coolbrze0

Anyone have this rifle:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2685129

I'm thinking the Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker .243 WSSMwill be my next rifle. Has anyone shot one? If so, how is the trigger, action, shooting, etc. I'm looking to add a new short fat caliber to the collection, but I don't know much about the .243 WSSM, other than the ammo is a little more expensive... Any reviews or suggestions are 100% welcome.

Rammer

I have a Browning A-Bolt Composite Stalker in 7mm Rem Mag, and I absolutely love the gun. The action is smooth, the 60 degree bolt throw is awesome when you have heavy/bulky gloves on. I don't have any personal experience with the WSSMs but am hoping to get that same gun in 25WSSM sometime soon!

North Texan

My main rifle isa Browning Composite Stalker in .223. My cousin has the same thing in 25WSSM. I also like the short bolt throw, and the overall fit and finish of the gun. The triggers are about as good as factory rifles get, as neither of us has felt the need to adjust the trigger. The barrels are floated nicely and accuracy has been exceptional.

The only downside to the WSSMs is that ammo availability is limited and the ammo is fairly expensive.

bronko22000

I have a Browning Micro Hunter in 7mm-08 and I love it. I too like the short 60 degree bolt throw. The trigger on mine too is pretty good. I was having an accuracy issue with this rifle and couldn't get it to shoot up to my standards. It was shooting 1 1/2" - 2" groups (sometimes bigger) with whatever I put through it (different bullet/powder combos.). This is acceptable accuracy by Browning's standards. I liked the rifle so I took it to my local gunsmith and he re-bedded it for me for a mere $25. This rifle is now shooting easily 1" consistantly if I do my part. I also took my biggest whitetail in over 40 years with it this year. So it has has found a home in my gun safe.

johnboy1948

DO NOT BUY THAT GUN. I traded mine off...50 cent magazine that falls apart in your hand, no feeding ramp, will not feed a reload cartridge that is anylonger than a factory cartridge or that has a different bullet tip than the varmint type.Browning certified gunsmith said that he could not help me. JUNK GUN. Buy a Savage, CZ, or Sako.

Fat-Arrow

I have a Browning A-Bolt Hunter in .243WSSM. As far as the A-Bolts go, I love them. Fit and finish are great, barrel is free floated, and the trigger is crisp. I have three of them and each one is a great shooter. My wssm has only taken one deer so far, a spike horn at about 40 yards. The deer only ran about 60 yards before it expired using 100 grn. power points. The internal damage when field dressing however, was like nothing I have ever seen, and I have killed deer with a .308, a 7mm-08, a 30-30, a 30-06, a .270, and a 12ga. I was suprised that the deer didn't drop right there, of course that is quite close for that caliber. I can't wait to see what it will do between 100 and 200 yards.

I love my Brownings.

Fat-Arrow

Duckbutter48

I cant believe you had that much prob with your gun. Ive never had a prob with my reloads. I have a Medallion in 270WSM and a Hunter in 243Wssm. I put that gun up to any other make. Out of the box its hard to beat being freefloated and easily adj trigger.
My Medallion has shot consistant 1" groups with almost any buller/powder combo I've tried. Ive only had the 243 for a short time.
I have Weatherbys, Rems, Rugers, Marlins, and Savage rifle and I would take those Brownings over any of them for out of the box performance, fit, feel and accuracy.

Rammer

I think you have this gun mistaken with something else....

johnboy1948

No, I am not mistaken. My gunWAS a 2005 purchase A-Bolt varmint in 243 WSSM. These guns will not properly feed a cartridge from the magazine into the chamber unlessyou use factory ammo with varmint tips or else reloads exactly like them. I looked at two other A-Bolts in the gun shop...same situation. I had two gunsmiths check out these rifles (some on their shelves).

These guns cannot be handloaded for; if you try to feed a cartridge with an OALslightly longer than a factory cartridge or with any tip except a very pointy varmint tip it will hit up against the entrance to the chamber when pushing with the gun bolt. The gun has only a miniscule feeding ramp (just a mere bevel near the chamber entrance), nothing of any area to guide the bullet tip up and into the chamber. You cannot drop a cartridge into the magazine area and push it into the chamber withoutgreat difficulty; it just will not feed easily and smoothly into the chamber. The bullet tips get damaged by the magazine or else by the process of feeding the cartridge into the chamber. This gun is just poorly engineered.

My A-Bolt shot okay, but nothing to really brag about. If I cannot reload for a rifle, I don't keep it. I traded the A-Bolt for a Sako. Like going from Yugo to Mercedes.

John Browning would roll over in his grave if he knew about these rifles.

Duckbutter48

Im working on loads for my Browning A-bolt 243wssm Hunter version and have 90grn NOS BTs, 90grn Speer spitzers, and 85 grn NPs. I have had no probs with any of these loads. I started all the bullets as far out as possible and still fit into the clip
The gun shop near me that is aBrowning dealer has not had anyone with the probs you speak of, After reading your post I became concerned and gave them a call and started working loads on mine and have had zero issue's. The gun shop and the gunsmith havent heard any issues with this either.

I will post asap if I have any of the issues you have spoke of but so far so good.