1st problem with my Browning A Bolt Varmint Stalker

howler

howler

New member
I have been having good luck with my New Browning Varmint Stalker, I have only been shooting plastic tipped Bullets, V max's and the Blitzking's. Today I was going to try and work up some loads for Berger's 35 grain Flat Based Hollow Point, this bullet is not plastic tipped of course, So I loaded up some shells that I hoped would shoot tiny groups and set the COL to a modest 2.365, becasue of the magazine length, the COL can only be 2.400,
I tried to jack one in from the magazine and no go. it will not chamber. I can force it and when I do the COL shrinks down to 2.240 give or take a thousanth, apparently the metal nose of this bullet hits somewhere in there and will not chamber unless the COL is pretty short. It works OK when I hand feed the shell single shot. (Or when I use the polymer tipped bullets), But I don't want a single shot especially for coyote hunting. I am going to give Browning a call and ask them whats the scoop,
any of you got any Idea's /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angry-smiley-055.gif
 
Howler i got the same problem with my savage 204 it will load the plastic tipped bullets good but im shooting winchester 34 grain HP's now and it will only chamber about every third one withotu have to forse it in or single shot it. Its not to bad laying in a dog town but i would hate it for coyotes!
 
howler,

Don't complain to Browning about your "problem". What you have is a short throat and that's a virtue... Not a problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Get a Stoney Point OAL guage and learn to use it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

$bob$
 
I loaded up 2 different loads and re-set the bullet seating to where it would load from the mag. with out hanging up, and as I remember with out checking was 2.270.
My first load was 25.5 grains of H-322 with a 35 grain Berger FBHP, and remington 7 1/2 primer I shot a 5 shot group and it had 2 flyers or jerks I'm not sure it did feel fine at the time, this group measured .530 for the 3 shots

100_2432.jpg


the next load was 26 grains of H-322 with same bullet and primer. It also had 2 flyers but they didn't fly as far, this group measured .219 for the 3 shots, I'm thinking maybe i ought to shoot another group only booset up the powder a ways and see if the flyers tighten up

100_2431.jpg


Getting back to the short throat Idea, this rifle dose shoot better with bullets seated short rather than long. shooting the 32 grain V max it shot very good with a seating depth of 2.30 and that is factory depth, I have checked My COL with a stoney point COL gauge and with the 32 V max the COL for this gun is 2.380 and with the 35 grainers I think it was something like 2.374, at any rate the bullets are seated way off the lands and they seem to be shooting very good. So I really don't know whats going on but I think I can live with it
 
I have an A-bolt stalker in .243 that hangs hollow point tips up on the way into the chamber. On softpoints it puts an abrasion on the point on the way in. Plastic tips no problem. This was reduced when seating very short. Accuracy has always average about 3/4 MOA regardless of seating depth as long as each load was BOSS tuned, so I simply seat everything short and go with it.

When you say "new varmint stalker" you aren't talking about the actual "varmint" model a-bolt are you? It was my understanding that Browning discontinued the fat barreled "varmint" model a while back. I checked their website hoping it was back, but it's not there.
 
Weedwacker,
Yes I am talking about the Varmint model it has a pretty hefty barrel on it, It is on the Browning web page as Varmint stalker, It on Page 2 last Rifle shown. they make several calibers, starting with 204 ,22-250 then they have the Short magnums 243 223. I might be missing a few, ??
 
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Oh I didn't realize there was a second page. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Too bad you can't get it with the BOSS. Looks like they stopped offering it on alot of chamberings. Good luck. Hope you get those flyers to settle in. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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