip ammo, your only point of aim can be a noodle shot on grouse for instance. Would be too explosive otherwise.

BTW-not trying to talk you out of a 17HMR, very interesting caliber and quite capable. Accuracy edge over 22WMR for sure, though my experience with groundhog-sized animals would strongly suggest that 22WMR is significantly more capable. Anyway, at the end of the day....if I were making shots on grouse from inside of 50 yards, and offhand or off an improvised rest, no way I'd want anything but 22LR. Most grouse I've aimed at were difficult to see, and usually in areas of low light...shadows...and often so close that anything other than a 22 or shotgun with an open choke=wouldn't make sense.
 
sillymike said:
Nice rifle!
- 50 yards shot, are you hunting grouse in open fields?

The only time I can think of, where longer shots could have taken at a ground bird, would have been at "birds of opportunity" encountered while driving to a given hunting spot...

+

OP, depending on how much plinking is involved. I'd probably go for a 22lr. Ammo is cheaper, easier to get... And I seldom encounter birds on the ground further than 30y

Browning used to make a cute sporter with a 16"
Click to expand...
Yes mountain chickens on the roadside while looking for bigger game.
 
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