IchWarrior
06-12-2005, 02:39 AM
Thats right, Ive updated the arsenal yet again! This time, Ill admit, may be it for a few years. I think Ive reached critical mass in my gun safe, its becoming expensive to keep up with ammo and related accessories for the herd...
But, I went on a mission to acquire my last rifle before I was going to call myself shut off for a few years. Having wanted one since I was a wee lad, I set out to acquire a Browning A-Bolt Eclipse in .300 Winchester Magnum. I just had to get the BOSS (partly for the brake... Im a skinny chap!) and Ill be damned if it isnt about the rarest factory offered gun Ive ever looked for.
Nobody could find it, not any Browning dealers in Colorado, nor Wyoming. They said they had standing orders waiting to be filled for years, and hadnt heard a single word from Browning about it. Luckily, I hunted it down on the internet and sniped the auction to bring my piece home.
When it arrived, it was everything I thought it was going to be... The thumbhole stock is both pretty, and comfortable. Its a porky 13 lbs, but it helps soak up the little recoil the BOSS brake doesnt eliminate. Its pretty tame considering Im generating almost 4,000 ft/lbs of energy.
The gun feeds exceptionally well from the magazine. My Ruger M77 throws fits (.22-250) and that left a sour taste in my mouth, and really enjoying my A-Bolt Micro with its good feeding. The Eclipse holds up to the standards I held in my mind... it makes the follow up shots a lot better...not that Ill ever need one;)
The trigger is a bit heavy, but extremely crisp. I cannot feel any creeping or it being spongy at all.
My one problem with the rifle came with the goon who installed the scope rings. Being a turn in style base and ring, the rear sight needs the two screws to be tightened equally... I guess the 'smith' who installed the scope wasnt aware of this. The left windaged was maxed out and I still shot 2" to the right... so I promptly went home and fixed that problem. Its shooting dead center with the windage a little more centered out...
So how does it shoot? I'd really like to post a bughole group and brag it up! I just got it sighted in friday when a bunch of storms came rolling in (We ended up getting near .83 of an inch of rain!). Today I cleaned it up and was itching to go shoot some groups and start my 165 grain HPBT load work up... Maybe tomarrow.
And some pics to reward those who read my entire post;)
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6100003A.JPG
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6100006A.JPG
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6100008.JPG
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6110002.JPG
But, I went on a mission to acquire my last rifle before I was going to call myself shut off for a few years. Having wanted one since I was a wee lad, I set out to acquire a Browning A-Bolt Eclipse in .300 Winchester Magnum. I just had to get the BOSS (partly for the brake... Im a skinny chap!) and Ill be damned if it isnt about the rarest factory offered gun Ive ever looked for.
Nobody could find it, not any Browning dealers in Colorado, nor Wyoming. They said they had standing orders waiting to be filled for years, and hadnt heard a single word from Browning about it. Luckily, I hunted it down on the internet and sniped the auction to bring my piece home.
When it arrived, it was everything I thought it was going to be... The thumbhole stock is both pretty, and comfortable. Its a porky 13 lbs, but it helps soak up the little recoil the BOSS brake doesnt eliminate. Its pretty tame considering Im generating almost 4,000 ft/lbs of energy.
The gun feeds exceptionally well from the magazine. My Ruger M77 throws fits (.22-250) and that left a sour taste in my mouth, and really enjoying my A-Bolt Micro with its good feeding. The Eclipse holds up to the standards I held in my mind... it makes the follow up shots a lot better...not that Ill ever need one;)
The trigger is a bit heavy, but extremely crisp. I cannot feel any creeping or it being spongy at all.
My one problem with the rifle came with the goon who installed the scope rings. Being a turn in style base and ring, the rear sight needs the two screws to be tightened equally... I guess the 'smith' who installed the scope wasnt aware of this. The left windaged was maxed out and I still shot 2" to the right... so I promptly went home and fixed that problem. Its shooting dead center with the windage a little more centered out...
So how does it shoot? I'd really like to post a bughole group and brag it up! I just got it sighted in friday when a bunch of storms came rolling in (We ended up getting near .83 of an inch of rain!). Today I cleaned it up and was itching to go shoot some groups and start my 165 grain HPBT load work up... Maybe tomarrow.
And some pics to reward those who read my entire post;)
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6100003A.JPG
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6100006A.JPG
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6100008.JPG
http://www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/School%20Related%20Stuff/P6110002.JPG