whast the real deal with a-bolts?

my buddy has one and really likes it Its a stainless stalker in a 300wsm
I think the mag thing kinda sucks but it is good for road hunting (in and out of the truck) Its just that for the money you could buy a sako or a kimber for about the same price and better quality
 
Guns hold theur value, but A-bolts are over priced, but guns hold their value, but A-bolts are overpriced.....



ARRGGHHHHHHHHHHHH! It's all a vicious circle....:runaway:
 
DarrylDB said:
Sorry MJ, didnt mean to come across as an ass, but, This topic has been beat to death,
here are a few, .
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How many times does a subject get brought up at the hunt camp?Whats the big deal????

I like detach/hinge mag.You can carry a spare for a quick change.Easy to load/unload with no rounds on the ground and the rifle still looks nice and clean.
 
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DarrylDB said:
Sorry MJ, didnt mean to come across as an ass, but, This topic has been beat to death,
here are a few,

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34505&highlight=Browning+Abolt
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111338&highlight=Browning+Abolt

If your in southern Ont, PM me, and you can come by and check out my 243 for yourself.
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no worries darryl all is fair in guns and ammo!

thanx for the replies guys good info keep em coming! im going to go molest and a-bolt tomrow at williams arms before i head tot he club

thanx
matt
 
mjcurry said:
hey their
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Hey there indeed :)


mjcurry said:
i hear the bolt has a loose feeling? trigger sucks?
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Well having sold more of them than I would care to ever admit, as well as shot even more of them I would not describe AboltII bolts as being 'loose feeling'. Infact I would go the other way and say they are pretty good, but a little klunky at times. The bolt handle is actually awkward to me, and never made cycling the bolt that pleasing. That said the Rem 700 has an equally lousy bolt handle and ergonomics, but people who don't know better accept it as gold, the ones who know a little better replace it with a badger ord bolt knob, and the really smart ones don't get a Remington.
Browning's triggers are pretty crappy, and compared to a good gun they are just plain crap, and Rem is right there with them. Again there are alot of people who just don't know better, but most good makers would never make a trigger as bad as Browning. That said the North American makers live in paranoia of lawyers, and so are happy with a klunky, heavy trigger.


mjcurry said:
how about accuracy?
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If anyone ever tells you Brownings are not accurate just look at them and nod politely, you are talking to a blithering idiot, enjoy the experience. Browning rifles are always pretty sharp out of the box, with or without a BOSS. Some are astoundingly accurate rifles, and frankly the humbuggery about 'Belgium' is hooey. The Japanese made Weatherbys and Brownings have shown for ages that the Japanese can make great rifles at ludicruous prices. That said the idea that Browning operates on is a 'leave them wanting more' type of philosphy. You get a good gun, maybe not what you or certainly I would design, but instead what they will give you. Not to be ###ist, but they are like an attractive woman who gives you a lap-dance. Its not what you really want, be she leaves you thinking you were damn lucky just to get that. Browning likes to foster that aire of superiority, in thier product line, and in thier customer base, if you buy thier guns you are buying a Cadillac in the 70s, is a little gaudy, a little special, a little unique, and therefore so are you. That said, I think thier philosophy is crap, along with some of thier designs, and that includes the AboltII. Its a fair design, but you would never sell me on the idea its the cats-meow, cuz it sure as hell ain't.

mjcurry said:
why so overpriced?
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Again, this a true criticism of Browning, just look at 'thier' rings or 'thier' scopes. They have a supplier put that idiotic buckmark logo on another makers product and jack the price up 25% or more. Why, because it gives it that aire of superiority again....'I see you gots a Savage eh....Ok I guess....have you seen my AboltII...its 300$s more...ohhhhhh yeahhhhh baby, I is cool...". And don't fool yourself, I have seen that mentality in the flesh...alot!


mjcurry said:
please give me your real world expierience not just "they suck get a remington" lol
thanx
matt
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OK like I say, they are OK guns, never great guns, and the same is true of Remmies and Savages. I did like the old BBR, but that ain't an AboltII. I have owned one Abolt II, just one, an M1000, and liked it quite a bit, but it was not quite what I wanted. I owned every model of the Buckmark, and liked the 75% that worked, and not the 25% that didn't. Its just another maker of midgrade guns.
 
