Opinion Needed

After these past two weeks I will be in the market for a new rifle. I was looking at the Browning A-Bolt Composite Stocker. Anybody have any positive or negative feedback?

I have an older A-Bolt in a hunter model. For the first few years I was ready to toss it in the garbage can. I shot nearly every manufacture’s bullet and loads through it with crappy results. After working up a hand load with a Barnes TSX 130 grn bullet (.270), I’m very pleased with it. The target pic is a group shot off of my test bench at 200 yrds when I did my “re-test” of the load for duplication.

My two gripes with the Browning. 1. options of after market stocks. I want to drop this into a thumbhole and i have limited options. 2. The lands in the chamber is very deep compared to all my other other rifles. (this is what contributed to the poor performance of manufactured ammo) My hand loads just barely fit into the removeable magazine-so I need to pay close attention to loading the mags. Other than that, I’ve killed a lot of deer with it.

I received one as a gift a few years ago. Being a lifelong Remington shooter I was not sure if i would like it. After giving it a chance the last few seasons I’ve really started to like it. It comes up better and just feels better in my hands than my remington’s. I don’t have anything Negative to say about it. Mine is in 270 WSP cal. Not real sure how happy I’ve been with that Cal. I’ve tried several loads the last few seasons and just can not find one that either knocks the deer down or leaves much of a blood trail. I think I’m just using it in shots way closer than the round is intended for. I have recovered every deer hit with it. But its only because I was able to hear them fall. One of this years deer only went 50 yards or so but there was only blood the last 5 or so yards near where it dropped. I would give the A bolt a serious look. I think you will be real happy with it.

I was thinking 270 or 7mm as well so that really helps. I really like the thumb hole stock. Randy, Whered you pick that up at?

They are a fine rifle. Kind of ugly in my opinion and have a pretty common built barrel.

I’ve been a huge fan of Kimber over the last few years. They are using a better built barrel and out grouping show it.

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I was thinking 270 or 7mm as well so that really helps. I really like the thumb hole stock. Randy, Whered you pick that up at?

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This is the one I’m ordering. Its identical to the one I have on a HOWA 22-250 and love the fit. I’m a woodworker, so I’m very comfortable with making any modifications that I need to. The Boyd stocks may need a little shave and sanding for a final fit. Also, if your spending the money on a new stock, add the little extra to have a gunsmith pillar and glass it. Well worth the extra money if you want top consistency. BOYD STOCKS

I’m a fan of the H-S Precision line of stocks. When we feel the need to put a after-market stock on our rifles, this is who we choose to supply us.

https://www.hsprecision.com/shop2/

Of course like Randy I’ve hardly ever been happy with a stock rifle. Trigger work/replacement, stock work/replacement and even barrel work/replacement. Some rifles are better than others and don’t need all this work. Others need it all. When we are done, it’s pretty much custom built. The action is the only stock part left.

Of course few stock rifles I know of can shoot sub-MOA groups at 300+ yards.

Sure they kill big game just fine and are probably accurate enough at that range. But we like tack driving rifles and long range precision shooting.

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After these past two weeks I will be in the market for a new rifle. I was looking at the Browning A-Bolt Composite Stocker. Anybody have any positive or negative feedback?

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Now I’ve got a 30-06 A-bolt Hunter that I’d be willing to part with…
Nothing bad with the gun, but I just ordered a Sendero to play around with.