Honestly Ron , after watching some of your bench rest shooting, Precision shooting dosent seem to follow you about. With a Remington model 74, 06 I have obtained 1/2 MOA with certain ammo.
My Grandfather hunted deer with a BAR, he bought his in the late 1960s and it's mint in the box with the receipt. He got a buck every year until the early 2000s and he never once hunted from a stand, he tracked on foot through the hills of southeast Oklahoma. He was a champion feather weight boxer and would gut the deer and carry it back over his shoulders with his rifle sometimes way further than he wanted to be from camp and into the night, alone. My father did the same thing but he was 6'3" and 240lbs. and he used a bolt action because he didn't miss. Neither of them used scopes and they both hunted black powder and bow season as well. By the time they dragged me out there it was walkie talkies and three wheelers and my dad was dead and my grandfather was in his 60s. So there was someone to come get the deer for him. I will always be amazed at the quality of men that built this country. Because to them that was just part of being a man that if you asked anyone to do today they couldn't to save their life. No wonder my grandfathers testosterone is higher at 91 years old than the average 18 year old today. I cut down an oak in his front yard recently, he gave me his chainsaw afterwards. He stood where he wanted me to fell the tree and casually walked out from underneath it as it dropped right where he was standing on his titanium knees. I have never seen him more upset about anything than the fact that he couldn't cut down that tree. Old man I'd give you all my bone marrow and blood if it would keep you around forever, you are a far better man than I'll ever be.
Mr Spomer, I'm 29. I spend a majority of my time taking care of my grandmother and myself. I went through hunters safety at around 12 with my cousin, it was a blast, I looked forward to my first hunt. Day never came however, got kinda sick and life took me for a ride. Now after everything i've been through the only thing that remains consistent to me is that I NEED to get back in the woods... I'm from Michigan, hunting is in our DNA here. Your videos provide an escape that otherwise would be inaccessible to me at the moment. Thank you, Sincerely.
From Michigan- hunting, in DNA- I hear THAT... grew up in G.R. area and hunted from a young age on grandparents and family land... Nothing like an 870 with multiple barrels! Old now, I left there decades ago for the Rocky Mtns, but the Michigan woods (MINUS the winters!) will be a part of me as long as I live on this space-rock... Best wishes and be well! 😊
You get out from under the Apron and see the Middle East Son. Learn a Foreign Language and hunker down where ever you run out of steam. Clean? You will never get that dirt off you.
That browning has an adjustable gas block in the front. Simply take off the forearm, and a turn of the screw in small increments until it ejects reliably will fix the issue. From time to time they come from browning not properly adjusted
That's good advice, thank you - but they should fix that "from time to time" thing. I was in the market for an auto loader, and of course, these two rifles (Benelli & B.A.R.) were my two choices. Thanks to this video, I'm buying neither & going with a bolt action.
@@bushwoogie I do a basic field strip and cleaning with all new guns. By basic I mean minimal/ If it doesn't work straight out the box it may have an issue
Thanks Ron. I grew up in a Western Washington camp. As a kid everyone in our camp and most of the neighboring camps ran Remington 742, 740’s and a 7400 all in 30-06. The two odd men out ran a Remington 760 in 270 win and the other a Winchester 88 in .308. I’ve seen piles of elk and deer killed with 180 corlokts and those autoloaders My Dad still runs his 742 and 180 grain bullets.
I used to collect BARs, still have a few Belgium made Grade IIs.. When they are brand new it takes a few boxes to break them in. Make sure when you put your scope mounts on that the screws are not to long as they will interfere with the bolt. Also, you have to check the forearm, the two charging bars sometimes rub on the forearm wood, just sand off the wood to obtain clearance… The BARs are prone to variations to heat buildup in the barrel. Space your shots out when sighting in. The originals made in Belgium BARs are much higher build quality and produce the best accuracy……
My rem 7400 vintage mid 1980s prints 3/4 to 1" with a cold barrel and 180g rem core lockt..once the barrel warms up I get a flyer not more then 2 1/2 "groups though hunted with it 35 years no jams no issues
I have a Benelli R1 in .338 win mag. Accuracy is somewhat dependent on the ammo used. They are not tack-drivers. But taming 4 rounds of .338 win mag to .30-06 recoil is fabulous!
There is a gas block adjustment on the BAR. I have the mark 3 in 243 Win, it has never failed to feed and eject properly. There’s a guy on TH-cam that shows you how to make the adjustment.
Been loving hunting all my life thanks to my father taking me out, letting me learn to hunt with getting all the grouse we needed for food while moose hunting. Miss him and being out with him . Your show reminds me of my dad and all the AWSOME things I learned from our time in the bush.
We use those rifles in Bosnia and Herzegovina a lof (I mean hunters use them in whole Europe, bit I am talking about my case) Almost all of them are Browning BAR new rifles and Benelli Argo rifles (they are pretty much in the same price point), a lot of people are happy with them, exactly like Ron said, people shooting running wild boars in the forest at 50 yards and they are made for that. If someone needs 1moa group than he should choose something else. We use also a lot of combination guns, also new production from Sabatti, FAIR, Antonio Zolli, CZ and they are in the most of cases chambered in 30-06 (bottom barrel) with 12 gauge 3 inch magnum on the top. You can actually choose between 308 and 30-06 in each gun. In the most of European countries we don't shoot over 150 yards and in my land and my terrain it is even a lot less than that. Even a good shotgun is enough, but we all want to have rifles because of big wild boars and brown bears so we do sometimes need more bullets and our accuracy is less important, because when you are staying at 30 yards from big aggressive brown bear even your 10 round magazine loaded with 180 grain Soft point bullets in 308 or 30-06 looks too small... I mean for me those rifles are okay, maybe they aren't precise enough for some people, but at 100 yards that is still dead Bear, Wolf, Roebuck even fox..
I own a Remington 750 and a 7400 in 30-06 and both shoot flawlessly. I have recently a Winchester SXR2 in 300 win mag that shots as accurate as any bolt gun that I own.
Ron I’ve seen Remington 742 woodsmasters and browning mark three bar both in many different calibers shoot just as good groups as any bolt action,,I’ve had three and all three of them preformed flawlessly for many years and shot under one inch groups with many different kinds of ammo ,,,one was a 270 mark three , one was a 308 mark three ,,the other was a 742 Remington in 3006 ,,,all of them were very fine rifles.
Now you need to find an original hunting Belgian BAR in. 30-06 and also the BAR with the B.O.S.S. attached. On my two Browning Stainless Stalkers in 280 Rem and 7mmRemMag they’re both dialled in to 3 shot 1/2” repeatable groups. There are old vids of writers at a BOSS testing day. There were plenty of 3 shot 1/2” groups in various factory ammo.
I've got 17 rounds through my BAR Mk3 stalker and haven't had any issues. I know that's a tiny sample size, but I do like the rifle. Maybe this one just needed some oil
I have four BARS in four different calibers . 1968: in .270 Win, 1968 in 30'06, 1969 in 7mm Rem magnum, and a 1980 in .280 Remington . Never have I had a failure to fire, or extract . Looks like that gun's going to a Browning service center for warranty work .
@@rjwickland6557 might be a lemon, but a modern BAR isn't the same as an older one. The tooling has been changed, the workers are different, just apples to oranges.
This can also be the ammo used, auto loaders are very susceptible to weak ammo. Plus its a new gun they often need to be shot a few times before they really get honed in. I would conduct far better research than one video you happened upon.
I had a Browning BAR with the BOSS muzzle brake in 7mm Rem. Mag. That gun loved every brand and weight of ammo. Never had a misfire nor case not ejecting. With the right hand loads I could get 1/2 min. groups, Loved that rifle but had to sell it to a friend. Every time I ask him how's my rifle, he just smiles from ear to ear.
The M1 was a pretty good semiauto 30.06. In Army basic we shot popup targets at 500 yds. using the telescoping peep sights. We shot a few sight in shots that hit in the dirt short of the popup targets. Then we got to use tracer ammo to get zeroed in closer to the popup targets. It was amazing how many popups we hit.
Hello Ron. There are a few more autoloaders in 30-06 on the market. You should check German brands like Sauer and Merkel. There's the Merkel SR1 and the Sauer 303, both are available in 30-06. I bet you can find even more from smaller manufacturers if you do a little bit of research. Especially the Sauer is known for very high quality here in Germany.
