Velocity with BOSS
 

I hope that this is posted in the correct forum.
I own and adore a Browning Stainless A-Bolt in 7mm-08. It has a BOSS system that according to Browning reduces the barrel length by 2 inches. According to their website the overall barrel length is only 20" making it a 18 inch barrel. I measured it at 18.5" .
Without dragging out a chronograph, which I know I can do, is there a great reduction in muzzle velocity with this set-up? Most ballistics are calculated with a 24" barrrel but I have seen some for this rifle using 20" . Browning says there' s no reduction but I feel this may not be the case.
Simplified, what muzzle velocity reduction might I expect with this set-up?
I love this rifle, its a tack driver and does a superb job on whitetails here in NY where shots are close. The question ultimately is can I take this out West and shoot longer distances and have a resonable understanding of bullet trajectory?

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

The only way to have a true undertstanding of bullet trajectory is to shoot your rifle at various distances. You can get a general idea from tables but there are too many variables with individual rifles to get a true picture.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

With two less inches of barrel you are probably losing in the neighborhood of 30 to 40 fps per inch.

So your trajectory is not greatly affected. You need to chronograph your loads to get the actual velocity. Published velocities are rarely accurate and vary from rifle to rifle.

Published drop charts per the velocity are generally within an inch or two of what you will find if you actually go out and shoot at the ranges listed.

For western hunting if you sight in 3" high you should be about an inch low at 300 yards with that caliber.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

Shoot it over a chronograph....then you' ll know.....I' d take it to Wyoming in any regard...it' s a fine gun. The little bit you' ve lost is not going to be noticed by anyone......as a matter of fact occasionally velocity is increased by shortening the barrel believe it or not.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

I wouldn' t worry about it. The few FPS you lose won' t amount to much if any.You said you own and adore your Browning.You were happy with your A-Bolt until the question of barrel length w/ the BOSS came into the picture. Forget about it. Browning didn' t just throw it together.You can bet they did allot of research before releasing it.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

The only way to know your true trajectory is to shoot the gun at the ranges that you intend to hunt.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

I certainly appreciate the responses to my original posting. The question was a general one, of course, but I enjoyed the input.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

The only velocity loss is that which could be attributed to shooting any 18.5" barrel, vs a longer one, as stated above, about 25 FPS per inch for a small case like the 7mm/08. Of course, a larger case would lose more. The BOSS would have no effect on the velocity loss at all. Maybe this is what Browning meant when they said " there' s no velocity loss" !!

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

My father bought a .30-06 with the BOSS system a couple years ago. It seemed like a good gun until he shot it and his eardrums almost burst. He had me shoot it to make sure it wasn' t just him, and after one shot I went deaf for a few minutes-all I could hear was a loud ringing in my ears. He sold the gun shortly after, becasue he wanted to keep what hearing he has left. My .30-06 sounds like a cannon compared to most, but it' s quiet compared to that gun!

Do any of you notice a major increase in noise with the BOSS system? We figured that must have been the reason.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

Any muzzle break will significantly increase muzzle blast and its unfortunate that the first shot took you by surprise. Browning warns everyone that hearing protection should be used.
The benefits of a muzzle break far off-set the problem with muzzle blast. Many shooters have difficulty dealing with recoil which causes them to flinch when they fire. Reducing recoil to a manageable level allows more shooters to shoot more often and increases their skill level.
My 7mm-08 has little initial recoil and the BOSS makes it a ***** cat. However, my 300 Win Mag (ported) still kicks with some authority but nowhere nearly as bad as it did before the porting.
Practice doesn' t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. Therefore, I' d recomend anything that will encourage a shooter to shoot more often using good mechanics. Bring your hearing protection though.

" Our liberties are never so in jeopardy as when Congress is in session."
Thomas Jefferson

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

Yeah well that' s just the thing, he intended to use it for deer hunting. Using hearing protection while target practicing is a smart thing to do, but how many hunters put in ear plugs before shooting a deer? After shooting that gun once w/o ear protection, it would have to be an extremely huge buck for me to risk my eardrums!

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

Were you guys wearing hearing protection when this happened?? If not, you' re going to lose your hearing regardless of what' s hanging on the muzzle of your gun!!

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

No we weren' t wearing any ear protection. He had used ear plugs when he sighted it in, but this happened when we came back to the vehicle after a day of hunting and he wanted to make sure it was still on since he had bumped it against a tree. None of us make a habit of carrying ear plugs while hunting, so we were shooting without.

He sold the gun because he didn' t want to damage his hearing if he ever did happen to shoot a deer.

RE: Velocity with BOSS
 

I' m not sure exactly how my original post regarding bullet velocity and the BOSS system got side tracked into a discussion of hearing protection. I know I contributed to it but let me say this.
My screen name Cdr4thBn represents my final assignment in the military. I was a battalion commander and had an opportunity through the years to hear some pretty damned loud bangs. In every instance where hearing protection is possible and practical it should be worn..... period. There are however times when it just isn' t practical or possible and hunting is probably one instance that fits best.
My original point was that I love the rifle and the lack of recoil which generally contributes to better shooting mechanics. The trade off is a louder muzzle blast. I' ve never fired the rifle with hearing protection while hunting and have never fired it on the range without it.
Let' s put this thing to bed and agree that we all have the right to choose to buy and sell our material goods as we see fit.
That' s why they make more than vanilla.