Browning Lever

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BikerRN

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Howdy all.

I'm in search of a .300 Win Mag and instead of a bolt was looking at the Browning. Anybody know anything them? I'm considering one for longer distance shooting in hunting situations, 500 yards, on game like Elk, Moose, Black Bear, and Caribou.

I've always been of the opinion that bolt actions are more accurate, but I haven't confirmed that by testing two rifles of the same caliber in each platform. I like the portability of the Lever Action and have hunted with a .243 Lever Action years ago.

I already have a bolt action .308 Scout Rifle as my main hunting rifle, but want something else for specialized situations. Thanks in advance for your help.

Biker
 
I had one of the Brownings in .308, it did give up a slight edge in accuracy but for hunting it was more accurate than it needed to be, only place you would notice is off the bench. The short lever throw is very fast, they scope nicely and you can use a peep with a nice long sight radius if you choose irons. The detachable mag allows for fast loading and unloading when in camp or crossing obstacles. I would recommend one fully.
 
I've got high praises for the BLR...never had one in .300 Winchester Magnum however. This steel frame one is a .243.

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If I was going to go for 500 yard shots at critters (I don't attempt hunting at that distance) I'd prefer my .300 magnum to be a bolt action.

Remington 700 .300 Win. Mag.

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My 22/250 was MOA with factory Remington ammo. The .358Win I had was almost as good, but it was no fun off the bench.

The BLR is a solid rifle. It's really just a bolt gun with a lever. Whether you can make hits with it at 500 yards is up to you. When you can put a magazine full into a paper plate at that distance, you'll be ready to go.
 
The BLR has locking lugs which cam into place, unlike other lever actions. Mine is a 308 and is more accurate than I. Unlike other levers also, the BLR has a detachable mag. And unlike the Winchester, you can mount a scope. Finally, the BLR's trigger drops with the lever. I'd sometimes pinch my hand with my Marlin and Winchester. The BLR avoids that.

Oh, did I mention it's light? With an old style Redfield 1 3/4 to 5 Widefield scope, mine weighs a tad over six pounds.
 
I in no way am trying to insult you, but why does everyone have to have a rifle to shoot at game @ 500 yards? Just because it can? I guess I've never understood this penchant, because the bear is 500 yards out allows you to shoot at it? Why not try to be a "hunter" and get closer to the game you're after? Just my honest opinion Biker.
 
I in no way am trying to insult you, but why does everyone have to have a rifle to shoot at game @ 500 yards? Just because it can? I guess I've never understood this penchant, because the bear is 500 yards out allows you to shoot at it? Why not try to be a "hunter" and get closer to the game you're after? Just my honest opinion Biker.
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Because in wide open country without much cover that might be as close as one can get.
 
I had a .308 BLR and it was a great little lever gun. I regret selling it very much. I would think that in a .300 Win Mag the recoil is going to be pretty bad.
 
I have a .308 take down. The one extra box mag I have does not old the ammo well and can cause a feed issue. Also if you want to use ballistic tips, at least in .308 some are too long to feed well.

I use mine as a shorter range stalking gun. I have EER 2X scope mounted forward on the barrel not the receiver. It is light easy to carry and a good pointer for stalking white tail in heavy woods or hog hunting. Love it for those types of conditions.

If I was going to shoot at 500 yards I too would use a bolt action. If you want fast cycling look at the Weatherby Mark Vs the have only a 54 degree bolt rotation and are very smooth. The BLR is not as fast to cycle when it needs a long action cartridge.
 
788Ham said:
I in no way am trying to insult you, but why does everyone have to have a rifle to shoot at game @ 500 yards? Just because it can? I guess I've never understood this penchant, because the bear is 500 yards out allows you to shoot at it? Why not try to be a "hunter" and get closer to the game you're after? Just my honest opinion Biker.
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I agree 100%

DM
 
Make sure to shoulder one before buying (which is good advice for any rifle), they have always felt like shouldering a 2x4 to me. Also the gear mechanism is prone to jambing if you get much gunk in it, making it less reliable than most other levers (if this is a consideration). Other than those nit picky details I don't see much else wrong with them.

:)
 
788Ham said:
I in no way am trying to insult you, but why does everyone have to have a rifle to shoot at game @ 500 yards? Just because it can? I guess I've never understood this penchant, because the bear is 500 yards out allows you to shoot at it? Why not try to be a "hunter" and get closer to the game you're after? Just my honest opinion Biker.
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Not everyone does have to have one, but there are some that do.

I used to deer hunt in open plains country that had very sparse vegetation. Any movement could be seen for hundreds of yards. The way to hunt this area was to scout it out in daylight, pick a spot with cover (downed trees, etc.), get there before first light and still hunt. Get up and move around, the deer would stay 500+ yards away from you.

My brother got his last deer here at a laser range finder measured 406 yards with his 30-06. We had calculated bullet drop up to 500 yards and he was able to plug him with one shot. He could not have gotten closer because of the terrain.

