RE: browning BOSS
 

There is no ear by pass other then a mental one to prevent overstimulation. Your still pounding the crap out of the bio mechanicle part of your ear that turns vibration into sound. So yes your brain is protecting it self from damage maybe but there is no way to shunt sound or overpreasure away from your inner ear.

RE: browning BOSS
 

If you are talking an a-bolt be aware that the boss equipped models have different bedding to make the boss system function better.Adding one to a standard a-bolt may not work nearly as well.

http://www.browning.com/results.asp?find=boss&category=X

RE: browning BOSS
 

Not at all true.I fired my a-bolt with boss once at a deer and the deer dropped but my ears range for an hour or so.Subsequent hearing tests showed not noticeable loss in hearing.A club member was not so lucky,as a single shot out of his braked 300win magcaused his ears to ring for several hours and he suffered noticeable hearing loss after that one shot.He did kill the elk but he paid a heavy price.

RE: browning BOSS
 

Well, it looks like everyone is having a good time being ear DR, so I'll just answer the question you asked - which is hard to answer honestly.

I have a BOSS equiped Win 70 in 7 mm Rem Mag. I also have a Savage 7 mm Rem Mag with a custom Bishop stock. Not even sure if Bishop is still in business as this gun is somewhere around 30 years old. Then, I also have a Rem 788 in 6 mm. So, I've got somewhat of a comparison in guns I actually shoot.

The 6 mm has a plastic butt plate, and kicks worse than any of them. I have no idea how much difference the BOSS makes to the Win 70, as it's always had the BOSS equiped - ??? The Win 70 has a rubber recoil pad - the solid pad, no 'perforations' visible from the side - if you can visualize what I'm trying to describe.

The Savage 110 with Bishop stock, has a 'perforated' recoil pad, and is by far the least felt recoil of the three.

There are many ways to manage recoil, the easiest I've found is shooting technique and putting on another shirt, coat, vest - not trying to be a smart axx - but I tend to think of several different things before a muzzlebrake if I'm trying to manage recoil. I didn't have any hearing problem issues with my BOSS equipped Win 70. At the range I wear hearing protection, in the field I pull down my hat over my ears - works for me anyway.

Just the other day I put on a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, a quilted flannel shirt, a down vest, a carhardt type coat and hearing protection and shot my non-braked 338 RUM with 275 grain bullets for the first time - well actually the first dozen times. The recoil was not an issue.

IMO - the BOSS does make a difference in acheiving accuracy - however it could take an entire summer of shooting to really 'tune' it in. I quickly accomplished sub moa, which was for me - as good as I was trying to acheive.
;););)

RE: browning BOSS
 

I have the .308 A-Bolt II varmit with the boss system. It is a sweet shooting rifle!! But you definitely know it when you shootwithout ear protection.I have shot several deer with it. Only time I did not get ear ring was this year I was in an open field shooting prone. If your under ANY sort of canopy of timber, RING CITY [:'(].

IF your doing any sort of hunting. I would not reccomend getting a boss equiped rifle. There is nothing you couldn't do with a BOSSless rifle in the field.

Love the gun but not sure if the trade off is worth my hearing!![&o]

RE: browning BOSS
 

I don't know why everybody complaining about the noise level with the boss doesn't just get the CR weight to replace the ported weight. Same accuracy benefit with no noise.

RE: browning BOSS
 

Welluntil I really read this post I had no clue you could replace it. I will be looking into getting a non ported one!! Actually i ampleased cause, I really didnt wanna get rid of that rifle!!