Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Any tips for getting a gun sighted in? I'm having a heck of a time getting my Browning BAR with a Leupold VX-1 scope sighted in. I shot 2 boxes through it today. I had it right where I wanted then knocked if off the stool by accident and it was off a little after that so I tried to get it back perfect and it kept getting further and further off. At $15 a box this is getting expensive. I had it in a gun vise but it still moves somewhat. I'm thinking I may switch from 165 grain to 150 grain as it's a lot easier to get here. The second to last shot I hit half an inch above the bulls eye and the last shot hit about 3" above and that was without adjusting anything. This is ticking me off. The barrel seems to get hot every 2 shots too so you have to let it cool down after 2 shots so it takes forever. After 2 shots it seems to shot all over the place if you keep shooting. This is the hardest scope I've ever sighted in and it's starting to make me mad. I hate this Leupold.


Also I've been shooting 165 grain Winchesters but thinking of switching to 150 grain as they are a lot easier to find around here. Will I notice much of a difference? This dear gets used for mostly just deer. Maybe during bear season.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Let the gun/barrel cool down between groups.I have a BAR with Boss,06,it will place the first three shots under an inch.If I keep shooting the groups will open up.My bolt action will open a little after about five shoots but the Bar will start at about three shoots.I would give the gun a good 20-30 mintues between groups.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

I've noticed that too. I seem to get about 2 shots then it starts to go wherever. It's annoying because it's taking hours to sight in something that should take 30 minutes. I may try some more to get it sighted in.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

You said that you knocked it off the bench, so I suspect that the impact may have damaged the scope or mounts. Check the mounts first to make sure they are tight and not bent or turned causing the scope to bind. If they are tight and straight then I'd guess that you damaged the scope itself. Riflescopes are precision instruments that, while designed to take a great deal of longitudinal shock (i.e. recoil), they are vunerable to damage from side or front impact. Hold the (UNLOADED) rifle with the scope by your ear and shake it. If you hear a rattle, your scope is toast for sure. But even if you don't there is a chance that the turret mechanism or one of the lenses was damaged or dislodged and every time you fire the rifle the recoil slightly shifts the position of the damaged part, causing the POI to wander. I remount the scope first (or have a gunsmith do it for you). If that doesn't fix the problem, I'd say it's time to send the scope back to Leupold to see if they'll warrantee it. If not, chalk it up to a hard lesson learned about careful gun handling and go get yourself a new scope.

Mike

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

The thing fell maybe 5" if that. To me it was very unlikely it hit the ground hard at all. If it can't stand up to that I don't want it. The Tasco's I've had in the past and even a Simmons I have on a 22 have been beat on a lot harder and never had a issue. If it gets broken this easily I hate to see what will happen with it riding around in a vehicle. I'm going to do some more testing but I'm highly doubtful that it falling broke it but I could be wrong. If it did break it I don't want a scope that would break that easily anyway.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

You didn't mention how far it fell, so I figured it fell off a table or chair (2-4'). But no, I wouldn't THINK that a 5 inch drop would damage it, but if it landed just so and took the full force of the scope and rifle, who know. Like I said, precision instrument. Check your mounts first before you ****can the scope. And if you do find that the scope is the likely culprit (if you have a spare scope lying around you could switch to see if the same thing happens with a different scope), I'd send it to Leupold first. They might warantee it.

Mike

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

I guess I was just a little upset but in all honesty it probably fell more than 5". It may have been 2 feet but it wasn't that high. It was off a bench thing. I was sitting on the ground shooting it with it resting on the bench. The mounts seem tight and the scope doesn't make a noise at all when I shake it. I think I'm going to try to sight it in one more time and if I don't get it to do any better I'm going to try another scope and see how it does.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Had one in .270. Would not zero come to fnd out the stock was loose.Might try to check that.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

I did notice the front part of the stock was slightly loose when cleaning it. Not the stock but the part you put your hand on towards the front. I can't think of the name. How do you tighten this thing down? Would that have made a difference in how it shoots?

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Well, looks like that thing is as tight as it is going to get so you can't tighten it more. I think it's because the only bolt that holds it on is at one end of it so nothing at the other end holding it on.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

I learned in a previous discussion some time ago to NOT tighten the forearm screw too much.You might want to look at that as an issue with your gun.

I will say that my BAR is not the most accurate gun. So have realistic goals for it. I also agree that barrel heating is a real factor for the BAR.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

So should the front forearm piece not move at all? I broke that bolt off trying to tighten it. I luckily got it out fairly easy and had a gun shop put a new one in. They didn't say anything about how the forearm piece will sort of move some a little bit. Not a lot.

Anyway maybe it's just not the most accurate. I agree after 2 shots or so it gets super hot and you have to let it cool down.


Maybe I should just lower my expectations on how it shoots. I just think I should have better than 4-5" groups at 100 yards. Maybe I should have bought another gun as I could have bought several guns in the same price range as this one. I used it last year during hunting season and liked it but now that it's time to get it ready again I'm having these issues.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Are you squeezing the trigger and taking your timeon each shot?

