Browning BAR - Page 2

pythagorean · October 20, 2010, 06:48 PM

Concerning recoil you have to remember one of my most favorite rifles is a Ruger No. 1 Tropical in .458 Lott. It is NOT an auto so I get the benefit of feeling it all!
To me a rifle doesn't start recoiling until it hits the .338 Winchester level in a bolt or solid breech action.
Recoil in the BAR is smooth.

BILLDAVE · October 20, 2010, 06:57 PM

I have a 30.06 Safari with the BOSS system and it is the most accurate rifle I own! Once you choose you ammo and dial it in, you are set. Make sure you lock-tite the number ring on the BOSS b/c it will move on you.
BILLDAVE

cmdc · October 20, 2010, 08:30 PM

I ordered a Lightweight Stalker in 270 Win. today. Can't wait to try it out. If I like it, which I am sure I will based on everything you guys have said, I may get one in 308 Win. or even 300 Win. Mag.

ritepath · October 20, 2010, 08:52 PM

I've had mine for 15 years....common grade 270 beautiful but heavy. Accurate and I love this gun. Prior to getting this guy I switched rifles every few years...I've stuck with this guy and it's never failed me...ever.

bigwrench · October 20, 2010, 11:41 PM

I hav a BAR in 300wm. I also have a m70 and ruger #1 in 300wm. I found the BAR recoil to be punishing in comparison to the other two rifles. But, also found it to be the most acurate of the three. I added 8 oz. of mercury to the stock and recoil is now tollarable. Now it it is punishung to carry.

publius · October 21, 2010, 12:22 AM

If I were to get a semi-auto hunting rifle it would be the BAR, probably an old one though. The BAR has long been THE semi-auto sporting rifle, Rem. is not in the same league. The new Benelli and Win. may be equal or even better, but I am a traditionalist and can't get over their looks.

johnbt · October 21, 2010, 08:12 AM

My 78-year-old uncle called last night about his 1st year .30-06. A cousin had just called him to see if he would sell it and he wanted to know if I wanted it when he decides to let it go. Uh, yeah. It's been his deer gun since the day he bought it, except for the 7 years he used his brother-in-law's Marlin .444, and it's held up just fine finish-wise. No, I can't get the Marlin.

His son isn't into guns and told him not to leave behind that mess of guns for him to take care of, sell off, whatever.

I volunteered.

This isn't a surprise because this is the uncle who gave me the Mountie in '63 and who I bought a Nylon 76 lever for some years ago.

John

cmdc · October 21, 2010, 09:32 AM

I looked at a used Benelli when I was at Cabela's yesterday. It was in good shape and had a $1059.00 or so price tag on it. I had never seen one before. They are very sleek and feel and point great. Probably better than the BAR. This one was in 300 W-something. I couldn't read whether it was magnum or short magnum on the tag. I might go back and look at it again. It'll probably be there for months.

OlCrip · October 22, 2010, 07:51 AM

I've owned two. Bought them back in the early 70's. The first one was in .300 Winchester Magnum and the other was in .338 Winchester Magnum. They were my moose hunting rifles. Loved 'em both and both were very accurate. I never had any issues with either one. Hunted from a wood shack up on the Albany River in Ontario one year. I was sitting on the bank, just enjoying the sunshine when a Bull came out on the opposite shore. Approx 350 yards. Shot the Bull with the .338 and the first round got his attention. The second shot piled him up on the bank he was going up to get away. Both rounds were killing shots. But I've never shot a Bull that died instantly from one hit. They weren't all that hard to kill, they just didn't know they were dead.

Never had any issues with the durability of the finish either. Maybe it was just because they were an older model, I can't say. All I really cared about was that they worked every single time.

hydroholic · November 21, 2010, 05:13 PM

I use my Safari Mark II BAR in the .300 Win Mag with the BOSS system for shooting whitetails here in Fl and Al. I reload and shoot 180 gr Hornady Interbond and 165 gr Hornady SST. Not exactly moose, but they go down where they stand.

jgcoastie · November 21, 2010, 05:57 PM

I've been hunting with my BAR MkII Safari (w/ BOSS) in .30/06 for quite some time now. That rifle has hunted everything with me; hogs and whitetail in the southeast, elk and mulies in the Rockies, and more recently, blacktail, brown bear, caribou, and moose in Alaska.

