Long Range Browning BAR?

[Mostly Tailfeathers]

I have always liked the look of the Browning BAR. I have never owned one but have always considered it to be a classic north American hunting rifle. I know the accuracy can't really be compared to the long range bolt action rifles but what accuracy should a hunter expect with good factory ammo at 300 yds? Thanks, MT

 

[Len Backus]

Love your user name!

 

[Deleted member 115654]

If you get a 7mm Mag with a BOSS you can expect most ammo to shoot sub moa.

You will give up some velocity due to the effective bbl length of 20".

I have had BARs and sold them as I find the Benelli R1 to be a better handling rifle. My 300 winmag will shoot 3 in 3/4" with a worked up handload that pushes a 165 Accubond @3100 and kills very well.

However if you plan to shoot past 500 yards, IMO, you are better off with a rifle designed around those criteria. No shortage of rifles that qualify <$1500.

 

[Mostly Tailfeathers]

Love your user name!

Thanks, Big Gene Hill fan!

 

[MtnTrax]

My 06 and 300 win both shoot sub MOA with factory 180s

 

[Mostly Tailfeathers]

Thanks for the info guys, That really sounds like pretty good accuracy from a factory semi-auto.

 

[Clark]

I have built BAR pressure regulators from scratch and I have modified regulators.

Much easier to modify a $12 part.

With an FAL one can tune the gas bypass with a turn of a knob. This adjusts the rifle to the ammo. Enough gas to operate without jamming[small enough bypass hole], not so much gas the bolt hammers the frame [big enough bypass hole]. The recoil buffer helps a little with frame hammering. Check out the condition of that part.

But a BAR regulator is fixed. I like to load really hot [11 gr more H4350 for 140gr than Hodgdon says is max], and tune the rifle to the ammo.

The regulator in a BAR is just a 9/16-24 ultra fine thread bolt with a hole in
it. If FALs have adjustable by pass gas, BARs have fixed jets.

It is easier to modify a different cartridge regulator than to fabricate a regulator from a piece of steel. I have done both. [Look for a lack of bluing to spot the one I fabricated from scratch]

a) 7mm Mag is .066" hole
b) 300 Mag is .077" hole [p/n B3176146]
c) 338 Mag is .059" hole
d) My home made is .078" hole
e) recoil buffer [p/n B3176065]

 

[Len Backus]

Thanks, Big Gene Hill fan!

For the record......

Books by Gene Hill include:

• A Hunter's Fireside Book (1972)
• Mostly Tailfeathers (1975)
• Hill Country (1978)
• A Gallery of Waterfowl and Upland Birds (1978)
• The Whispering Wings of Autumn (1981)
• Tears and Laughter (1981)
• Outdoor Yarns & Outright Lies (1983)
• A Listening Walk...and Other Stories (1985)
• Shotgunner's Notebook (1989)
• Sunlight & Shadows (1990)
• Just Mutts (1996)
• Passing a Good Time (1996)

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I never had any issues getting 3/4 MOA from a 270 and a 338 BAR with good factory ammo. Never did handload for either of them. I think with good handloads, you may squeeze it down to 1/2 MOA. Even consistent 3/4 MOA is still good out to 800 yards. Guys in our camp have killed plenty of elk at 500-800 yards with BAR 300 Win Mags.

 

[Mostly Tailfeathers]

Mr. Clark, thanks for the info, just afraid most of that is way beyond my gunsmithing skills. Remingtonman 25-06, (another underrated classic), Thanks for the reply, I've had several folks tell me they couldn't get them to shoot better than 3-4 inch groups at 100yds. but thought there was no reason for them to shoot much better than that.

 

[johnnyk]

I've only shot 4-5 BAR's and that was for other guys. I had two (.308 & .270WSM) in that initially shot pretty bad (4-5" @ 100yds) with factory ammo and reloads. They both were dirty, as in never been cleaned!
The .308 I got down to 1.5-2.0" (with reloads) and gave it back to the owner but suggested he take it to a competent gunsmith or send it to Browning. Turns out it had something broken/cracked internally. I asked about it a little later on and the owner said it's shooting great now. Drilling it. (?) Not sure what that means to him.
The .270 Short Mag had a small burr on the crown. Owner is in a deer hunting club that uses hounds and usually carries it with the barrel pointed down in the floor of his truck. From my own experiences with this form of Southern "hunting", things tend to get a little hectic and trucks slide and bounce a bit trying to "get a head of the dogs".
After I cleaned up the crown it settled right down and shot .5 MOA and better. I never could match the velocities sited in the manuals with the few reload recipes I tried but he shoots factory ammo anyway. The Browning BXR ammo he uses shot really good (3 under 1/2") afterwards and velocity was very close to what the box stated. He said he had 12 boxes, so off he and the rifle went.
The BAR is a solid rifle but I'm just not a semi-automatic guy.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

I shoot my 06 Safari to 550 pretty regularly. On a dead calm day It will hold about moa with my handloads, shoots factory ammo the 1.5 Ish, wind pushes the 150-180s around a bit.

I would have no issue shooting a deer at 300 with one.

 

[Stammster]

My 270 Win BAR shoots Hornady American Whitetail 130 gr factory Ammo around 0.75 MOA and always less than 1 MOA at 100 yds. Best reloaded ammo around 0.5-0.6 MOA.

 

[Bravo 4]

I don't care what kind/type/make/model rifle it is, if it has precision and you are accurate with it then go kill stuff!
Personally if I had a good shooting (with the ammo I wanted) BAR in .300 WM I would reach for it almost every time I hit the woods for hunting; be it deer, elk, or bear.