Ron, I love my BAR in 30-06. My dad bought me this rifle in the early 1970s (1970.)when we were in Mississippi so I could go deer hunting with one of his employees. Since then I’ve harvested a lot of whitetails in SC with no malfunctions. My rifle doesn’t have any gas adjustment that I’m aware of. Over time I had to clean the gas system. Once I got the piston moving freely I had no malfunctioning. I got my first buck, a 4-point in velvet, with this rifle. If you drop the floor plate with the magazine in, grasp the bottom of the mag and pull out and it will come out. I have a spare mag that always carry. I’ve used factory ammo but the friend who taught me how to reload came up with the load I’ve hunted with all of these years. He came up with a 165gr Sierra HPBT using 46.5 gr of IMR4895. In my rifle it shoots about 4-6 inch groups at 100yds., but that’s me because I don’t shoot a lot anymore. It’s good enough for hunting and that’s what it’s for. I set it aside in 2020 when I got a complete upper for my AR in 350 Legend and I’m trying to work that rifle up for deer in SC. Most of our shots are under 200 yards so I’m hopeful it will work using 165gr bullets too. Like I said I love my 30-06 BAR, just trying something new. Walt Martin
Seriously doubt that I’m pretty sure Browning knows these BAR’s are not accurate shooting auto loaders from my person experience (see my comment posted earlier today on this post)
Great thing and information not too many people know. Is that the After Market parts for that BAR Battle Rifle that is currently made, will fit on the Browning BAR SA Hunting Rifle, and on the 1's Remington used to make. So, a Pistol Grip, Adjustable Buttstock, Higher Cap Mags are available for them. You are all welcome for that information.
I have my father's Remington 742 in 30-06, he told me he had it accurized, not sure what all that entailed, but I saw him shoot a cloverleaf group at 75 yards with it 25 years ago. I use it occasionally to this day.
My dad's Browning i inherited shoots awesome it's a mark 2 in 270 win. he got in the early 70s,I believe .it has a 2.5 lb. Trigger pull made in Belgium.
I once had a Remington 740 that had barely any bluing on the receiver. It looked like a club. I had a cheap old scope on it. It would shoot 2” groups at 100 no matter the ammo I used. It never failed to feed or function. I hate myself for letting it leave my gun safe.
They can do pretty well, but in general not terribly. The nature of their construction and design doesn't seat them well in their stocks. Precision accuracy wasn't a part of their initial design. They can be accurized, but often they are three (sometimes 4) moa rifle. Handloading and bedding the stock can go a long way, and some can be incredible shooters. I knew a fellow who could consistently shoot barbed wire strands at just over a hundred yards with iron sights. The garand does have fantastic sights.
@@sinisterthoughts2896 used them quite a bit shooting High-power matches, as have others. Never noticed our non-accurized Garands having trouble with accuracy.
I’ve hunted with mine , when sighting in at a hundred yards , it would group tight enough that’s I could cover all eight with a silver dollar , more then enough for elk , ,or as a coyote found out
Most folks can’t shoot less than 2MOA. Which is more than accurate enough for hunting. Not to mention quick follow up shots. Maybe not the best choice for a target rifle. But still many have been used to win tournaments with them.
I have BAR mk3 in .308 and I only experienced groups above 1" @100 meters with a single specific ammo. Apart from this single example, I have tried at least 15 different loads so far and they always keep the groups below 1" at 100 meters. About the ejection failure, I only experienced this with American Eagle FMJs. All other hunting ammos I ever tried haven't caused a single ejection/feeding failure for 500+ shots I have with this rifle. Also, no breaking the barrel was needed on my end. It was shooting 1/2 to an inch groups out of the box.
I inherited a Rem 7400. It’s great. Got my first elk with it years ago. Shoots sub 2 MOA with most ammo, though I handload, which gets it down to 1.75 MOA. Very reliable feeding. It is not easy to disassemble so it gets a cleaning once every 3-4 years/100 rounds and still functions with no issues. It really likes the heavier bullets. 200gn Barnes LRX is accurate and very reliable.
I still have my dad's Remington 742 Woodmaster semi-automatic 306. Great rifle IMO and I have taken whitetail out to 100 yards no problem. Where I hunt on the East Coast 100 yards is about as far as you can see through the woods.
The BAR probably isnt feeding because you are allowing it to push you backwards. If you push your shoulder into the rifle harder it might start cycling. A similar thing happens with pistols if you "limpwrist" them. If you dont have a tight grip you do not let the slide come back as fast because the velocity of the pistol/rifle going backwards takes force away from the bolt coming back.
My dad used a MK2 Safari in 3006 for a very long time. Great rifle, accurate, and never failed. I think you will find that the failures in this video will be corrected by a good oiling. BARs don’t like to run dry.
Yeah, I've had the Mk2 Safari and Mk1 both Belgium made, but never once a failure to eject or feed, still my favorite go to everything rifle, I'd love to hear a follow up on that issue.
I've taken dozens of whitetail over the last 20 years with a MK2 Safari. Accuracy is what I'd call... OK. I'm pretty sure I could do better if I spent more time with the barrel tuner or some load development. But I've never tried taking anything outside about 325 yards. Beautiful gun and smooth shooting, I'll still use it while sitting, and my 6.5 Grendel is now the walking gun, being almost 3 pounds lighter than the ought-6.
There's a few guys from Big Woods Bucks that carry the Browning BAR MK III while tracking bucks and love them in the big woods of the Northeast for their accuracy, speed, variety of calibers, carry ability, dependability for a semiautomatic. Most of them cut them down to 18". Great video Ron! Always informative and entertaining! Keep'em coming!🤙🦌
I’m a reloader and get 1” groups with my MK3 Bar. Same rifle in the vid. Never an issue feeding with factory or reloads. It takes some tuning. Did shoot 3-4” groups with factory ammo.
I have a Browning A-bolt in 300WM that I bought new in 1990. It has the same magazine drop as that autoloader. Took about five hunting seasons to realize the magazine actually removes from the floor plate. Yes you can get extra magazines. Good video, Thanks guys.
@jameswilson322 semi auto shotgun is legal for turkey and small game, only like 3 years ago they legalized auto loading shotguns for deer with slugs only. I wish buckshot was legal to use I've always wanted to take a deer with buckshot
@kody7316 probly better off with a slug , a lot of deer get wounded with buckshot and you are limited on how far you shoot . What do you have to hunt with
Took my Remington Model 7400 out for its first range day since I owned it. I had gave it a great cleaning, had to buy a good OEM magazine, a new front sight and she shot like a dream. I’m considering taking the old stiff Tasco scope off of it and running straight irons on it.
I grew up around the 30-06 and that is what I use now. As a kid I remember my step father purchased a BAR chambered in 30-06 sometime in the mid 80's and initially had problems with it. If i remember correctly he sent it back to Browning to have it tuned at least once, maybe twice before it was anywhere near reliable.
Check the scope base screws if they are a thread or two long it will cause the ejection problem. And the barrel on the Benelli can’t be free floating because the forearm is attached to a lug welded to the barrel and secured with a bolt so it’s not free floating. And after 3 rounds with either one of them and the barrel heat will start moving the barrel so a 4 or 5 inch group is about the best you could hope for.
I literally own both rifles the browning, Bar in 308 an 18 inch barrel composite and the Benelli in the composite comfort tech stock in 3o-06 with 18 in barrel and I don’t understand the difficulties with them rifles that you have because mine at 100 yards are set at an inch high and dead center and I can put 3 to 5 shot groups with either rifle right there on the spot every day all day so you may have to break them in. I use only Hornady ammunition off the shelf American Whitetail 150 grain in the 308 and 180 grain and the 06 bold very accurate hunting rifles. I have one many running deer shoot out to 225 yards with both rifles and I have shot deer here on the farm out to 360 yards with both rifles. One shot one kill I know you’re very very shooter and very experience with rifles, but I am as well. They are very accurate rifles. Once you break them in and find what ammo they like.😊
Thanks for noting the elbow-out stance. I grew up shooting higher power/heavier recoiling rifles, so I was going crazy looking at how some "experts" insist on tucking in the elbow. I wonder if this is why so many people complain about getting "beat up" when they try to shoot heavy 12 gauge loads because I've never had an issue with felt recoil.
I love the BAR...had it almost 40yrs...still rock solid reliable. Although, I don't use it much these days and I have reverted to mostly lever guns...lighter and will still get the job done for most of my hunting areas.
