Browning BLR .358 - Thanks folks

[Tony65x55]

After the good advice of the folks here on this thread I broke down and purchased a new Browning BLR. What a pretty firearm. Beautifully made too. Our nasty Canadian winter has made range time iffy but yesterday I braved the elements and took her to the range to fire her first group. After a good bore sighting I fired two shots for sighters and then hunkered down to a four shot group (I couldn't fire anymore, my finger was freezing to the trigger.) Check out the target:

http://s987.photobucket.com/albums/ae357/Tony65x55/?action=view&current=358BLRTargetjpg.jpg&newest=1

100 yards, 20 mph wind, sub-zero temps.

42 grains of IMR-3031 under a 245 grains Saeco flat nose boolit, ACWW.

Thanks for the great advice folks. This BLR is a keeper.

Tony

[dubber123]

Wow, thats hard to take for a first group in nasty weather huh?

[NickSS]

ditto that is a good shooting rifle and it should do the trick for anything you are liable to hunt in Canada.

[Tony65x55]

Wow, thats hard to take for a first group in nasty weather huh?

It does tend to lift one's winter spirits a wee bit. Zero load development and harsh conditions for precision shooting and it still produces like that. I'm impressed with the gun and grateful for the guidance I received here. Another thing, it may have been numbness but the recoil seemed much less than from my Savage 99 .358 with the same load.

[Tony65x55]

ditto that is a good shooting rifle and it should do the trick for anything you are liable to hunt in Canada.

In my hunting areas, ranges tend to be fairly short and the terrain is swampy. You want to anchor them right in their hoofprints or they'll lead you a merry chase through the swamp. We also have some pretty big moose and black bears. The .358 Win is great in those conditions and the big Saeco boolit drops 'em right there.

I figure when all the critters come out to look at this pretty BLR and admire it, I can just take the one I want. The only thing is that this BLR is so beautifully finished I'd hate to scratch it up. Our hunting area is rough on finishes.

[Southern Son]

Good shooting. Any idea of how fast they are going? I would love to get a BLR in .358Win, but they are made out of gold or something over here (so you would think when looking at the price of a second hand one). Also like your Marlin 35Rem. I saw that there were alright prices on these in Oz a few months ago and did not know why, untill I looked into brass (There is none) and loaded ammo (apparently made of gold also).

[Tony65x55]

Good shooting. Any idea of how fast they are going? I would love to get a BLR in .358Win, but they are made out of gold or something over here (so you would think when looking at the price of a second hand one). Also like your Marlin 35Rem. I saw that there were alright prices on these in Oz a few months ago and did not know why, untill I looked into brass (There is none) and loaded ammo (apparently made of gold also).

I'm guessing around 2100 fps. It is just a starting load and I should be able to work it up to 2300-2400 fps. They aren't a cheap rifle but then, they are very nicely made and the quality you are paying for is evident when you hold it in your hands.

My little .35 Remington is a sweetheart too and thanks for your kind words. I'm waiting on a higher front sight for it to start load development. I've accumulated 120 brass for it and that should last a while. I had to look hard too but it's out there and I'm sure it is in Oz too. Of course, that's what makes it unique and special. If you can find one, grab it. The rest will come.

I'm looking forward to going back to Oz in September for a pig hunt. This will be my second trip there. Beautiful country, beautiful people, great beer!

[Southern Son]

Where are you going chasing the grunters?

[Tony65x55]

I believe it is a little north west of Brisbane. My previous trip was for feral goats in the Flinders Ranges.

[S.R.Custom]

...Another thing, it may have been numbness but the recoil seemed much less than from my Savage 99 .358 with the same load.

I don't have a BLR here at the present time to take a measurement, but I think the Savage has more drop in the stock. This would account for more perceived recoil.

[Tony65x55]

I understand and I think you're probably on the money. There is less than 1/2 lb difference between the two guns so I figured it must be the stock configuration, although both are a straight grip. It simply caught me by surprise as I am used to the .358 giving you a pretty good thump with the 245 gr bullet. It was a pleasant surprise though.

I'm really taken by this BLR. Everything about it exudes quality. Browning did a nice job with this rifle. While the BLR may be on the expensive side of lever guns, you certainly get what you pay for.

[JDL]

Tony, congrats on your rifle! Now, I don't tell everyone this but, since you're family I'll make an exception. The most fun you can have without breaking the law is loading up your .358 with Lyman's 358156 and 10-12 grains of Unique. All day fun, no recoil at all, and it's almost free, what's not to like.
JDL

[Tony65x55]

Thanks JDL. Seeing as how we're related, I can tell you I've been shooting that boolit, sized .360, in my Savage 99 .358 for about 25 years. I use 7-8 grains of Bullseye, no filler, and it shoots great. As you say, it's like shooting .22's price-wise and after about 1,000 shots (one pound of powder) you get really good with that firearm. No barrel wear, no gun wear, no shoulder wear, and when that great big bambi walks out at 75 yards, you've fired 1,000 plus practice loads in the last year and he's dead meat of the hoof. I do it in all my larger centerfires.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Tony65, nice rifle and great shooting, +1 on the practice makes for good shooting:mrgreen:

[Southern Son]

Goodluck with the Grunters. When did you hit the Flinders in South Australia? I lived out at Broken Hill (Far western NSW) and got to do a little bit of goat shooting while there. Most of it was culling (even got told by a farmer to get myself a .243Win so he could supply the ammo). But about a year after I got there they opened a wild game abattoir and all of a sudden the goats were worth more money than the sheep. On the up side I was still allowed to shoot foxes and rabbits when I wanted. It is beautiful country, but not fun to be hunting on foot in Summer.

[Tony65x55]

I was in the Flinders five years ago. Stayed on a ranger station and culled goats and Euros, foxes, cats and bunnies (LOL, your folks didn't believe me when I told them our rabbits don't live in holes.) I was provided with a .25-06 Tikka with a 3-10x Shepherd tactical scope and I fired a LOT of ammo. When the rangers found out we were there for three days they asked up to help them out and gave us 200 tags for the Euros. The best fun was trapping a herd of goats on a cliff face at 350 yards. Got 'em all. I'm looking forward to the pig hunt. You folks have a lot of big varmints, we just have groundhogs and coyotes in Ontario.