Dan
 
bergmen,

Yes, yes, I understand what you're saying, I've hunted antelope in Eastern Colorado too, not much in the way of hiding items there either. My point being: I know of guys who've hunted elk for years, have used their trusty Remchesters, in whatever caliber they thought best. THEN, a .300 Whatever comes into play, their thinking, "Now "I" can start making those 500 yard shots too!" As you stated, your brother shot a deer at 406 yards, good for him, nice shot, however, how many other guys do you know that can/could pull of that shot? If a lot of hunters can't hit squat at 250 yards with a .270, what makes them think they can now hit anything with a .300 Whatever at 500 yards? Like my Pop maintained for many years, "The guns no better than the man behind it!" A lot of hunters in the woods are totally over gunned, waaaaay too much gun for their shooting abilities!
 
788Ham said:
bergmen,

Yes, yes, I understand what you're saying, I've hunted antelope in Eastern Colorado too, not much in the way of hiding items there either. My point being: I know of guys who've hunted elk for years, have used their trusty Remchesters, in whatever caliber they thought best. THEN, a .300 Whatever comes into play, their thinking, "Now "I" can start making those 500 yard shots too!" As you stated, your brother shot a deer at 406 yards, good for him, nice shot, however, how many other guys do you know that can/could pull of that shot? If a lot of hunters can't hit squat at 250 yards with a .270, what makes them think they can now hit anything with a .300 Whatever at 500 yards? Like my Pop maintained for many years, "The guns no better than the man behind it!" A lot of hunters in the woods are totally over gunned, waaaaay too much gun for their shooting abilities!
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Oh, I agree completely. Some of this attitude was promoted by a number of the gun rags that glorified the "long shot" with high powered magnums. Many who read these thought they could make attempts to brag about, bagging a trophy at previously unheard of ranges. This coupled with fancy scopes with bullet drop marks out to 500 yards, improved long range ammo and inexpensive laser range finders, etc.

Now, I'm much more into local hunting in brush and timber covered National Forests with my trusty lever actions with open sights (100-150 yards maximum).

Dan
 
788Ham said:
bergmen,

Yes, yes, I understand what you're saying, I've hunted antelope in Eastern Colorado too, not much in the way of hiding items there either. My point being: I know of guys who've hunted elk for years, have used their trusty Remchesters, in whatever caliber they thought best. THEN, a .300 Whatever comes into play, their thinking, "Now "I" can start making those 500 yard shots too!" As you stated, your brother shot a deer at 406 yards, good for him, nice shot, however, how many other guys do you know that can/could pull of that shot? If a lot of hunters can't hit squat at 250 yards with a .270, what makes them think they can now hit anything with a .300 Whatever at 500 yards? Like my Pop maintained for many years, "The guns no better than the man behind it!" A lot of hunters in the woods are totally over gunned, waaaaay too much gun for their shooting abilities!
Click to expand...
I too agree with this.

I'm well aware of my capabilities, and right now, without practice, would not take a shot past 300 Yards. Over the summer my intent is to practice a bit and get used to shooting longer ranges and work on my wind reading abilities and ranging. The gun has the capability. I need to work up to the gun.

BikerRN
 
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I have a BLR 81 in 308. It's my favorite go to hunting rifle. I have a friend that has the BLR lighting, (curved grip) in 300 mag. The recoil was enough to make him start to flinch. A local smith put a muzzle break that reduced the recoil greatly.
 
May want to consider the advise attention to the gentleman suggesting ya shoulder one, before buying. Even the short action 308 has quite a long length of pull. Some of the longer calibers have a longer action, though am not sure of the 300 win mag. Had the stock on my 308 cut down, and got used to the bolt being close to my face, when levering in another round. Other than that it is a lightweight and accurate (first 3 rounds).
 
If I shoot all 4 rounds of .308 from my BLR in succession the first two group on the bull and the second two an inch away at 2 o'clock. What you would expect from a light weight, relatively short barrel hunting rifle.

The short barrel is another reason you may want to reconsider the .300 mag. Even with the .308 I get one hell of a muzzle flash, so some of the powder is going to waste.
 
I have 3 BLRs, .243, .284 and .358. The .284 is by far the best all around caliber. The only trouble is the ammo is hard to find.

My dad has the BLR in 308 and hunts with it steady. He has no problem with moose, bear or deer with it.
 
I really want a BLR in .308. I think they are great looking and I love lever actions!
 
Get one in 300 WSM or 358 instead. The short action BLR handles fine. For some reason the extra length necessary transforms the long action BLR into a clumsy 2x4. It's a night and day difference.
 
I have a BLR w/ pistol grip in 300 WSM. Just a great all around rifle. MOA Accurate, and the recoil is very manageable. I think that's because it fits me so well. It has a nice length of pull that fits a tall guy. Even with a 4-12x Leupold on it, the gun feels fairly light and retains its maneuverability. Not sure about the whole 500yrd capability, as that isn't my kind of hunting, but I'm sure it could do it.
 
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