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Trying to. I have it in a sight vise so it holds it better than it would if I was doing it free hand but it still is hard to hold on the bullseye at 100 yards.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Theater,

I've owned 3 bar's (.243, .308, 25-06). Each shot under 1.5" at 100 yd with rem ammo; 0.75" in the 25-06 with Fed Fusion ammo. These were all with a Leupold vXIII 1-5X set on 5X and rested on sandbags on a solid bench. HOWEVER, I let the barrel cool 5 min. after each shot. Also, the crosshairs are not moving off the 1" orange dot on white background when I shoot. When I fired the .308 5 times with 3 sec between shots the groups opened to 4" with the rem 150 gr ammo, and they tended to string up and to the right. When I fired the 25-06 the same way with fusion ammo (120 gr I think), it opened up to 2.25" but stayed centered. So these rifles will shoot well for factory autos, though yours could have a fluke problem.

Here's what I'd check on your rifle. First clean the bore and chamber completely (chamber last) with shooters choice or other quality copper solvent. For the bore use a couple wet patches on a proper jag and teflon coated rod followed 3-5 min later with a dry patch. Repeat this process until the dry patch comes out without greenish-blue disolved copper on it. I finish by swabbing the chamber with a shotgun patch soaked in shooter's choice and cupped over the end of a .38 cal copper brush that's screwed on the end of a flexible plastic pistol cleaning rod (I push this into the chamber, twist it a quarter turn, and twist as I pull it out). Follow this with a dry patch of the chamber. Do this chamber cleaning just once. Then I run a clean dry cloth down the length of the cleaningrod andthen push another dry patch through bore and then finish by swabbing the chamber once more with a dry patch.

Next I'd have a Browning gunsmith take a look at the foreend. As tightly as you tightened that lug screw I'm wondering if it may have crushed the wood somewhat. This would be one possible reason the forend might be loose. What ever needs to be done here, have it taken care of. It should not wobble without a great deal of effort. Then be aware that there is a proper torque that that forend screw needs to be set at. Have the smith adhere to this spec. (Changing that tightness between shots will change the vibrations when the rifle is fired and therefore change the point of impact.)

Next, what you have is a relatively low quality scope on a high quality gun. Replace your current scope with aLeupold VXII or VXIII scope mounted on the rifle with Leupold bases by a competent gunsmith (That would be a smith who is willing to take the time to allign the rings using their special allignment tool before putting the new scope in the rings.)

After all this I would ditch the vice and lay the rifle on sandbags. On a day when the wind is calm fire one shot at 25 yd and adjust the scope. It's not necessary to shoot more than one shot between adjustments. All you're trying to do is get it very close to a 1" dot, and more shots than that only foul the barrel sooner. (I use cheap ammo for all these short-range shots except the last one.) You should have it hitting within an inch of the dot by the third or fourth shot.

Now you can do this again with the dot at 100 yards. Again, only one shot is necessary between adjustments until you are hitting somewhere near the dot at 100 yd. It doesn't have to be perfect yet - just somewhere near the middle of the paper. At this point I would completely clean the bore and chamber again. Then set the scope's magnification as high as it will go and fire two rounds into the back stop and let the barrel cool 10 min or so. From here on in this test shoot only quality ammo with all rounds taken from the same box.

Now you're ready to check the gun's ability to group. I would not adjust anything on the scope after shooting those last two shots (not even the magnification). On a day when the wind is calm rest the empty rifle on the sandbags and nestle in behind it. Looking through the scope, you should be able to hold the crosshairs on the 1" orange dot without them leaving the dot. If not, I would ask someone who can demonstrate to you that they can shoot a 1" group with another rifle to do the shooting test for you with your BAR. The shooter should dry fire your rifle a couple times to get used to the trigger and to make sure that the crosshairs stay on target when they squeeze the trigger. At this point I would have the shooter shoot three shots with 5 min between each shot using quality ammo. If this group is not around 2.5" or less, I would then try another 3-shot group with another weight bullet. If this didn't group well, I would try once morewith a different brand of quality ammo (I currently like federal fusions). If this doesn't get you within 2.5 " then I'dtrade for another BAR (keep your mount and scope). I would tend to think, at that point, that there's a problem with the gun.

Good luck,

laterunner

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

I also have a BAR and had the same problem. It ended up being my scope. Put a Burris on at and had the best groupes with Winchester Powerpoints.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Thanks for the tips to the guy above.

As for this I just bought a Burris and if I can't get it better am going to try. The only thing is that I got that group of about 6 in about 1" or so last weekend. So I'm hoping I can do that if I can't get it close I'm going to give up and try out the Burris scope I got. I was also shooting Winchester Powerpoints but have switched to the Silver Tips.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

I shoot the silvertips 130grain and they go where i aim. maybe try those

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Put it in a better vise on a more stable stand. Their 100 yard target got destroyed by the wind so we had to shoot at 50 yards but at 50 yards I got it so I could hit the bullseye one after another. This was with the 150grain silvertips. I'm amazed with how well these group. My gun ended up falling over later as it was resting against something. Then we shot it and the scope was about 3" high. This is why I hate this Leupold scope. Anyway we adjusted it back down to about 1/2" high or so and figured it would be close at 100 yards. I guess I just couldn't hold it still in my vise thing. My gun really seems to like these silvertips. Glad I got them by mistake.

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

had the same problems with my 270 bar. they are very bullet sensitive but when you find one it likes they will shoot great
mine likes fail safes which arent made any more. will have to start trying others when i run out of the ones i have.
they are good guns dont give up.
hopefully those silver tips will be your answer
best of luck

RE: Any tips for Browning BAR?
 

Yep I hope so. They are about $8 more a box as I said earlier but honestly, after seeing how well it shoots with them it's well worth the $8. I'm super happy with how it is shooting with these and have it sighted in like I want it.