The finish on both the wood and metal is none the worse for the wear. A few scratches are inevitable, but I've never been one to abuse my guns either.

Mine shoots MOA all day long. Thread position is ~4.5 for the BOSS, shooting 165gr SGK. Anyone that doesn't belive me is welcome to fly to Kodiak and prove me wrong. Until then, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.

I am left-eye dominant and mostly ambidextrous, so I shoot left-handed and I've never had a problem with flying brass.

I own 8 different Browning centerfire rifles, 3 Browning shotguns, and 4 Browning rimfires, one could say I like Brownings a bit....

BIGR:
Are you sure nothing was pressing upward on the bolt catch lever? It's on the right side of the receiver, towards the bottom, just behind the fore end. If anything is applying very much pressure at all (inadvertant thumb, sandbag, twig stuck in there, etc) it will turn a BAR into a single-shot. I'm thinking this could be your problem since the gunsmith shot it without incident. Give it a try and see what happens. Good luck.

BIGR · November 21, 2010, 08:46 PM

jgcoastie, Thanks for the suggestions. Nothing was pressing against the bolt catch lever because 2 different shots were at deer, shooting free handed. Just a good thing the first shot hit and I didn't need a second shot. Its just not fun carying a semi auto wondering if it will function ok when needed. I am sure there is some issue with the bolt catch lever or spring. I have been seriously thinking about letting another gunsmith look at it or sending it back to browning if the gunsmith can't figure it out. I really like that rifle as a deer gun and it is the best feeling one in my hands that I have.

Cowboy_mo · November 21, 2010, 10:00 PM

Can't answer your question about reliability or accuracy but the ones I have hefted convinced me I sure didn't want to carry it around all day

NWCP · November 22, 2010, 12:29 AM

My BAR is chambered for .338 Win Mag. It is a Belgium made ('74) rifle that is older than quite a few of the members on this site. It is reliable and accurate. Other than battle scars accumulated over the years in the field you'll find they hold up well.

LanceOregon · November 22, 2010, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Can't answer your question about reliability or accuracy but the ones I have hefted convinced me I sure didn't want to carry it around all day

The old BAR Safari rifles are really being phased out at Browning, in favor or the new updated BAR Shortrac and BAR Longtrac models. These rifles are significantly lighter than the old BAR Safari.

I cannot believe that this discussion went on for so many weeks, without any mention at all of the newer BAR models.

A BAR Shortrac in .308 Win weighs only 6 lbs 10 oz

cmdc · November 22, 2010, 09:27 AM

I bought a Lightweight Stalker because it has a synthetic stock, in 270 Win. Ironically, this 'lightweight' model is slightly heavier than the regular BAR. Go figure. Trigger is not bad at all. I have a BLR that has a significantly heavier trigger pull, but is a very quick-handling rifle.

OlCrip · November 22, 2010, 09:58 AM

I had replied earlier on but I've got to do it again. My .300 Win Mag model as well as the .338 Win Mag were not light rifles. Mine were both early 70's models and with the Redfield 2-7's I had on them brought the weight up some, to be sure. Never really considered them for my deer rifle use though. Not when I had a Win M100 Carbine, a couple of Win 94's and a Rem 740 to use. But seeing that light issue from Browning sure piques my interest again. I'm back in the market for a quick handling semi and one in .308 might just be the ticket.

cmdc · November 22, 2010, 11:49 AM

OlCrip,

The Lightweight Stalker in 308 is 7lb. 2oz. The Short Trac is 6lb. 10oz. I don't know what they weighed in the 70s, but they must have been put on a diet, because those listed weights are on par with most bolt guns now. My Lightweight Stalker in 270 win. handles very well.

