How do the Browning AB3, Tikka T3 Lite, and Weatherby Vanguard compare

[brd922001]

My Browning were AB1-2. All were good rifles and if you decide on one you will serve you well. I must say I have owned more Browning brand riles than any other. I do not own a single one now. Not that I don't like them, I just found my true love....TIKKA.

 

[Litehiker]

Idaho,
I agree with you on Browning's good engineering and (Japanese) quality. I have an A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in .300 Win mag and it is very accurate - 1/2 MOA is common with premium brands and my hand loads. Love its 3 lug bolt and consequent short bolt lift. MarineTex glass and pillar bedding in both the plastic stock and the neat laminated thumbhole stock have helped shrink the groups, as does the BOSS muzzle brake.

God help Browning if they farm ANYTHING out to the Chinese.

 

[idaho elk hunter]

It's not that they are slow. It's that the chamber design has a different pressure engagement. When compared to a standard leade, the Tikka will produce less pressure, therefore adding more powder to get the pressure up can result in higher than expected velocities with pressure equal to a standard leade with a standard load. Make sense?

This explains why you see guys reloading for Tikka's ending up with higher powder charges (a grain or two) than normal max when working up their hand loads.

This is my point exactly. There is ALOT of people denying this on this forum. You will get lower velocity's due to lower pressures. If you reload you can more than overcome this. It is Tikkas type of freebore. I have had several of these and have ALWAYS seen a drop in velocity. Reloading you can push them higher. Most reloaders push the pressures to higher than factory loadings until they hit pressure signs and then back off to be safe. The factory ammo is less than the conservative SAMMI maximum. Lawyers have a lot to do with this. Facts are facts. Tikkas are slower all things considered. I do not know if it makes that much of a difference. The animal is dead at the end of the day.

 

[Tikkamike]

all 3 are solid options. The statement about tikkas suffering in the velocity department I believe to be false. there are fast and slow barrels. I have a couple of tikkas that are crazy fast and a tikka has the best bore of any of them. Anyone who has looked at a few barrels through a bore scope can attest to this. They are very accurate also.

That Browning is a well built nicely finished accurate rifle I own a couple and love them.

The weatherby I have seen good and bad just like most manufacturers but in large part they are great shooters too. They lack in aesthetic appeal and are a little heavier than the other 2 options. I honestly dont think you can go wrong with any of the 3. those are probably the top 3 choices for me other than I would throw the sako a7 in there which I actually like a little better than my tikkas.