Browning Blr 81l Lever Action Rifle Review 30-06

The Browing BLR enjoys a great following in some circles. On paper, it'due south clearly the near advanced lever activeness rifle on the marketplace. The rack based operates more smoothly than a typical Win 94, and the bolt locks up solid enough to fire powerful cartridges. The detachable mag is faster to load than a tube, and it as well enables further flying pointed bullets vs the flat or hollow signal ones required by tube magazine lever activity rifles. The burglarize is as well easily scoped, something more than difficult with a traditional top eject lever action. The Browing BLR combines all the not bad handling and fast firing of a lever, only reduces nearly of the negatives that ordinarily come with one. At around $900-1000 in the Usa and over $1200 new in Canada, they're a bit pricey, but at that place's lots on the used market likewise.

Overall Quality

Many of the Win94's I've handled have been pitted and corroded. Some of that is the fault of the hard use they suffer, while some of it is because of poor finishing and the resulting underprotected metallic. Brownings are more expensive than virtually standard factory rifles, just you do usually go better fit and finish. The BLR is no exception.

Safety

1 affair that'south kept me abroad from semi-autos for hunting is their inherent trade-offs: it'south impossible to have a live cartridge in the chamber and the bolt open up, so you take to have a live cartridge in the bedroom with the safety on. That'due south the only option (unless you think you tin rack the slide back and gently guide it forward in consummate silence) I much prefer a bolt action burglarize slightly open or a lever action rifle with the lever slightly ajar. Information technology make for a safer carry and is much easier for beginners to understand whether they're loaded or non. Some rifles with hammers have the hammer resting on the firing pin when the hammer is down. That makes them poor choices for a third rubber carry option: round in sleeping accommodation, bolt closed, and hammer downward or one-half. The BLR does offer a half cock that I've used. It's almost completely silent to have it from half to full cock. It'south too safer than relying on a safety, because the probability that you're going to accidentally both fully cock the hammer and jarr the trigger is low. Anyway, where am I going with all of this? The BLR offers firing rates that are much faster than a commodities activeness, while giving more selection and more beginner friendly carrying options than a semi motorcar.

Hunting with the BLR

The BLR is, in my opinion, ane of the all-time brusque/medium range hunting rifles made. Y'all can get more accurateness with a bolt action, and you tin get a faster shooting rifle with a semi-auto, but the BLR offers a bully combination of both. It's likewise very pointable, and although I've got the somewhat uncomfortable straight stock, the newer version should exist more comfy on the wrist. The relatively curt barrel and compact weight means that it swings quickly. The sling point on the forend is as far frontwards equally possible and makes it and so that the rile does non motion when slung. That's handy if you take to hike a few km's back and along from your hunting spot. The mag slides into place with minimal fuss and does not make a lot of racket when moved. At present, compared to traditional lever activeness rifles, the BLR has 1 large thing going for information technology: standard cartridges. Standard Win 308 is a favorite quotient and offers 400 yard ability and trajectory, which you're not going to get from your 30-thirty. Indeed, the beginning deer I always shot was with the very burglarize pictured below, at 350 yards, resting on a fencepost. 308 offers enough power to get the chore done without the recoil and noise that newer magnums come up with and is a cracking companion for this rifle. Really, 400 yards should exist about maximum for this rifle, every bit repeatable accuracy is non as good as a typical bolt action rifle. Most owners report groups ranging from 1-iv MOA. If you autumn into the middle of that range, then 400 one thousand shots are pushing the limits of taking a deer humanely. My personal conventionalities is that this rifle, combined with a four, 6, or iii-9 power telescopic offers easy shots on deer up to 400 yards in a great footling parcel. The detachable mag is also clearly better than a tube. The tubes motility weight further down the barrel, and are a pain in the ass to load and then unload. It takes all of 2 seconds to load or unload the BLR, compared to 20 with a lever assuming yous're advisedly sending the rounds into your hand and not just flinging the cartridges all over the floor.

Downsides

The biggest downside to this rifle is the complexity of the action. You lot can't really run into it when using the BLR, but in that location are a ton of minor parts in the action. While you may be able to take it apart, putting information technology back together is a whole other story. Suffice to say, it's tricky. If you were to drop this burglarize in the mud or sand with the activeness open, you might be stuck dorsum at the hunting cabin for an afternoon, cleaning and then Googling how to put the dang thing back together. With a bolt action, yous'd be done in 2 minutes.
The second downside is the accuracy. I hear all sorts of stories online from people who say they get 1 MOA or less from their rifles, but when they show up to the range, "things aren't quite right" or "I pulled that shot" or "I need better sandbags". A bolt action rifle is stronger, more than simple, and easier to get accuracy from, so if you want to shoot in the 400-600 k range, a commodities action is a better choice than a BLR. The accurateness isn't bad, but it's just not a long range platform.

Other Options

The BLR comes in a lot of different calibers, too as a premium White Gold line.

Conclusion

Where you hunt, how far are your shots? I'thou out west so if I want, I might sew against that 600 thousand shot. But I know when I'm going to need those vs my 100 k blind or bush shot and those 100-200 grand shots come up a lot! In those instances, a handy lever comes up quickly and is reloaded in the blink of an centre. If you already have your "deer laser" big magnum commodities action rifle that could take the eye out of a gnat at 680 yards, a BLR might be a handy 2d gun to take along for those wilderness treks through the bush-league. In your treks, you might find yourself liking the BLR as your close range deer blaster. I know I practise.

Video Review

The BLR pictured below is my fathers and has seen a lot of hunting from him, myself, and my brothers. Topped off with an old Tasco 4X stock-still scope, information technology has caused a lot of deer go downwards in its years.

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Source: https://www.huntinggearguy.com/rifle-reviews/classic-browning-blr-review/

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