Info on Browning Safari Rifles, please

[Heavy-D]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking at purchasing an "older" (realitive term) Browning safari bolt-action rifle chambered in either .22-250 or .243. The rifles I'm looking at are of the late 60's and early/mid-70's vintage and I'm probably going to try to get one "NIB". I do intend to keep and yes, actually shoot the gun. I've done some research about these rifles, and I know that I need to make sure I get one that was not salt -cured, but I have a couple of other questions, and wonder if anyone can help me with them:

1) Are these good sub-moa shooters if I do my job? (I am a reloader)

2) Other than controll-round feed, is there a big advantage to getting one with a Sako action?

3) How are the triggers (assuming the gun is NIB or lightly used)?

Thank you all in advance for any feedback.

Best,

Heavy-D

 

[Powerglide]

Sub-moa prolly if you do your part.Sako actions are IMHO some of the best.Trigger on my L579 is adjustable and breaks like glass.Browning should have stayed with them.Get it, you will not be sorry.

 

[Heavy-D]

Thanks. Can you tell me what "L579" referres to?

Heavy-D

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I have an FN Mauser receiver version of the High Power Safari rifle and have found scope mounting to be problematic given the physical mounting of the rings and the swing of the bolt handle. It's doable and in fact done on mine but the options for scopes and rings after the fact is limited.

 

[Jimro]

The FN manufactured Browning Safari's were good rifles, but never particularly noted for exceptional accuracy with factory barrels (nor were they noted for being inaccurate). However if you shoot slowly you should be just fine. If you get a rebarreled rifle, all bets are off on accuracy.

Jimro

 

[Smith357]

First thing is the Browning Safari is a hunting rifle not a target rifle, yes it is possible to get sub MOA from some of them, but expect groups just over 1 MOA even with well crafted handloads. The advantage of the Mauser actions over the Sako actions is the same advantages the Mauser has over all the others it is very robust, it has an excellent safety, plenty of spare parts, and you don't have to chamber a round to extract it. The triggers are good but not any better than any other quality hunting rifle.


This is the best I could coax out of my 1947 FN Mauser that later became the Safari with meticulous hand loading. Right at 1 MOA it wont win any BR matches but should kill large game without much problem.

 

[Heavy-D]

Thanks Smith357. I do have out of the box hunting rifles that are sub-moa (with factory fodder) but they are newer (mid-90's vintage) so I'm thinking the technology was nowhere near as good back in the day of the late 60's early 70's vintage Brownings I'm looking at. Your comment pretty much goes in line with the idea that these "old" Brownings may not be tack-drivers.

I do have a mid-1990's A-bolt chamberd in .243 that is absolutely deadly accurate.

Best,

Heavy-D