First new lever in a while

[stagpanther]

I've had a hankering to try out a lever gun in a "modern" bottleneck configuration and have had this as a sorta back-burner wish item for a while.

I've never owned a browning rifle before--but have shot friend's and have always admired them--especially their lightweight x-bolt guns though the (Remington) 700 bdl's are very fine shooters too (spaced out for second : ) ). I decided to make the BLR 81 lightweight in 7mm-08 my first "toe dip in the water" for this kind of rifle. And yes--I intend to use it with irons only if my eyes will allow.

Any comments/experience?

[Scorch]

About 43 years ago, a friend of mine bought a BLR in 243. We were a bunch of wild men that used heavy-barreled bolt action rifles for varmint shooting. We made fun of him and his "cowboy rifle". Until we went to the range, then we shut up. It shot sub-MOA with factory ammo in an era when 1" rifles were worth bragging about. The newer BLRs are just as good, I have seen several that shoot as well as popular bolt action rifles. I think you will like it.

[stagpanther]

Glad to hear it--what really impressed me was the bolt to extension lock-up. My eyesight is really bad--but I put a marbles bullseye rear with a Williams front firesight on my Rossi lever gun and I love that combination--enables met use irons again. I guess I'll just wait and see when the rifle gets here.

[Rangerrich99]

About 30 years ago I bought my first deer rifle with one of my first pay checks after moving out of my parent's house. It was a Browning BLR chambered in .308 Win. At the range, it was far more accurate than my buddies' .30-30 levers. That fall I took my first buck with it at nearly 200 yards, dropped him like a sack of stones with the first shot. Wish to God every year I'd never sold that thing.

I've heard that on the new BLRs, the triggers are a little better than they were back in the day, but haven't had a chance to find out yet.

Give us a range report when you get a chance. I'll be very interested.

[stagpanther]

Give us a range report when you get a chance. I'll be very interested.

Will do--that's a promise. Every time I've seen browning rifles in a shop--they were usually in a protective case and struck me as being too pretty to actually shoot. At least I won't feel like a poser now driving around with the famous browning deer symbol on the rear glass of my pick-up truck.

[44caliberkid]

BLR's and BAR's are great hunting rifles. Probably more accurate than most of us can shoot. Don't worry about the finish, it's fairly durable. I know once I got the first ding in my Auto 5, I was far less cautious. Character, not damage. Miroku makes good stuff.
Once you are loading for both 284 and 7mm-08, I would interested in a thread comparing the two cartridges.

[stagpanther]

Once you are loading for both 284 and 7mm-08, I would interested in a thread comparing the two cartridges.

You caught that, lol. Part of the reason I ordered the 7mm 08. Personally, I think the 284 probably is capable of way out-performing the "published" data--it just hasn't been the "flavor of the month" to benefit from a lot of attention. My 284 is a bench gun--but this one is intended to be a real off-hand hunter. Dies are on the way and gun itself should be in by the middle of next week. I really was very tempted by the stainless breakdown--but they were not available anywhere in this caliber.

[stagpanther]

Thanks for the comments--definitely a gun with a heritage--though I'm very glad the newer 81's have a 4.5 trigger pull (or so browning says).

[Wyosmith]

I have a steel frame 30-06 made in the late 70s (I think). I got it in a trade from a friend. I is very accurate and with one load firing 165 grain bullet, and another firing 220 grain round nose bullet, the rifles holds MOA or slightly sub-MOA. Not too bad for a rifle that cannot be free-floated. I like it, and I have thought several times about getting another.
I have enough rifles so the drive to by my 2nd BLR has not been "consuming," but if I ever do by BLR #2 it's going to be a 7-08 in the lightweight receiver, Take-down, with a pistol grip. To me, that's about the top of the line in a lever action that can be scoped.

[stagpanther]

that's about the top of the line in a lever action that can be scoped.

I'll have to get the rifle in hand to determine how realistic it will be for me to use it irons only--I ordered their integrated rings just to be on the safe side.

[tranders]

Good looking rifle and a dandy caliber. Nice choice.

Congratulations!

[stagpanther]

Thanks--I feel pretty good about it; but how can you not like a good lever gun, right? A nice lightweight lever gun beats them all for pure shooting pleasure in my book--even the many, many ARs I have.

[stagpanther]

Well she arrived today and here she is. A beautiful rifle--almost too beautiful to use--even the manual warns about actually firing it may disturb it's collector's beauty pageant cachet. LOL cycling the action is a bit "clunkier" the I thought it would be--I attribute that mostly to it's unconventional trigger/hammer arrangement. The rifle does weigh 6.5 lbs unloaded as advertised--but even at that weight it's not the "easy swinger" my 5 lb Rossi is. Different breed, so I will hav etc get used to it.