My uncle had a BAR in 270 Winchester made in Belgium back in the 70s. His favorite deer rifle. He took many white tails with it until he passed a few years ago. I bought a bar in 300 win mag about 3 years ago. Long story short, it was a beautiful rifle (the most expensive boat paddle I’ve ever owned) and I was excited to take it hunting that fall. Mine had an adjustable gas block but warranty is voided if you mess with it without a certified browning smith. I sent that rifle back 3 times to browning for failure to eject and/or feed. I tried multiple ammo and loads. Browning’s answer was to keep mailing it in. I heavily invested in the rifle to get it to work; I believe I had a lemon. Browning and bass pro never backed the rifle for exchange after three trips to the browning factory for check and repair. I passed that rifle on after its last “browning certified” inspection. I don’t own a browning in the safe. I’m a bolt gun all the way guy now. Ask the lemon policy from the seller before you purchase. It matters in the end. I think browning makes beautiful rifles and great features; it’s the customer service that got me in the end. Good luck to anyone purchasing. Ron’s reviews and bench shooting of the rifle seemed spot on for the BAR you get today. Thanks Ron for the video.
The problem with the browning is you cleaned the barrel before you tried it cleaning the barrel can push burnt powder into the gas port i turn my bars upside down when i clean the barrel if it still stops up pull the forearm off and blow the gas block out with air
that is a crazy reason for it not working, how would the gas not purge any debris? the gas block is simply not adjusted properly, bar have a adjustable gas system though it is factory sealed and the seal should be reapplied after adjustment.
I learned that with the old 742 Remington if you keep the gas port clean and don't mess with the magazine they never jam but the thing people think is its a magazine problem when it's just a dirty gas port and gas block I have had several browning bars I have a couple now and as long as I turn the gun upside down it helps keep the bore cleaner from washing gunk into the gas port but if it does get dirty just take the forearm off and use an air hose and a basketball needle with the tip cut off it will clear it out
@@larrycundiff8905 I can't comment on the 742 as I don't have complete knowledge of the system. Though good idea on how to blow out the gas port. I usually full strip when I clean the bar, which means the gas block get scrubbed as well, never ran into any issue.
I’ve had a Dualventure on the front of my 701 and found it to be pretty good, pushed real hard on some serious descents in the Vic high country in February. The tire was heavily scalloped and shagged after the trip with about 4500kms on it. I’ve got a Rallyz on the front at the moment and early impressions are good.
Have that rifle in 7mm Rem. Mag. Wouldn’t eject either. Sent it back to Browning and when they sent it back,it cycles everything perfectly. Consistently shoots 1.5” - 1.75” groups now with Barnes Hornady and Rem corelokt. Still can’t get rid of the fear that one day it won’t cycle.
I bought a Browning auto when it first appeared on the market, Belgian made and beautifully finished, it seemed too pretty to hunt with and was a bit heavy with a scope. To my lasting regret, I sold it a few years later. Reliable and accurate it was.
742 bought in 1966 when I was nine from money I earned from putting up hay. I shot pre-date stamp military surplus which would ripoff the rim, and scatter primer into the action. Many, many more date stamped 1940s ammo. Didn't have a problem until the chamber erosion started causing occasional jambs. I have head that Remington had issues with the 742 and later versions, but Mine was great!
I owned a Sauer 303 in .30-06 It shot sub moa, sometimes a clover 3 round and had a great trigger, never had a feed problem, great recoil system. Very dirty gas block though, but now Sauer have released a new version of it. It loved either very heavy 30-06 cartridges or copper rounds like Sako Blade, Norma Ecostrike. If you want the best 303 out there buy one with the Synchro stock.
You did good getting rid of this outdated German autoloader. Now you can add some money and buy one of the two splendid Portugese rifles featured in this video.
I have a browning BAR safari II in 300 winmag. Love it!!! Never had issue with ejection, however I did have issue with Hornady whitetail ammo at a certain grain. Browning reimbursed me for the box of ammo and said it was a shim setting issue with that lot number. Other than that I’m happy with 1-2 inch groups!!!
Bear Creek Arsenal makes an AR style rifle called the “Huntmaster” and everyone who has one seems to be very happy with them. It might sound crazy but they make one in 300 Win mag as well. I have the 742 Woodsmaster that is incredibly accurate and very reliable. I know people called them the jamomatic but it has never failed for me.
17:44 thats literally the most common failure of the ar15. Maybe second most common behind the bolt splitting in half at the cam pin. Also, the multiple small lugs vs 2 big lugs is less of an issue in machining, and more of a mechanical efficiency issue. With a bunch of tiny lugs, the bolt only needs to rotate a few degrees for full lockup.
My 30-06 BAR MK3 shoots 1” at 100 yards with 180 grain hornady American whitetail (interlocks) and 180 Corelokts. Maybe 1.5” with a warm barrel. Never even cleaned the packing grease off from the factory just loaded it and started shooting and never had a fail to eject either.
I don't understand why you didn't include the Remington 7400/742 in your test, between the two models, there are about 2,000,000 in circulation. The Remingtons are easily the most prolific and among all the semi-autos, it's the rifle most likely to show up in deer camp.
I think they are mostly 4 MOA accuracy, the only thing they are good for is prominent civil rights leaders. That’s a joke don’t crucify me. I’m Jewish, that’s why I’m so funny.
My thoughts exactly… though the 7400/742 have massive problems due to the soft receiver . Not sure if you have one or not , but if you do , strip it down and polish the bolt,lugs and receiver and if you can afford it , I’ve heard there’s a few gunsmith’s that can case harden the receiver.
Bit of a comedy show, different trigger, flyers hitting high and getting worse as barrel heats up.... you just cleaned them , takes a few shots to get smaller groups ...always entertaining for sure. I have several vintage BAR's and all very accurate and perform flawlessly. Had 2 Remington 742s, 30-06 semì autos both had feeding issues in winter.
Yeah, and Noreen has been making the BN36 a long time now. You're right, it would have been nice to see them in the mix. I suspect the Bear Creek and the Noreen would have grouped better. Not impressed with the Browning or Benelli (and I love Benelli shotguns!).
Love the Remington auto loaders.. had a browning bar mat finish synthetic stock gold trigger. Loved the trap door too and had 2 spare mags they pop in and out fairly easy. My go to ammo that always had good groups was Remington corlokt 180 grain. Never had a feed issue with the bar but did with my 7400 and the cheap fix was a light coat of oil on the ammo. But I'm sure the bar was just dry out the box and needed oil.
Ron, I've just started watching your 30-06 series. Now I'm 66 years young and an experienced hunter/shooter and in today's arms market there are some uncontrolled variables that need to be noted. The barrels, some mfgs do a degree of lapping some do not making barrel breakin from non-existent to a couple of hundrred rounds. The second is the ammunition, the ammo mfgs have more variation it seems to me than they had in the 70's - 80's this has to do with the mfg climate more than anything. And the last thing is the bells and whistles on the guns, multi-lug, two stage triggers and control feeding. Most of these have been around for fourty or more years but are still considered to be the most recent of rifle innovations, well beside composite stocks which everyone has their own idea. Keep up these exceedingly interesing videos.
This was actually a pretty decent example of what I learned 3 decades ago. I’ve always been partial to the 30/06 loads. And when I first exited the military back then of course my first deer rifle was a semi auto Remington in 30/06. It’s what I knew back then with coming off of the M16A2 (being semi auto/full auto). But that rifle was just HARD to dial in. I blamed it on the scope, so I bought a better scope. Didn’t help it at all. I blamed it on me, until my brother in law let me shoot his bolt action Remington on range day. These days, I shoot a Ruger M77 and I tell ya what, I can drive nails with that rifle if I need to. It consistently hits 1” above the bulls eye. Every year for the last 7 years I take it out, wipe it down with my old oiled cleaning rag, dump 3 rounds into the magazine, take air right square onto the bull eye, squeeze the trigger and it hits 1” above the bullseye. I then take the other 2 rounds out, put em back into the box and go hunting. I’m not touching the dials on that scope for nothing until I have to.
This cross-generational collab just makes me so happy. What a kind teacher; what a humble student. Ron, you should go do a vid on his channel so he gets to be "the Master" for a turn! ... As to the rifles, I shoot Garands and M14s, and brother, tuning a semi-auto for match grade accuracy is part engineering, part gunsmithing, and part voodoo. Just too many interacting parts, tensions, etc. for repeatability unless you really obsess over every little thing. So, I'm not too surprised factory offerings are throwing pie plate groups. Tack driving from an autoloader definitely can be done, but it generally takes an obsessive's passion, a lot of money and even then, they tend to shoot themselves out of their sweet spot with time. I love them, but they just don't possess the inherent accuracy of a bolt action. But man, are they fun!
Ron, you might have to adjust the gas piston gas intake. There is a screw on the gas piston that you can adjust. Try ipening it up more to let more gas into the piston so the operating rod can fully push the bolt carrier back and eject the shell casing.