October 21, 2010, 12:22 AM	#31
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	If I were to get a semi-auto hunting rifle it would be the BAR, probably an old one though. The BAR has long been THE semi-auto sporting rifle, Rem. is not in the same league. The new Benelli and Win. may be equal or even better, but I am a traditionalist and can't get over their looks. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

October 22, 2010, 07:51 AM	#34
OlCrip Member Join Date: October 11, 2010 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 68	BAR I've owned two. Bought them back in the early 70's. The first one was in .300 Winchester Magnum and the other was in .338 Winchester Magnum. They were my moose hunting rifles. Loved 'em both and both were very accurate. I never had any issues with either one. Hunted from a wood shack up on the Albany River in Ontario one year. I was sitting on the bank, just enjoying the sunshine when a Bull came out on the opposite shore. Approx 350 yards. Shot the Bull with the .338 and the first round got his attention. The second shot piled him up on the bank he was going up to get away. Both rounds were killing shots. But I've never shot a Bull that died instantly from one hit. They weren't all that hard to kill, they just didn't know they were dead. Never had any issues with the durability of the finish either. Maybe it was just because they were an older model, I can't say. All I really cared about was that they worked every single time. __________________ "It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen".... Oliver Wendell Holmes

November 21, 2010, 05:57 PM	#36
jgcoastie Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Kodiak, Alaska Posts: 2,118	I've been hunting with my BAR MkII Safari (w/ BOSS) in .30/06 for quite some time now. That rifle has hunted everything with me; hogs and whitetail in the southeast, elk and mulies in the Rockies, and more recently, blacktail, brown bear, caribou, and moose in Alaska. The finish on both the wood and metal is none the worse for the wear. A few scratches are inevitable, but I've never been one to abuse my guns either. Mine shoots MOA all day long. Thread position is ~4.5 for the BOSS, shooting 165gr SGK. Anyone that doesn't belive me is welcome to fly to Kodiak and prove me wrong. Until then, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. I am left-eye dominant and mostly ambidextrous, so I shoot left-handed and I've never had a problem with flying brass. I own 8 different Browning centerfire rifles, 3 Browning shotguns, and 4 Browning rimfires, one could say I like Brownings a bit.... BIGR: Are you sure nothing was pressing upward on the bolt catch lever? It's on the right side of the receiver, towards the bottom, just behind the fore end. If anything is applying very much pressure at all (inadvertant thumb, sandbag, twig stuck in there, etc) it will turn a BAR into a single-shot. I'm thinking this could be your problem since the gunsmith shot it without incident. Give it a try and see what happens. Good luck. __________________ "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." -Richard Henry Lee, Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights.

November 22, 2010, 09:58 AM	#42
OlCrip Member Join Date: October 11, 2010 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 68	I had replied earlier on but I've got to do it again. My .300 Win Mag model as well as the .338 Win Mag were not light rifles. Mine were both early 70's models and with the Redfield 2-7's I had on them brought the weight up some, to be sure. Never really considered them for my deer rifle use though. Not when I had a Win M100 Carbine, a couple of Win 94's and a Rem 740 to use. But seeing that light issue from Browning sure piques my interest again. I'm back in the market for a quick handling semi and one in .308 might just be the ticket. __________________ "It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen".... Oliver Wendell Holmes

October 20, 2010, 06:48 PM	#26
pythagorean Junior member Join Date: January 27, 2008 Posts: 970	Concerning recoil you have to remember one of my most favorite rifles is a Ruger No. 1 Tropical in .458 Lott. It is NOT an auto so I get the benefit of feeling it all! To me a rifle doesn't start recoiling until it hits the .338 Winchester level in a bolt or solid breech action. Recoil in the BAR is smooth.

October 20, 2010, 06:57 PM	#27
BILLDAVE Junior member Join Date: September 17, 2006 Location: In the Mid-West Posts: 321	I have a 30.06 Safari with the BOSS system and it is the most accurate rifle I own! Once you choose you ammo and dial it in, you are set. Make sure you lock-tite the number ring on the BOSS b/c it will move on you. BILLDAVE

October 20, 2010, 08:30 PM	#28
cmdc Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2010 Location: Florida Gulf Coast Posts: 721	I ordered a Lightweight Stalker in 270 Win. today. Can't wait to try it out. If I like it, which I am sure I will based on everything you guys have said, I may get one in 308 Win. or even 300 Win. Mag.