The biggest let-down of my high expectations is the trigger: Browning advertises the modern lightweight 81 BLR trigger breaking around 4.5 lbs--mine averages breaking between 6 to 7 lbs--and there is a noticeable gritty creep. My impression is that it's almost identical to a standard mil-spec AR trigger in feel, my guess is that the inherent accuracy is going to be difficult to get out of the rifle with a trigger like that.

[RC20]

I got a 30-30 lever loaner to check out. It will be interesting

Never paid any attention, 150 gr slug in that small a case, no wonder it doesn't go too far with the velocity. Makes sense for back in the day, I would be looking for something lighter and zippier and still get the job done.

[stagpanther]

30-30 case small? ineffiecient, maybe-small not so IMO. For it's "soft-shooting reputation" it's still lets you know it has a recoil to be reckoned with. The winchester 170 gr silver power points shoot very well out of my 30-30 for a factory ammo. I bought the bullets alone for reloading and they shoot well too.

[JWT]

Very nice looking rifle. Miroku does a great job manufacturing those, and other models, for Browning. Their quality and finish is excellent. Congrats on yur purchase.

[stagpanther]

Thanks--I'm going to try a few factory cartridges tomorrow if the weather improves

PS The stock iron sites are more or less invisible to my eyes.

[ThomasT]

When I first saw the picture I thought you had bought a Henry Long Ranger. Nope, a Browning. A couple of friends had them in 243 and liked them a lot. You are going to like the 7-08 round. I have one of the early Remington model 7s with an 18.5" barrel in 7-08 and its a for sure deer killer. I have 120gr loads for a young girl that used in in a youth hunt at school and she killed 4 deer with 4 shots.

And that 30-30 thing. Nothing at all wrong with that round. Its been reliably killing game for over 100 years and is very efficient. It does its work with 30grs of powder or there abouts. Doesn't need some special bullet to take the velocity. It uses just a little more powder than a 12ga shotgun or the 223 round. No flies on the 30-30 round.

[stagpanther]

I have several hazmat deliveries scheduled for today--so I'm stuck at home since I have to sign for them. As my luck would have it--it is an ultra-rare windless day here on the island.

I'm doing some dry-fire practice with the BLR and growing accustomed to the pull a bit--I can actually see the irons--but only in bright light--they are marginal in low light. Nonetheless I want to fully exhaust the irons only potential before I abdicate and resign myself to a scope.

Yup, a 3030 170 gr will for sure drop em at any distance I can see through irons. I mean, what lever gun collection is complete without a 3030?

Wonder where Henry got their pinion drive bolt idea from??

[std7mag]

Stag,

I hope you picked up some RL17, PP2000, or H414!!
RL17 gives best velocities (aside from Big Game IF you can find it).
PP200 and H414 gave decent velocities with low ES/DS.

Don't be afraid of the 140gr for deer hunting. 120gr if monolith.
With that rifle i might recommend a crimp as it probably has a longer throat.

And i'm with collaborating with ya on a 7mm-08, 7mm-08AI, 284 Win thread.

Sweet rifle.

[stagpanther]

I noticed Kimber makes a long range hunter in the 7 08 AI

I took the first shots today with just the irons--and was rudely reminded that using them is just a pipe dream--couldn't see them at all. Definitely a young person's set up. Other than that the rifle shoots very nicely--the recoil is noticeably less than a 308 win. Gotta do something about the trigger though.

[ThomasT]

it is an ultra-rare windless day here on the island.

OK Stag. What island are you on? I gots to know.

The 120gr bullets I mention in my other post were for a 15 year old girl to use. They gave light recoil and were just as effective as the 243 the other kids were using. I have since went back to 140gr and 150gr bullets. I like the heavier bullets in my guns. I am not too concerned about shots over 200 yards.

[stagpanther]

Gilligan's.

Nah--Mt Desert--on the coast of Maine. I was shooting win 140 gr powerpoint--still felt mild compared to an 308 load and much lighter than a 284 win. Gonna clean her up and put a scope on--I'll try out some firesights and ghosts rings maybe later.

[Don Dayacetah]

Originally Posted by JWT

Very nice looking rifle. Miroku does a great job manufacturing those, and other models, for Browning. Their quality and finish is excellent. Congrats on yur purchase.

That's a very nice looking rifle. I have an X-Bolt from the Miroku factory.
One of my best hunting rifles.

[stagpanther]

Thanks--I look forward to getting it dialed in.