My dad carried a BAR (1917) in Korea and said it had good knockdown power; but the action with the 1917 and the modern BAR hunting rifle are much different. Though there seems to be another semi-auto in the 30-06 chambering called the Garand, that is often overlooked for hunting, but 3 shot clips are available.
Hi Ron, I have a MK3 in 3006 and Remington Core-Lokt has been great for me but 180gr (round tip and green tip). Over 100 rounds and break-in was important. My dad hand loads and it definitely likes the 2800 FPS area. You also have to play with the screw on the front grip for the right torque. I get consistently 1 inch or slightly under groups at 100 yards. Happy to connect about it if you need more information!
The breech bolt is not cycling all the way to the rear of the receiver which could signal a scope base screw which is too long. The bolt appears to "hit the wall" at the edge of the ejection port every shot.
I have this exact rifle and I use it for tracking deer in the snowy mountains. My BAR shoots sub moa and has never jammed, even in freezing wet conditions. I dont run a scope on it tho, I run a skinner peep and front sight. Flawless rifle hands down
My wife’s BAR in 300 Win Mag has a BOSS and it will shoot 2 1/2 inch groups at 300 yards. My 300 WSM BAR will shoot 4 1/2 inch groups at 300 yards. I’ve reloaded for nearly 60 years. That’s the best they will do.
Hey Ron, just inherited my grandfather’s Remington 7400 Carbine in 3006-what an interesting and handy little rifle. A BAR or Benelli it ain’t, that’s for sure, but an autoloading ‘06 sure is a fun time. Hopefully I can take that little guy out this fall-it’s what my grandpa would have wanted! Thanks for the video!
I have a Benelli 300 win mag auto loader and it took forever to find the right load! 180 grain seams to be the trick lower grain bullets groups 4” at 100 yards 1” groups with 180 grain bullets. 😊
I have tried the auto rifles and shotguns several different times over the years and do not have any in my safe. I have had so many issues with them over the years I just flat out don't mess with them anymore.
I have a Browning Safari in 30-06. It shoots 3/4 inch groups of a rest all day long using a moderate load of IMR 4064 and Speer 180 grain boat-tail soft points. I've used it to take Whitetail Deer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and on the plains of South Central Kansas. It is a little heavy for a walking around rifle, but for use on a stand its top notch. Also, I've never experienced the malfunctions shown in this video. Maybe they have some crud on the ejector? I've had similar experiences with the Remington 742.
My 30-06 will not get better than 3 or 4 inch groups with 150s, but prints under an inch with all 180s I've tried, and I've been playing with that rifle for 20 years.
I have two Browning BARs. One is a Mk 3 and one is a DBM. They're in 308 caliber and function flawlessly. Sighted in the Mk 3 and it's 1 moa good, but haven't sighted in the short-barrel DBM yet. Working on it.😐
There are a much larger variety of these "hunting" semi-autos available here in Europe. The demand is higher here because of the amount of driven shooting, as you correctly point out. Sauer make the excellent 303. In addition the Merkel SR1, Winchester SXR, Haenel SLB 2000 and Voere 2185 and others. These all resemble the BAR and Benelli and have small capacity mags only. They are ideal for fast moving game. In my experience 80m is a long shot on driven game. I brought my Benelli in 308Win calibre to a three position match (standing at 100m, sitting/ kneeling at 200m and prone at 300m,) a couple of weeks ago. I came second, so they also can shoot beyond the normal driven hunting distances. Enjoyed the video. Keep 'em coming!
I have the same BAR, never one cycling issue yet after about 100 rounds of various ammo. And the gas port is adjustable if it's not cycling and/or cycling too hard
Bear Creek makes a fine auto loader in 30-06. Automatic reloaded that run on blow-back to eject and chamber a new round need to be held firmly in order to operate properly. Tuck the stock in firmly to your shoulder and stand fast. Recoil is the answer. It will work properly if this is done.
My father has the mark 1 I think, it might be the mark 2 but it’s very picky about what ammo you run through it, after shooting a lot of brands we started to notice what grains it would like to run and how hot the charge is, after we got that down it ran like champ and pretty accurately almost to my A-bolt. I know the mark 3 is gas driven so it’s a hole different criteria having to tune that gas timing up just right.
Benelli R1 …mine is a 30-06, shoulders great I think it’s an absolutely beautiful rifle fit and finish is second to none. With the right load it shoots 1.5” groups all day. As far as factory ammo Sako powerhead 185gr 1.5” groups no problem. I shot over 600 rounds thru this rifle and believe it or not not a single malfunction. Recoils like a 6.5 Grendel thru an AR basically non existent
I had a BAR in 06 back in 80’s and it would shoot a minute with 165grainers. Traded it for a lefty Montifeltro 12 gauge HK branded. Lefty 12s were far and few between back then.
That new Browning BAR is awfully purdy. Another rifle that I have always wanted, especially since Guns and Ammo magazine published an article of one converted to .458 in the 70s. They've become even nicer looking rifles now and 30-06 is just fine---if it doesn't malfunction and group sizes halve.
Nice shirt, Chase! I like to get wildlife print button-up shirts whenever I can. They are classy and comfortable in most any weather. Not to mention, if a bit of your lunch gets on it, nobody notices. You can't do that with a solid color shirt!😊
I've had a BAR and a Benelli R1. The BAR was fairly accurate and always ejected. The Benelli was initially as inaccurate as the one here but it took me a while to work on the trigger pull and holding it and working on the load it got much better. Neither one is a precision rifle.
As a much younger man I always bought a copy of the Shooter's Bible each year and spent hours pouring over the catalog and the ballistics charts. I spent a lot of time selecting what I thought were the most desirable firearms, and the Browning Automatic Rifle in .30-06 was always on the "Top Most Desirable Rifles" list. I never had the money to buy rifles until after I retired, by which time I was more interested in handguns. But I have to tell you I am badly disappointed by the problems with the semi-automatic .30-06 rifles featured here. I have the disposable bucks now to buy a BAR if I wanted one. I think I will stick with the bolt action and lever action platforms I have unless I happen across a vintage BAR in .308 or .30-06 at a good price. If the folks at Browning and Benelli watch this video, they need to try to improve on the performance of their semi-auto rifles for sure. Good video, but the results are really disappointing.
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Honestly Ron , after watching some of your bench rest shooting, Precision shooting dosent seem to follow you about. With a Remington model 74, 06 I have obtained 1/2 MOA with certain ammo.
I have the BAR 2 Safari in 300 win mag. Much superior to the BAR 3 in my eyes
@@AlanThomas-hp3fn
My Grandfather hunted deer with a BAR, he bought his in the late 1960s and it's mint in the box with the receipt. He got a buck every year until the early 2000s and he never once hunted from a stand, he tracked on foot through the hills of southeast Oklahoma. He was a champion feather weight boxer and would gut the deer and carry it back over his shoulders with his rifle sometimes way further than he wanted to be from camp and into the night, alone. My father did the same thing but he was 6'3" and 240lbs. and he used a bolt action because he didn't miss. Neither of them used scopes and they both hunted black powder and bow season as well. By the time they dragged me out there it was walkie talkies and three wheelers and my dad was dead and my grandfather was in his 60s. So there was someone to come get the deer for him. I will always be amazed at the quality of men that built this country. Because to them that was just part of being a man that if you asked anyone to do today they couldn't to save their life. No wonder my grandfathers testosterone is higher at 91 years old than the average 18 year old today. I cut down an oak in his front yard recently, he gave me his chainsaw afterwards. He stood where he wanted me to fell the tree and casually walked out from underneath it as it dropped right where he was standing on his titanium knees. I have never seen him more upset about anything than the fact that he couldn't cut down that tree. Old man I'd give you all my bone marrow and blood if it would keep you around forever, you are a far better man than I'll ever be.
Mr Spomer, I'm 29. I spend a majority of my time taking care of my grandmother and myself. I went through hunters safety at around 12 with my cousin, it was a blast, I looked forward to my first hunt. Day never came however, got kinda sick and life took me for a ride. Now after everything i've been through the only thing that remains consistent to me is that I NEED to get back in the woods... I'm from Michigan, hunting is in our DNA here. Your videos provide an escape that otherwise would be inaccessible to me at the moment. Thank you, Sincerely.
You are most welcomed, sir. I hope you can return to the wilds soon and often to heal from its restorative calm.