October 20, 2010, 08:52 PM	#29
ritepath Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,419	I've had mine for 15 years....common grade 270 beautiful but heavy. Accurate and I love this gun. Prior to getting this guy I switched rifles every few years...I've stuck with this guy and it's never failed me...ever.

October 20, 2010, 11:41 PM	#30
bigwrench Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Location: foot of the uintas Posts: 148	I hav a BAR in 300wm. I also have a m70 and ruger #1 in 300wm. I found the BAR recoil to be punishing in comparison to the other two rifles. But, also found it to be the most acurate of the three. I added 8 oz. of mercury to the stock and recoil is now tollarable. Now it it is punishung to carry.

October 21, 2010, 08:12 AM	#32
johnbt Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 6,004	My 78-year-old uncle called last night about his 1st year .30-06. A cousin had just called him to see if he would sell it and he wanted to know if I wanted it when he decides to let it go. Uh, yeah. It's been his deer gun since the day he bought it, except for the 7 years he used his brother-in-law's Marlin .444, and it's held up just fine finish-wise. No, I can't get the Marlin. His son isn't into guns and told him not to leave behind that mess of guns for him to take care of, sell off, whatever. I volunteered. This isn't a surprise because this is the uncle who gave me the Mountie in '63 and who I bought a Nylon 76 lever for some years ago. John

October 21, 2010, 09:32 AM	#33
cmdc Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2010 Location: Florida Gulf Coast Posts: 721	I looked at a used Benelli when I was at Cabela's yesterday. It was in good shape and had a $1059.00 or so price tag on it. I had never seen one before. They are very sleek and feel and point great. Probably better than the BAR. This one was in 300 W-something. I couldn't read whether it was magnum or short magnum on the tag. I might go back and look at it again. It'll probably be there for months.

November 21, 2010, 05:13 PM	#35
hydroholic Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2010 Posts: 135	I use my Safari Mark II BAR in the .300 Win Mag with the BOSS system for shooting whitetails here in Fl and Al. I reload and shoot 180 gr Hornady Interbond and 165 gr Hornady SST. Not exactly moose, but they go down where they stand.

November 21, 2010, 08:46 PM	#37
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,385	jgcoastie, Thanks for the suggestions. Nothing was pressing against the bolt catch lever because 2 different shots were at deer, shooting free handed. Just a good thing the first shot hit and I didn't need a second shot. Its just not fun carying a semi auto wondering if it will function ok when needed. I am sure there is some issue with the bolt catch lever or spring. I have been seriously thinking about letting another gunsmith look at it or sending it back to browning if the gunsmith can't figure it out. I really like that rifle as a deer gun and it is the best feeling one in my hands that I have.

November 21, 2010, 10:00 PM	#38
Cowboy_mo Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,039	Can't answer your question about reliability or accuracy but the ones I have hefted convinced me I sure didn't want to carry it around all day

November 22, 2010, 12:29 AM	#39
NWCP Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2006 Posts: 1,903	My BAR is chambered for .338 Win Mag. It is a Belgium made ('74) rifle that is older than quite a few of the members on this site. It is reliable and accurate. Other than battle scars accumulated over the years in the field you'll find they hold up well.

November 22, 2010, 09:27 AM	#41
cmdc Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2010 Location: Florida Gulf Coast Posts: 721	I bought a Lightweight Stalker because it has a synthetic stock, in 270 Win. Ironically, this 'lightweight' model is slightly heavier than the regular BAR. Go figure. Trigger is not bad at all. I have a BLR that has a significantly heavier trigger pull, but is a very quick-handling rifle.

November 22, 2010, 11:49 AM	#43
cmdc Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2010 Location: Florida Gulf Coast Posts: 721	OlCrip, The Lightweight Stalker in 308 is 7lb. 2oz. The Short Trac is 6lb. 10oz. I don't know what they weighed in the 70s, but they must have been put on a diet, because those listed weights are on par with most bolt guns now. My Lightweight Stalker in 270 win. handles very well.