The Browning BLR

[Texas270]

What does Rokslide think of these?

I handled a takedown model in .30-06 and fell in love.

Break my heart or support a future financial mistake. Give it to me straight!

 

[Taudisio]

Probably a touch harder to get the same accuracy you could achieve with a bolt action, mostly because browning resists all after market work. My gunsmith cusses about dealing with them about small parts all the time. Other than that, it should be a fine rifle. I wouldn’t mind owning one. Just know to work within its limits. If it’s a 200 yard rifle, it’s a 200 yard rifle and don’t fight it to push it beyond what it tells you.

 

[Steve300xcw]

They make em in a 22-250 and I need one.

Hope that helps

 

[Tmac]

I have an older BLR in 308. It handles very well, it shoots OK. I like how it feels. With favored ammo mine is a 300 yard max gun. YMMV.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Have a .308 and a .300 win mag, love the .308 not sure why I still have the win mag should probably let her go

 

[onlybrowning]

I’m a fan…but like the short actions. I’ve got a stainless .308 takedown being rebored to .338 Federal right now. I find myself grabbing a 2007 SHOT show stainless and camo .358win a few times each season. Selling a blued .243 Lightweight’81 now as I just replaced it with a Stainless Takedown. I only like the feel of the straight grip models.

 

[Chickenhawk]

I would pass there custom service is totally shit and there accuracy testing for that rifle is 50 yards I wasted money on two of them both had issues and they would not fix anything or help and told me if I didn’t like it to sell them

 

[thinhorn_AK]

They are cool guns, I had a friend awhile back who had one in 243 and used it as his sheep and goat rifle for 20 years or so. It was a stainless one with a straight grip.

 

[schmidty3]

Mine has a pretty brutal trigger and no clear path for remediation.

As much as I hate to say it. The Henry offering may be the play.

 

[Bado20]

I have one in 243, beautiful rifle with a very smooth action. Accuracy is worse than a bolt gun, mine is a 300 yard gun with ammo it likes. The trigger isn’t very good and they aren’t very easy to work on. I like the way mine handles, looks, and it’s been reliable. Mine is my whitetail rifle.

 

[haywoodhunter]

My dads got a 243 that I think I’ve probably shot more than him.

They’ve hit most of the points. Trigger isn’t great, not gonna shoot tiny groups most likely. But just feel “right” in the hand for some reason. I’d carry it for bears but for some reason he don’t want me dragging it around the thickets

 

[Yooper]

I've got a .358win which seems to have a 35.8lb trigger....but it's nostalgic to me so I hold onto it until someone comes along and makes an offer I can't refuse I guess.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Have always heard this guy https://neiljonescustomproducts.com/ was the blr trigger guru

 

[onlybrowning]

Have always heard this guy https://neiljonescustomproducts.com/ was the blr trigger guru

He was. Sadly, he recently passed away. I've come to accept that just like several other rifles (BAR, Remington 760/7600 come to mind), even with trigger work they are still nothing like a great bolt gun trigger. Of course I haven't experienced every person's work on these, but I've yet to see one that was truly a great trigger regardless of tinkering.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Mine I have viewed as brush/ timber guns, the triggers are both acceptable and I was getting like 1.5 moa 5 round groups which for 300 and in is acceptable

 

[jjordan355]

I have my grandpas 7 mag BLR. Beautiful gun. Triggers exceptionally heavy for my taste, groups decent if you can hold onto it to string a decent group together. Kicks like an ornery mule though. The model I have is difficult to shoot long range with because you can’t attach a bipod onto it or it use it very efficiently off of a tripod other than a bag. So it’s lay on the pack and shoot or shooting sticks.

 

[Texas270]

Are the triggers THAT bad? It almost sounds like a double action pistol trigger….

 

[Chase4566]

My dad has one in 308. No telling how old it is(maybe 80s model? Could be older). I shot my first deer with it back in the day. Has an OLD Tasco scope on it. Not sure if it’s a takedown or not. It’s inside a Skoal can accurate at 100yds and gets the job done. I’ve never really shot it for group size or stretched its legs. Maybe one day I will work up some handloads for it and see what it does. But, as it sits it is his old reliable that can come out of the safe after years of sitting and kill a critter.

Buddy of mine has one in 300wsm. He likes it, but the light weight has it kicking like a mule and the shorter barrel hamstrings it a bit. It shoots good enough though.

 

[jjordan355]

Are the triggers THAT bad? It almost sounds like a double action pistol trigger….

Coming from shooting bolt guns with triggertech and timney triggers, honestly to me yes they’re that bad lol.

 

[hand skills]

Yes, factory BLR triggers can be really heavy and creepy.

It's possible to take the sear linkage out without disassembling the whole action,

Polishing is tedious - my first BLR trigger job took me a whole day, but they go faster now.

With some time on the stones and a lighter sear spring I can get them breaking clean under 3lbs.

That helps accuracy a lot.

The slow lock time and hammer momentum is another challenge when it comes to shot placement.

In my experience BLRs can be quite accurate, they are not easy to shoot well and take some tuning is all