From Michigan- hunting, in DNA- I hear THAT... grew up in G.R. area and hunted from a young age on grandparents and family land... Nothing like an 870 with multiple barrels! Old now, I left there decades ago for the Rocky Mtns, but the Michigan woods (MINUS the winters!) will be a part of me as long as I live on this space-rock... Best wishes and be well! 😊
You get out from under the Apron and see the Middle East Son. Learn a Foreign Language and hunker down where ever you run out of steam. Clean? You will never get that dirt off you.
Hey bro, I’m from Michigan I live in Trenton, if you want I’ll take ya out hunting get ya into it. Hope you see this. I’ll look for notifications.
That browning has an adjustable gas block in the front. Simply take off the forearm, and a turn of the screw in small increments until it ejects reliably will fix the issue. From time to time they come from browning not properly adjusted
Good to know
I really wonder if they oiled the rifle before testing. I know you shouldn't have to but it's good practice
I knew it had to be user error thanks for knowing what it takes to make the gun function properly
That's good advice, thank you - but they should fix that "from time to time" thing. I was in the market for an auto loader, and of course, these two rifles (Benelli & B.A.R.) were my two choices. Thanks to this video, I'm buying neither & going with a bolt action.
@@bushwoogie I do a basic field strip and cleaning with all new guns. By basic I mean minimal/ If it doesn't work straight out the box it may have an issue
Thanks Ron. I grew up in a Western Washington camp. As a kid everyone in our camp and most of the neighboring camps ran Remington 742, 740’s and a 7400 all in 30-06. The two odd men out ran a Remington 760 in 270 win and the other a Winchester 88 in .308. I’ve seen piles of elk and deer killed with 180 corlokts and those autoloaders My Dad still runs his 742 and 180 grain bullets.
was contemplating getting a browning. big bucks for a non ejecting, 3 1/2" group at 100, rifle. im glad ron kept it honest.
It must have a manufacturing issue. My BAR in 308 is gold.. sub moa at 100
I used to collect BARs, still have a few Belgium made Grade IIs..
When they are brand new it takes a few boxes to break them in. Make sure when you put your scope mounts on that the screws are not to long as they will interfere with the bolt. Also, you have to check the forearm, the two charging bars sometimes rub on the forearm wood, just sand off the wood to obtain clearance… The BARs are prone to variations to heat buildup in the barrel. Space your shots out when sighting in. The originals made in Belgium BARs are much higher build quality and produce the best accuracy……
My rem 7400 vintage mid 1980s prints 3/4 to 1" with a cold barrel and 180g rem core lockt..once the barrel warms up I get a flyer not more then 2 1/2 "groups though hunted with it 35 years no jams no issues
I have a Benelli R1 in .338 win mag. Accuracy is somewhat dependent on the ammo used. They are not tack-drivers. But taming 4 rounds of .338 win mag to .30-06 recoil is fabulous!
There is a gas block adjustment on the BAR. I have the mark 3 in 243 Win, it has never failed to feed and eject properly. There’s a guy on TH-cam that shows you how to make the adjustment.
Been loving hunting all my life thanks to my father taking me out, letting me learn to hunt with getting all the grouse we needed for food while moose hunting. Miss him and being out with him . Your show reminds me of my dad and all the AWSOME things I learned from our time in the bush.
We use those rifles in Bosnia and Herzegovina a lof (I mean hunters use them in whole Europe, bit I am talking about my case) Almost all of them are Browning BAR new rifles and Benelli Argo rifles (they are pretty much in the same price point), a lot of people are happy with them, exactly like Ron said, people shooting running wild boars in the forest at 50 yards and they are made for that. If someone needs 1moa group than he should choose something else. We use also a lot of combination guns, also new production from Sabatti, FAIR, Antonio Zolli, CZ and they are in the most of cases chambered in 30-06 (bottom barrel) with 12 gauge 3 inch magnum on the top. You can actually choose between 308 and 30-06 in each gun. In the most of European countries we don't shoot over 150 yards and in my land and my terrain it is even a lot less than that. Even a good shotgun is enough, but we all want to have rifles because of big wild boars and brown bears so we do sometimes need more bullets and our accuracy is less important, because when you are staying at 30 yards from big aggressive brown bear even your 10 round magazine loaded with 180 grain Soft point bullets in 308 or 30-06 looks too small... I mean for me those rifles are okay, maybe they aren't precise enough for some people, but at 100 yards that is still dead Bear, Wolf, Roebuck even fox..
I own a Remington 750 and a 7400 in 30-06 and both shoot flawlessly. I have recently a Winchester SXR2 in 300 win mag that shots as accurate as any bolt gun that I own.
Ron I’ve seen Remington 742 woodsmasters and browning mark three bar both in many different calibers shoot just as good groups as any bolt action,,I’ve had three and all three of them preformed flawlessly for many years and shot under one inch groups with many different kinds of ammo ,,,one was a 270 mark three , one was a 308 mark three ,,the other was a 742 Remington in 3006 ,,,all of them were very fine rifles.
Now you need to find an original hunting Belgian BAR in. 30-06 and also the BAR with the B.O.S.S. attached.
On my two Browning Stainless Stalkers in 280 Rem and 7mmRemMag they’re both dialled in to 3 shot 1/2” repeatable groups. There are old vids of writers at a BOSS testing day. There were plenty of 3 shot 1/2” groups in various factory ammo.
And there was me wanting a BAR. Now I don't think I do. I'm glad I watched this video.
I've got 17 rounds through my BAR Mk3 stalker and haven't had any issues. I know that's a tiny sample size, but I do like the rifle. Maybe this one just needed some oil
I have four BARS in four different calibers . 1968: in .270 Win, 1968 in 30'06, 1969 in 7mm Rem magnum, and a 1980 in .280 Remington . Never have I had a failure to fire, or extract . Looks like that gun's going to a Browning service center for warranty work .
@@rjwickland6557 might be a lemon, but a modern BAR isn't the same as an older one. The tooling has been changed, the workers are different, just apples to oranges.
This can also be the ammo used, auto loaders are very susceptible to weak ammo. Plus its a new gun they often need to be shot a few times before they really get honed in. I would conduct far better research than one video you happened upon.
Mine printed 2.5 inches at 200 yards
I had a Browning BAR with the BOSS muzzle brake in 7mm Rem. Mag. That gun loved every brand and weight of ammo. Never had a misfire nor case not ejecting. With the right hand loads I could get 1/2 min. groups, Loved that rifle but had to sell it to a friend. Every time I ask him how's my rifle, he just smiles from ear to ear.
I bought a Remington 742 .30-06 in about 1978. It shot 3.moa groups with factory loads, and 1" groups with hand loads it liked.
The M1 was a pretty good semiauto 30.06. In Army basic we shot popup targets at 500 yds. using the telescoping peep sights. We shot a few sight in shots that hit in the dirt short of the popup targets. Then we got to use tracer ammo to get zeroed in closer to the popup targets. It was amazing how many popups we hit.
Damn brother , when did you go through BCT ? I went through Knox 1/69 starting , and we had the M14 .
I’m a Remington 760 GameMaster 30.06 guy and 742 Woodsmaster 30.06 man
Hello Ron. There are a few more autoloaders in 30-06 on the market. You should check German brands like Sauer and Merkel. There's the Merkel SR1 and the Sauer 303, both are available in 30-06. I bet you can find even more from smaller manufacturers if you do a little bit of research. Especially the Sauer is known for very high quality here in Germany.
50 years ago in Tennessee the standard deer rifle was a Rem 742 in 30 06. They do not even make it now. Times have changed.
Ron, I love my BAR in 30-06. My dad bought me this rifle in the early 1970s (1970.)when we were in Mississippi so I could go deer hunting with one of his employees. Since then I’ve harvested a lot of whitetails in SC with no malfunctions. My rifle doesn’t have any gas adjustment that I’m aware of. Over time I had to clean the gas system. Once I got the piston moving freely I had no malfunctioning. I got my first buck, a 4-point in velvet, with this rifle. If you drop the floor plate with the magazine in, grasp the bottom of the mag and pull out and it will come out. I have a spare mag that always carry.
I’ve used factory ammo but the friend who taught me how to reload came up with the load I’ve hunted with all of these years. He came up with a 165gr Sierra HPBT using 46.5 gr of IMR4895. In my rifle it shoots about 4-6 inch groups at 100yds., but that’s me because I don’t shoot a lot anymore. It’s good enough for hunting and that’s what it’s for.
I set it aside in 2020 when I got a complete upper for my AR in 350 Legend and I’m trying to work that rifle up for deer in SC. Most of our shots are under 200 yards so I’m hopeful it will work using 165gr bullets too.
Like I said I love my 30-06 BAR, just trying something new.
