Ah- I'd still trade her in on Missus Boss, Mick...
Hands down the Browning A-Bolt. Great rifles, accurate and are well built. IMHO, the reason the M70's went under is because they were built poorly and virtually every one of them had horrible triggers. So much so I called them and spoke with them and the guy on the other line agreed with me and said the "Powers to Be" would not put a dime part in but would stay with a nickle part. They didn't care just so they made a ton of money on each of them. Too bad for them and lucky for us there were a bunch of great rifles hitting the mark in quality triggers and accuracy like the A-bolt and Tikka's, etc. Revolutionizing the industry to quality guns at affordable prices. Not buy it just for the name and we're the only game in town. It's a big world, they just didn't realize it til it was too late.
I got my drawing prize won X-bolt in .270 Winchester and haven't fired it yet. I'm thinking about shooting cast right out the gate with it and see how well Browning has done on their barrel finish.
I've never shot .270 in cast yet, and have had a new RCBS mold for 10 years now. Bout' time I get with the program...
I have a Tikka T3 in 223 with a 1 in 8" twist Bbl. I had put a deposit on a SS Camo Remington700, but my mate's world collapsed around him and begged me to buy it. I bought it and paid about $50 off new price, he had run 10 shots through it running the Bbl in.
I wasn't very impressed with it at first as I really love Remington 700s (I have 4, 270, 300WM, 375H&H and a 308 Tactical) and was a bit disappointed. I have grown to love it though, the bolt is as slick as frogsnot, it is scary accurate and the plastic mags are hell for stout and smoother than any metal magazine I have ever had. I bought a spare 6 shot mag for it and am very happy with it.
"I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.
"Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."
SASS Life Member No 82047
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/
Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'
From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."
You pretty well summed up my impression on a Tika rifle. Not much to look at. Just like a Savage and many other rifles. You like them best when they have there buttock up against your shoulder.
Black synthetic stocks of any brand, IMHO, need a paint job. Black is for bad guys to match there black hats. I used to like an earth tone but since we went to war in the sand box half a lifetime ago earth tone has become imprinted into our minds as a military camouflage color scheme. Anything but black.
Think I’ll pick up a nice hardwood single gun rack to place over my front door and hang my prettiest rifle on.
Then place the one I like to shoot in my trunk.
Most of my go to hunting rifles wear black stocks now. The Tikka has a wooden stock, but the Remingtons are mostly black. They are all black phosphate finish. I don't like the look of the black stocks on a stainless rifle. Gone right off stainless. To each his own.
"I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.
"Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."
SASS Life Member No 82047
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/
Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'
From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."
I think the Tikka T3 is the best production rifle on the market. It is the only one that doesnt need to be blueprinted and lapped from the factory.
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
i wonder how many pounds of venison a short mag would put in the freezer before the barrel burned out. Id about bet youd have to ask your grandson to get the answer. Ive got mag rifles in about every caliber from 257 wby to 8mag and have killed a pile of deer with them and still havent wore out a barrel. barrel life may be a consern with a varmit gun or an ar15 but i doubt theres to many of us that wear out hunting rifles.
Finally got to shoot this puppy weekend before last. Walked 5 shots in to zero at 50, then the next 5 clustered one ragged hole at 100. 32grs mil surp 4895 and a 130gr Sierra boat tail. Winchester standard rifle primer, light lee factory crimp and .020 off the lands.
I've never had a rifle with a bolt so smooth, that shot with the first load I poured on the bench right out of the box like that. Well it is a 270.
It also came squeaky clean with about 4 patches of Ballistol between groups.
No bad for a $10 rifle ey?
....
Last edited by PatMarlin; 07-31-2011 at 10:40 AM.
Truth be told I would have never bought myself that rifle as it's just out of my price range for that kind of purpose, but I don't think someone would be unhappy with buying one. That's for sure.
The balance and handling characteristics are really nice also. Anyone need a nice presentation case? Solid hard wood and brass? Hand crafted by a fine wood shop in our county.
If they were making Winchester 70 like they were supposed to .......... that would be one thing but they are NOT!
A vintage 70 is a rifle to share for generations not the current product.
I traded for a A-Bolt with Boss in .25-06 ........ a black on black rifle for a tractor gun.
The rifle is going to get a trigger job as this is basically a coyote rifle.
But even with the 3.25 # trigger that's gritty ........... it's shooting lights out!!!
Every handload I have tried has milked out to a .6-.8" group ......... I can't find a poor load!!! And a further bonus is that all of these loads have been right just barely below max!!!
I like the Browning tang safety far better than the Savage ..... and I'm a Savage fan if not only for their accuracy but their "buildability".
Three 44s
Well Three44's what don't you like about the FN M70?
Only complaint I've herard is about the trigger.
I owned one Browning A bolt, but for some reason I just could never really warm up to it. It shot OK, and worked OK ( it was an early 25 WSSM so it didn't feed perfectly) but I didn't have it too long. I would take the Winchester new controlled round model 70 in a heartbeat, even if it had to be tinkered on a bit.
Doc, I did'nt vote for either one. Nothing against the M70 but I've had some not so great luck with Brownings. I am a Kimber guy as they have a near clone of the M70 action and my 7-08 is my favorite. I have loaded ammo for and shot a friends 243 and it is a beautiful rifle that shoots great as well. They don't make them in the WSSM. When you start rounding up cases, dies and bullets for it, it it is pretty hard to improve on the 243 Win. The latest is a Kimber Hunter with a synthetic stock that is more affordable with the same barrel and action as the more expensive one. I have also shot a few Tikka's sighting them in for friends and they shoot lights out with not a single hiccup with feed and function. Good luck, lots of options. Please let us know what you wind up with.
Last edited by murf205; 06-02-2020 at 10:22 AM.
IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us! The more I travel, the more I like right where I am.
+1 for the Tikka T3. Nothing wrong with the Abolt or current m70- but I like these better.
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BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |