New Piece! W00t!

IchWarrior · #1 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

Andy L · #2 06-12-2005, 08:04 AM

Congrats Ich!! Was this a birthday/graduation thing or a Ich wants it thing?

Dont matter. Thats a damn fine piece for sure and you cant go wrong with the caliber either. Very, very nice. I would love to have that gun myself.

I have a 300 Win in a Ruger M77, which I have posted many times, is one of my favorites. My go to gun, if you will. It will handle anything you wanna do in the counrty. Thats for sure.

It should be a shooter as well. I never could get mine to shoot bugholes, but it does very well. Its a sporter bbl, hunting rifle and will outshoot me in a hunting situation. (little different from a bench.

)

Anyway, congrats and enjoy. Thats a very nice rifle.

Andy

Rabid Rich · #3 06-13-2005, 11:40 AM

WOWSIR!!
Now that's a mighty fine lookin piece!!
What scope did you nail on it? Looks like your set up for some of those area 61 elk and deer for sure.
Congrats and Good huntin....I already KNOW you can shoot!!!!

RR

Skinny Shooter · #4 06-13-2005, 12:49 PM

Niiiiiiiiice!

Psssst. Hey, is your bolt handle still on

IchWarrior · #5 06-13-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rabid Rich
WOWSIR!!
Now that's a mighty fine lookin piece!!
What scope did you nail on it? Looks like your set up for some of those area 61 elk and deer for sure.
Congrats and Good huntin....I already KNOW you can shoot!!!!

RR

Thanks! The scope is a Nikon Monarch that was thrown in on the deal. Not too bad, Im looking at a Ziess or a Luepold to replace it... No sense in have a two dollar scope on a 20 dollar rifle.

Yea Skinny, the bolt is firmly attached... it even survived some of Ich's Home cooked reloads

Browning must have some special sauce they put on em... Remington should follow suit

Skinny Shooter · #6 06-13-2005, 05:32 PM

That gun is gonna smoke some groundhogs. Does it have a name yet?

IchWarrior · #7 06-13-2005, 07:58 PM

Never really got into naming guns...

It definatly conjurs the name "Miss Magnum"

Rabid Rich · #8 06-13-2005, 07:59 PM

Well Hay thar Lad,
I like the way you take pictures too!!
Neat!!! Wild Colorado 4 o'clocks and a great lookin shooter.
Cain't wait to see how you pose yore 6 point Bull!!!!
You ever need an ammo bearer and film packer yew jest let me know!!!
:

RR

IchWarrior · #9 06-13-2005, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rabid Rich
Well Hay thar Lad,
I like the way you take pictures too!!
Neat!!! Wild Colorado 4 o'clocks and a great lookin shooter.
Cain't wait to see how you pose yore 6 point Bull!!!!
You ever need an ammo bearer and film packer yew jest let me know!!!
:
RR

Your the first on the list

Probably the only willingly too... oh well

Evan03 · #10 06-15-2005, 12:30 AM

dang since when did we start useing red X's as buleyes. the groups so small i cant seem to make it out.

sounds like one heck of a rifle. the monarch scope isnt bad either. what power is it. maybe id take it off your hands if the price was right.

ive got a m77 300win same as andy these have the 24" magnum taper barrel. Andy was misinfroming just alittle bit

. i wouldnt call this my go to gun but itl be my bigger big game go to rifle.

the caliber just always appealed to me for some reason, then one year i test fired a few 300wins and decided i had to have one. and the ruger long action is super slick. atleast i think so. and will agree the 22/250s rugers arent near as smooth and consistent as rugers longer action actions.

have a good one

Evan

IchWarrior · #11 06-15-2005, 12:47 AM

Pics still are showing up for me, which probably doesn't mean a whole lot since they are cached or cookied or whatever...

Links still work on other boards... maybe I took a bandwidth hit or something.

fabsroman · #12 06-15-2005, 01:46 AM

I can see the pics fine, if that was what Evan was referring to.

I will also agree with Evan that I like the feel of the action on my Ruger 77MKII .300 Win Mag a lot better than I like the action on my Ruger VTMKII .220 Swift.

Darkwolf · #13 06-15-2005, 09:17 PM

Very nice rifle, Ich! Good deal...

So, what are your season plans for it?

IchWarrior · #14 06-16-2005, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Darkwolf
Very nice rifle, Ich! Good deal...

So, what are your season plans for it?

I may take it up to some turkey shoots here and there...

Failed to apply for elk with it... but it may see some use as a deer rifle. Im not planning on hunting with it a lot... my other rifle is half the weight.