Walt Martin
Someone at Browning is getting fired for sending this rifle to Ron Spomer.
Seriously doubt that I’m pretty sure Browning knows these BAR’s are not accurate shooting auto loaders from my person experience (see my comment posted earlier today on this post)
I have a R1 Benelli in 338 Win Mag, I love it. Recoil feels less then my 270. Mine never jams and is pretty accurate at 100 yards when zeroing in.
Great thing and information not too many people know. Is that the After Market parts for that BAR Battle Rifle that is currently made, will fit on the Browning BAR SA Hunting Rifle, and on the 1's Remington used to make. So, a Pistol Grip, Adjustable Buttstock, Higher Cap Mags are available for them. You are all welcome for that information.
I like the idea of a autoloader that looks like that but seeing that many failure to eject is not confidence inspiring.
I have my father's Remington 742 in 30-06, he told me he had it accurized, not sure what all that entailed, but I saw him shoot a cloverleaf group at 75 yards with it 25 years ago. I use it occasionally to this day.
My dad's Browning i inherited shoots awesome it's a mark 2 in 270 win. he got in the early 70s,I believe .it has a 2.5 lb. Trigger pull made in Belgium.
I have friends that have old Browning Bar that puts hand loads 3 in one ragged hole. Always wanted one but now I will stick with my bolt actions.
Do your research. The 1918 BAR isn't precursor of the modern non Browning designed BAR.
Yup...much different action.....fires from an open bolt, too.
Man he made the video. If you want to make a damn video go ahead.
And similarly the new Browning A5 is not based on the same action as the original Browning-designed Auto 5.
I once had a Remington 740 that had barely any bluing on the receiver. It looked like a club. I had a cheap old scope on it. It would shoot 2” groups at 100 no matter the ammo I used. It never failed to feed or function. I hate myself for letting it leave my gun safe.
Does a M1 Garand count as a good shooting rifle?
They can do pretty well, but in general not terribly. The nature of their construction and design doesn't seat them well in their stocks. Precision accuracy wasn't a part of their initial design. They can be accurized, but often they are three (sometimes 4) moa rifle. Handloading and bedding the stock can go a long way, and some can be incredible shooters. I knew a fellow who could consistently shoot barbed wire strands at just over a hundred yards with iron sights. The garand does have fantastic sights.
🙋🏼♂️
@@sinisterthoughts2896 used them quite a bit shooting High-power matches, as have others. Never noticed our non-accurized Garands having trouble with accuracy.
I’ve hunted with mine , when sighting in at a hundred yards , it would group tight enough that’s I could cover all eight with a silver dollar , more then enough for elk , ,or as a coyote found out
Most folks can’t shoot less than 2MOA. Which is more than accurate enough for hunting. Not to mention quick follow up shots. Maybe not the best choice for a target rifle. But still many have been used to win tournaments with them.
I have BAR mk3 in .308 and I only experienced groups above 1" @100 meters with a single specific ammo. Apart from this single example, I have tried at least 15 different loads so far and they always keep the groups below 1" at 100 meters.
About the ejection failure, I only experienced this with American Eagle FMJs. All other hunting ammos I ever tried haven't caused a single ejection/feeding failure for 500+ shots I have with this rifle.
Also, no breaking the barrel was needed on my end. It was shooting 1/2 to an inch groups out of the box.
Let me guess 3 shot groups . Because they rifles are not sub moa “all day “
That browning is a high dollar single shot
I inherited a Rem 7400. It’s great. Got my first elk with it years ago. Shoots sub 2 MOA with most ammo, though I handload, which gets it down to 1.75 MOA. Very reliable feeding.
It is not easy to disassemble so it gets a cleaning once every 3-4 years/100 rounds and still functions with no issues. It really likes the heavier bullets. 200gn Barnes LRX is accurate and very reliable.
I like the old 742 keep it clean and I never had a problem out of mine.
I still have my dad's Remington 742 Woodmaster semi-automatic 306. Great rifle IMO and I have taken whitetail out to 100 yards no problem. Where I hunt on the East Coast 100 yards is about as far as you can see through the woods.
The BAR probably isnt feeding because you are allowing it to push you backwards. If you push your shoulder into the rifle harder it might start cycling. A similar thing happens with pistols if you "limpwrist" them. If you dont have a tight grip you do not let the slide come back as fast because the velocity of the pistol/rifle going backwards takes force away from the bolt coming back.
I forget the physics terms as its been a few year since i took the class lol
@@JaredOakes-dw6vuIt's called fiction physics
@@E6EES th-cam.com/video/n8dftr12gyY/w-d-xo.html
@@E6EES th-cam.com/video/n8dftr12gyY/w-d-xo.html
I didn't know that. My Baretta 12ga kicks my butt by ejects at least
My dad used a MK2 Safari in 3006 for a very long time. Great rifle, accurate, and never failed. I think you will find that the failures in this video will be corrected by a good oiling. BARs don’t like to run dry.
It's that receiver......it's not the same material as our Mark II Safari receivers.....
Yeah, I've had the Mk2 Safari and Mk1 both Belgium made, but never once a failure to eject or feed, still my favorite go to everything rifle, I'd love to hear a follow up on that issue.
I've taken dozens of whitetail over the last 20 years with a MK2 Safari. Accuracy is what I'd call... OK. I'm pretty sure I could do better if I spent more time with the barrel tuner or some load development. But I've never tried taking anything outside about 325 yards. Beautiful gun and smooth shooting, I'll still use it while sitting, and my 6.5 Grendel is now the walking gun, being almost 3 pounds lighter than the ought-6.
There's a few guys from Big Woods Bucks that carry the Browning BAR MK III while tracking bucks and love them in the big woods of the Northeast for their accuracy, speed, variety of calibers, carry ability, dependability for a semiautomatic. Most of them cut them down to 18". Great video Ron! Always informative and entertaining! Keep'em coming!🤙🦌
I’m a reloader and get 1” groups with my MK3 Bar. Same rifle in the vid. Never an issue feeding with factory or reloads. It takes some tuning. Did shoot 3-4” groups with factory ammo.
I have a Browning A-bolt in 300WM that I bought new in 1990. It has the same magazine drop as that autoloader. Took about five hunting seasons to realize the magazine actually removes from the floor plate. Yes you can get extra magazines. Good video, Thanks guys.
That is a nice straight pull bolt action browning. Its illegal to hunt with auto-loaders in pennsylvania but this one should fit the criteria well
Exactly what I was thinking. Pretty slick looking for a Steyr M95, lol
Does that include shotgun also, first I herd of that as I'm from mi
@jameswilson322 semi auto shotgun is legal for turkey and small game, only like 3 years ago they legalized auto loading shotguns for deer with slugs only. I wish buckshot was legal to use I've always wanted to take a deer with buckshot
@kody7316 probly better off with a slug , a lot of deer get wounded with buckshot and you are limited on how far you shoot . What do you have to hunt with
Just started the video, can’t wait to see Ron run the Ohio Ordinance HCAR.
Or the BN-36
Took my Remington Model 7400 out for its first range day since I owned it. I had gave it a great cleaning, had to buy a good OEM magazine, a new front sight and she shot like a dream. I’m considering taking the old stiff Tasco scope off of it and running straight irons on it.
I grew up around the 30-06 and that is what I use now. As a kid I remember my step father purchased a BAR chambered in 30-06 sometime in the mid 80's and initially had problems with it. If i remember correctly he sent it back to Browning to have it tuned at least once, maybe twice before it was anywhere near reliable.
Check the scope base screws if they are a thread or two long it will cause the ejection problem. And the barrel on the Benelli can’t be free floating because the forearm is attached to a lug welded to the barrel and secured with a bolt so it’s not free floating. And after 3 rounds with either one of them and the barrel heat will start moving the barrel so a 4 or 5 inch group is about the best you could hope for.
Dirty chamber will also cause fail to eject.
I literally own both rifles the browning, Bar in 308 an 18 inch barrel composite and
the Benelli in the composite comfort tech stock in 3o-06 with 18 in barrel and I don’t understand the difficulties with them rifles that you have because mine at 100 yards are set at an inch high and dead center and I can put 3 to 5 shot groups with either rifle right there on the spot every day all day so you may have to break them in. I use only Hornady ammunition off the shelf American Whitetail 150 grain in the 308 and 180 grain and the 06 bold very accurate hunting rifles. I have one many running deer shoot out to 225 yards with both rifles and I have shot deer here on the farm out to 360 yards with both rifles. One shot one kill I know you’re very very shooter and very experience with rifles, but I am as well. They are very accurate rifles. Once you break them in and find what ammo they like.😊
Thanks for noting the elbow-out stance. I grew up shooting higher power/heavier recoiling rifles, so I was going crazy looking at how some "experts" insist on tucking in the elbow. I wonder if this is why so many people complain about getting "beat up" when they try to shoot heavy 12 gauge loads because I've never had an issue with felt recoil.
