I've been looking at the Browning A-Bolt as possibly my next rifle. I really like the action, it seems exceptionally strong and it's very smooth. I also like the 60deg bolt and three lug lockup. It's fit and finish is really very nice, and I like that they offer the Eclipse version with a laminate thumbhole stock.

My question involves the BOSS muzzlebrake. The Eclipse 1000, which is the rifle I want, is only chambered in .300 Win Mag which is a little bigger than I had intended to go. It also includes the BOSS muzzle brake as standard. The Browning literature talks about how the BOSS can be adjusted (screwed in or out) to "tune" the barrel and achieve tight groups regardless of ammo. It also claims to afford a 30% reduction in recoil (with the associated increased muzzle blast and noise, which isn't a big deal to me).

I'm always sceptical of sales brochures, as they sometimes tend to exaggerate their claims a little.

My questions are then:

Is the BOSS muzzle brake system really effective in tuning the barrel and how does it work?

Does the brake provide a noticable reduction in recoil? How would the recoil of the BOSS equipped .300WinMag compare to other other .30 cal rifles?

Overall, how does the Browning A-Bolt compare to other rifles in the $500-1000 price range (i.e. Rem 700, Win Model 70, Ruger 77, etc...)?

Thank you for your responses,

Mike


Gun control means putting the second bullet through the same hole as the first- Ted Nugent
NRA Member
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Ben Franklin