Im a little suprised to hear about browning abolts being overpriced. I paid under $750 to get a LH short action 7-08 which is about what new bolt guns seem to go for these days +/-. Im pretty happy with mine, but then again I am a lefty so maybe Im just happy to find a wronghanded boltgun in something other then 30-06/270 ... :p . The overall fit and finish is good, maybe not awesome but good and the bolt on my gun is a little tight but still pretty smooth. The trigger is pretty crisp too, abit heavier than my Tikka, but not too bad. As to the magazine system, I would say im neutral on it, ill just learn to live with it. I think this is ultimately a fordvsChevyvsDodge argument. If you pick one up in a store and you like it, great, if not join the cult of remington.:D :D

Luke
 
joe-nwt said:
I just hauled my A-bolt SS out of the safe to try it. As soon as it unlocks it falls all the way back.

There goes your credability....:p
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grab half a dozen off the rack of a gunshop and see how many do it with a magazine in the floorplate. I did, and it was 0/6 :rolleyes:
 
Maybe mine is well used.

So. Why is having the bolt fall back when you have the gun pointed at the sky an important feature anyway?
confused0031.gif
 
I picked up an LH A-Bolt Medallion (not the II) in 270 a few years back for a real steal. Wasn't really keen on the gun when I bought it, shorter barrel than I like (22"), and then the wierd magazine set-up, but it was still brand new and wearing a scope worth the price asked.

Then I shot it, well nothing wrong there. Worked up some reloads and they were in a 1/4 inch.
Then I hunted with it, fairly light, quite fast handling, came up in the right spot. Likely due to the fact the bolt has a short throw and the scope is mounted as low as can be.
Then I realized how quiet the gun was to handle. No bolt or magazine rattling when I was packing it around. The magazine is as quiet as a loaded gun with a floor plate, but no loose shells falling in the snow. Hmmmm.

This is the only rifle I have that I have not had to file or adjust something on it. It just plain works. The only thing I still don't like about the gun is the glossy finish. One day, when I have time, it will get the laquer stripped off, an oil finish, and rust blacked.

p.s. The action is as smooth as glass. The new "hunter's" do not feel smooth, but all the medallion's seem pretty good.

Cheers
 
I think the bolt design is not bad. The bolt is made in four pieces and pinned together. It's not a bad system. The trigger is junk. I would say this about any rifle which showed up with the trigger lever broken off. I saw this on 3 different A-Bolts. That makes it a weakness IMO. There is no reason to design a poor trigger system when so many good ones exist.
I think the A-Bolt is a rifle which works surprisingly well in spite of being poorly designed. I would never buy one. If I found one in the woods, I would work hard to find the rightful owner. Regards, Bill.
 
The ones I own,have owned or have seen owned, have been very accurate rifles. The mag system is a quirk, but it's design makes for smooth feeding.They work and work well, nothing special, just what you could rightly expect from a rifle in it's price/quality range.
 
joe-nwt said:
Maybe mine is well used.

So. Why is having the bolt fall back when you have the gun pointed at the sky an important feature anyway?
confused0031.gif
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well Abolts arent too smooth (at least new - Ive never bothered to own one), lots of resistance on the throw. Im not going to change your opinion about them nor would I try, Im just stating facts that Ive seen.

As far as being overpriced, they are cheaper than comparable Remington & Rugers now. Bang for your buck may be less, or more, depending on who you're talking to. :canadaFlag:
 
I've owned an early A-Bolt (7 Rem Mag) for a few years. Bought it used (well used actually) and thought that I would clean it up and then sell it. Well, I took it to the range with some handloads just to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised! Shot well under .75 off a rest with an arbitrary load. Over the years, I have tightened this group with some tweaking. This has been my main "moose" rifle for the last 5 years and I am thinking of switching to a Sako 75 this year, but only if it's as accurate as my A-Bolt.
I have worked on A-Bolts over the years and the only drawback in my opinion/view is the mag system. It has to be handled with care when the floorplate is open. The hinge is not meant to take any lateral pressure.
 
Go to your store and handle each gun. You may like a rem. by how it feels. Or an A bolt. Its all personal preference.
I myself would NEVER buy a remington. Just dont like em. The gloss finish on the A bolt is far too glossy. Nothing 0000 steel wool wont handle.
Just buy a Sako and be done with it. Sakos are rediculously overprices as well. Just give up and buy a bow or a shovel.:)
I would choose an A bolt over a rem any day.
 
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