I love the BAR...had it almost 40yrs...still rock solid reliable. Although, I don't use it much these days and I have reverted to mostly lever guns...lighter and will still get the job done for most of my hunting areas.
My uncle had a BAR in 270 Winchester made in Belgium back in the 70s. His favorite deer rifle. He took many white tails with it until he passed a few years ago.
I bought a bar in 300 win mag about 3 years ago. Long story short, it was a beautiful rifle (the most expensive boat paddle I’ve ever owned) and I was excited to take it hunting that fall. Mine had an adjustable gas block but warranty is voided if you mess with it without a certified browning smith. I sent that rifle back 3 times to browning for failure to eject and/or feed. I tried multiple ammo and loads. Browning’s answer was to keep mailing it in. I heavily invested in the rifle to get it to work; I believe I had a lemon. Browning and bass pro never backed the rifle for exchange after three trips to the browning factory for check and repair. I passed that rifle on after its last “browning certified” inspection. I don’t own a browning in the safe. I’m a bolt gun all the way guy now. Ask the lemon policy from the seller before you purchase. It matters in the end. I think browning makes beautiful rifles and great features; it’s the customer service that got me in the end. Good luck to anyone purchasing. Ron’s reviews and bench shooting of the rifle seemed spot on for the BAR you get today.
Thanks Ron for the video.
The problem with the browning is you cleaned the barrel before you tried it cleaning the barrel can push burnt powder into the gas port i turn my bars upside down when i clean the barrel if it still stops up pull the forearm off and blow the gas block out with air
that is a crazy reason for it not working, how would the gas not purge any debris? the gas block is simply not adjusted properly, bar have a adjustable gas system though it is factory sealed and the seal should be reapplied after adjustment.
I learned that with the old 742 Remington if you keep the gas port clean and don't mess with the magazine they never jam but the thing people think is its a magazine problem when it's just a dirty gas port and gas block I have had several browning bars I have a couple now and as long as I turn the gun upside down it helps keep the bore cleaner from washing gunk into the gas port but if it does get dirty just take the forearm off and use an air hose and a basketball needle with the tip cut off it will clear it out
@@larrycundiff8905 I can't comment on the 742 as I don't have complete knowledge of the system. Though good idea on how to blow out the gas port. I usually full strip when I clean the bar, which means the gas block get scrubbed as well, never ran into any issue.
I’ve had a Dualventure on the front of my 701 and found it to be pretty good, pushed real hard on some serious descents in the Vic high country in February. The tire was heavily scalloped and shagged after the trip with about 4500kms on it. I’ve got a Rallyz on the front at the moment and early impressions are good.
Have that rifle in 7mm Rem. Mag. Wouldn’t eject either. Sent it back to Browning and when they sent it back,it cycles everything perfectly. Consistently shoots 1.5” - 1.75” groups now with Barnes Hornady and Rem corelokt. Still can’t get rid of the fear that one day it won’t cycle.
I bought a Browning auto when it first appeared on the market, Belgian made and beautifully finished, it seemed too pretty to hunt with and was a bit heavy with a scope. To my lasting regret, I sold it a few years later. Reliable and accurate it was.
742 bought in 1966 when I was nine from money I earned from putting up hay. I shot pre-date stamp military surplus which would ripoff the rim, and scatter primer into the action. Many, many more date stamped 1940s ammo. Didn't have a problem until the chamber erosion started causing occasional jambs. I have head that Remington had issues with the 742 and later versions, but Mine was great!
I have bar over 20 years.. one time there was problems. When it was new and had storage oils in... clean it and no single problem
I owned a Sauer 303 in .30-06
It shot sub moa, sometimes a clover 3 round and had a great trigger, never had a feed problem, great recoil system.
Very dirty gas block though, but now Sauer have released a new version of it.
It loved either very heavy 30-06 cartridges or copper rounds like Sako Blade, Norma Ecostrike.
If you want the best 303 out there buy one with the Synchro stock.
You did good getting rid of this outdated German autoloader. Now you can add some money and buy one of the two splendid Portugese rifles featured in this video.
@@ASPushkin51 I bought a 404 instead 😂
I have a browning BAR safari II in 300 winmag. Love it!!! Never had issue with ejection, however I did have issue with Hornady whitetail ammo at a certain grain. Browning reimbursed me for the box of ammo and said it was a shim setting issue with that lot number. Other than that I’m happy with 1-2 inch groups!!!
Browning made a pretty good semiauto rifle with a locking bolt that was very accurate. A friend had one in 7 Rem Mag.
That was when they were all steel. A friend of mine has one in 300winmag that will drive tacks at 100yrds.
The german company Sauer is producing an auto loader chambered in 30-06 (Modell 303)
Thanks for this. We missed that one.
Bear Creek Arsenal makes an AR style rifle called the “Huntmaster” and everyone who has one seems to be very happy with them. It might sound crazy but they make one in 300 Win mag as well. I have the 742 Woodsmaster that is incredibly accurate and very reliable. I know people called them the jamomatic but it has never failed for me.
As heavy as an ar10 is,I can only imagine how heavy one of those are.
Kinda takes the fun out of the hunt carrying a vw on your shoulder.
17:44 thats literally the most common failure of the ar15. Maybe second most common behind the bolt splitting in half at the cam pin.
Also, the multiple small lugs vs 2 big lugs is less of an issue in machining, and more of a mechanical efficiency issue. With a bunch of tiny lugs, the bolt only needs to rotate a few degrees for full lockup.
Just got a new to me Remington 742 in .30-06
My 30-06 BAR MK3 shoots 1” at 100 yards with 180 grain hornady American whitetail (interlocks) and 180 Corelokts. Maybe 1.5” with a warm barrel. Never even cleaned the packing grease off from the factory just loaded it and started shooting and never had a fail to eject either.
I don't understand why you didn't include the Remington 7400/742 in your test, between the two models, there are about 2,000,000 in circulation. The Remingtons are easily the most prolific and among all the semi-autos, it's the rifle most likely to show up in deer camp.
Maybe the more accurate of all
Allot of folks complain about them for various reasons. My 742 carbine runs perfectly and is more than accurate enough.
I think they are mostly 4 MOA accuracy, the only thing they are good for is prominent civil rights leaders. That’s a joke don’t crucify me. I’m Jewish, that’s why I’m so funny.
My thoughts exactly… though the 7400/742 have massive problems due to the soft receiver .
Not sure if you have one or not , but if you do , strip it down and polish the bolt,lugs and receiver and if you can afford it , I’ve heard there’s a few gunsmith’s that can case harden the receiver.
He said they don't make them anymore, and they were doing production rifles.
Bit of a comedy show, different trigger, flyers hitting high and getting worse as barrel heats up.... you just cleaned them , takes a few shots to get smaller groups ...always entertaining for sure. I have several vintage BAR's and all very accurate and perform flawlessly. Had 2 Remington 742s, 30-06 semì autos both had feeding issues in winter.
Bear Creek Arsenal makes an “AR-8” in 30-06. That would have been fun to throw in the mix!
Yeah, and Noreen has been making the BN36 a long time now. You're right, it would have been nice to see them in the mix. I suspect the Bear Creek and the Noreen would have grouped better. Not impressed with the Browning or Benelli (and I love Benelli shotguns!).
Love the Remington auto loaders.. had a browning bar mat finish synthetic stock gold trigger. Loved the trap door too and had 2 spare mags they pop in and out fairly easy. My go to ammo that always had good groups was Remington corlokt 180 grain.
Never had a feed issue with the bar but did with my 7400 and the cheap fix was a light coat of oil on the ammo.
But I'm sure the bar was just dry out the box and needed oil.
Ron, I've just started watching your 30-06 series. Now I'm 66 years young and an experienced hunter/shooter and in today's arms market there are some uncontrolled variables that need to be noted. The barrels, some mfgs do a degree of lapping some do not making barrel breakin from non-existent to a couple of hundrred rounds. The second is the ammunition, the ammo mfgs have more variation it seems to me than they had in the 70's - 80's this has to do with the mfg climate more than anything. And the last thing is the bells and whistles on the guns, multi-lug, two stage triggers and control feeding. Most of these have been around for fourty or more years but are still considered to be the most recent of rifle innovations, well beside composite stocks which everyone has their own idea. Keep up these exceedingly interesing videos.
This was actually a pretty decent example of what I learned 3 decades ago.
I’ve always been partial to the 30/06 loads. And when I first exited the military back then of course my first deer rifle was a semi auto Remington in 30/06. It’s what I knew back then with coming off of the M16A2 (being semi auto/full auto).
But that rifle was just HARD to dial in. I blamed it on the scope, so I bought a better scope. Didn’t help it at all. I blamed it on me, until my brother in law let me shoot his bolt action Remington on range day.
These days, I shoot a Ruger M77 and I tell ya what, I can drive nails with that rifle if I need to. It consistently hits 1” above the bulls eye. Every year for the last 7 years I take it out, wipe it down with my old oiled cleaning rag, dump 3 rounds into the magazine, take air right square onto the bull eye, squeeze the trigger and it hits 1” above the bullseye. I then take the other 2 rounds out, put em back into the box and go hunting.
I’m not touching the dials on that scope for nothing until I have to.
This cross-generational collab just makes me so happy. What a kind teacher; what a humble student. Ron, you should go do a vid on his channel so he gets to be "the Master" for a turn! ... As to the rifles, I shoot Garands and M14s, and brother, tuning a semi-auto for match grade accuracy is part engineering, part gunsmithing, and part voodoo. Just too many interacting parts, tensions, etc. for repeatability unless you really obsess over every little thing. So, I'm not too surprised factory offerings are throwing pie plate groups. Tack driving from an autoloader definitely can be done, but it generally takes an obsessive's passion, a lot of money and even then, they tend to shoot themselves out of their sweet spot with time. I love them, but they just don't possess the inherent accuracy of a bolt action. But man, are they fun!
Ron, you might have to adjust the gas piston gas intake. There is a screw on the gas piston that you can adjust. Try ipening it up more to let more gas into the piston so the operating rod can fully push the bolt carrier back and eject the shell casing.
My dad carried a BAR (1917) in Korea and said it had good knockdown power; but the action with the 1917 and the modern BAR hunting rifle are much different. Though there seems to be another semi-auto in the 30-06 chambering called the Garand, that is often overlooked for hunting, but 3 shot clips are available.
Hi Ron,
I have a MK3 in 3006 and Remington Core-Lokt has been great for me but 180gr (round tip and green tip). Over 100 rounds and break-in was important. My dad hand loads and it definitely likes the 2800 FPS area. You also have to play with the screw on the front grip for the right torque. I get consistently 1 inch or slightly under groups at 100 yards.
Happy to connect about it if you need more information!
Plenty of Rem 7400's in the used gun racks.
The breech bolt is not cycling all the way to the rear of the receiver which could signal a scope base screw which is too long. The bolt appears to "hit the wall" at the edge of the ejection port every shot.
I have this exact rifle and I use it for tracking deer in the snowy mountains. My BAR shoots sub moa and has never jammed, even in freezing wet conditions. I dont run a scope on it tho, I run a skinner peep and front sight. Flawless rifle hands down
My wife’s BAR in 300 Win Mag has a BOSS and it will shoot 2 1/2 inch groups at 300 yards. My 300 WSM BAR will shoot 4 1/2 inch groups at 300 yards. I’ve reloaded for nearly 60 years. That’s the best they will do.
Hey Ron, just inherited my grandfather’s Remington 7400 Carbine in 3006-what an interesting and handy little rifle. A BAR or Benelli it ain’t, that’s for sure, but an autoloading ‘06 sure is a fun time. Hopefully I can take that little guy out this fall-it’s what my grandpa would have wanted! Thanks for the video!
I have a Benelli 300 win mag auto loader and it took forever to find the right load! 180 grain seams to be the trick lower grain bullets groups 4” at 100 yards 1” groups with 180 grain bullets. 😊
I have tried the auto rifles and shotguns several different times over the years and do not have any in my safe. I have had so many issues with them over the years I just flat out don't mess with them anymore.
Watching Ron handle an auto loader is like watching my grandfather use a smartphone
It looked like his first time on the range. LOL
And looked like it was a big Magnum as much recoil it had! LOL
Great break down...Would love to have a class with Ron on anything to do with guns/ammo and or firearm history!
I have a Browning Safari in 30-06. It shoots 3/4 inch groups of a rest all day long using a moderate load of IMR 4064 and Speer 180 grain boat-tail soft points. I've used it to take Whitetail Deer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and on the plains of South Central Kansas. It is a little heavy for a walking around rifle, but for use on a stand its top notch. Also, I've never experienced the malfunctions shown in this video. Maybe they have some crud on the ejector? I've had similar experiences with the Remington 742.
My 30-06 will not get better than 3 or 4 inch groups with 150s, but prints under an inch with all 180s I've tried, and I've been playing with that rifle for 20 years.
I have two Browning BARs. One is a Mk 3 and one is a DBM. They're in 308 caliber and function flawlessly. Sighted in the Mk 3 and it's 1 moa good, but haven't sighted in the short-barrel DBM yet. Working on it.😐
There are a much larger variety of these "hunting" semi-autos available here in Europe. The demand is higher here because of the amount of driven shooting, as you correctly point out. Sauer make the excellent 303. In addition the Merkel SR1, Winchester SXR, Haenel SLB 2000 and Voere 2185 and others. These all resemble the BAR and Benelli and have small capacity mags only. They are ideal for fast moving game. In my experience 80m is a long shot on driven game. I brought my Benelli in 308Win calibre to a three position match (standing at 100m, sitting/ kneeling at 200m and prone at 300m,) a couple of weeks ago. I came second, so they also can shoot beyond the normal driven hunting distances. Enjoyed the video. Keep 'em coming!
I have the same BAR, never one cycling issue yet after about 100 rounds of various ammo. And the gas port is adjustable if it's not cycling and/or cycling too hard
Bear Creek makes a fine auto loader in 30-06. Automatic reloaded that run on blow-back to eject and chamber a new round need to be held firmly in order to operate properly. Tuck the stock in firmly to your shoulder and stand fast. Recoil is the answer. It will work properly if this is done.
My father has the mark 1 I think, it might be the mark 2 but it’s very picky about what ammo you run through it, after shooting a lot of brands we started to notice what grains it would like to run and how hot the charge is, after we got that down it ran like champ and pretty accurately almost to my A-bolt. I know the mark 3 is gas driven so it’s a hole different criteria having to tune that gas timing up just right.
hi boyz.. pls do not forget the good Remington 7400...
Just cured me of wanting a 30/06 semi-auto..... you just saved me a boat load of cash
Benelli R1 …mine is a 30-06, shoulders great I think it’s an absolutely beautiful rifle fit and finish is second to none. With the right load it shoots 1.5” groups all day. As far as factory ammo Sako powerhead 185gr 1.5” groups no problem. I shot over 600 rounds thru this rifle and believe it or not not a single malfunction. Recoils like a 6.5 Grendel thru an AR basically non existent
I had a BAR in 06 back in 80’s and it would shoot a minute with 165grainers. Traded it for a lefty Montifeltro 12 gauge HK branded. Lefty 12s were far and few between back then.
That new Browning BAR is awfully purdy. Another rifle that I have always wanted, especially since Guns and Ammo magazine published an article of one converted to .458 in the 70s. They've become even nicer looking rifles now and 30-06 is just fine---if it doesn't malfunction and group sizes halve.
Nice shirt, Chase! I like to get wildlife print button-up shirts whenever I can. They are classy and comfortable in most any weather. Not to mention, if a bit of your lunch gets on it, nobody notices. You can't do that with a solid color shirt!😊
I've had a BAR and a Benelli R1. The BAR was fairly accurate and always ejected. The Benelli was initially as inaccurate as the one here but it took me a while to work on the trigger pull and holding it and working on the load it got much better. Neither one is a precision rifle.
As a much younger man I always bought a copy of the Shooter's Bible each year and spent hours pouring over the catalog and the ballistics charts. I spent a lot of time selecting what I thought were the most desirable firearms, and the Browning Automatic Rifle in .30-06 was always on the "Top Most Desirable Rifles" list. I never had the money to buy rifles until after I retired, by which time I was more interested in handguns. But I have to tell you I am badly disappointed by the problems with the semi-automatic .30-06 rifles featured here. I have the disposable bucks now to buy a BAR if I wanted one. I think I will stick with the bolt action and lever action platforms I have unless I happen across a vintage BAR in .308 or .30-06 at a good price. If the folks at Browning and Benelli watch this video, they need to try to improve on the performance of their semi-auto rifles for sure. Good video, but the results are really disappointing.