BLR 81 Accuracy ?

[doetag]

TO all the BLR owners, Would like to hear what cal. you have and what type of accuracy you are getting . Just ordered one in 358 win.. It will be a few weeks before delivery. I have no experiance with this rifle or cartridge. Just got such a bad itch for a 358 I had to scratch. :lol:

[Harry Snippe]

every rifle is different .
You can get 1/2 " groups with 225 gr. Speer over 46 gr. of AA2015BR.
AA 2015 seems to be a good powder for this cartridge.
I have just received my 358 BLR and started by loading some  lead205 gr, RCBS mould over 41 grs . of  Varget powder and got 3" groups.

Most data that I have seen lists the 358W grouping form 1/2 " to 2 1/2 " with various powders and bullets.
I am not expecting sub inch groups out of my browning Light Weight lever.
If I can get under two inch groups @ 150 yards I would be happy.

The trigger felt a bit funny at first but after firing 40 rounds , the rifle seemed to work in nicely. It is light and has an excellent recoil pad and I did not notice the recoil at all . Then again I am used to shooting a 45/70 guide.

One thing I did not like on the rifle is when you slowly operate the lever the hammer does not cock all the way back, and runs over the rack on the bottom of the bolt.
This does not happen if you quickly operate the action. Just like my 303 . Do not baby the action.

Overall the rifle comes up quick, it is light , so you should be able to carry it all day, and the 358W has enough power to tackle black bear and moose, and that is what I wanted the rifle for.
A light rifle / light recoil / shoot big holes.
Something in power between the 35 Rem & 350 RM. in a short action.

I plan on loading some 180 Speer for deer hunting , trying the Hornady 200 and 250 on bear and possible moose.

I have found that 308 cases can be nicely formed form 308 W brass , so far the reloader , the only extra is spent on buying 358 Bullets which tend to cost wee bit more than the 30 Cal.

Hope you will like yours too!

[Rick Teal]

I don't load or shoot for precision accuracy (some can, some can't - I'm in group 2).  There's a fellow out there who gets sub MOA accuracy using one of my loads.  He shoots 220 grain Speer flat points on top of 48 grains of W748 in a BLR.  OOPS! I forgot to say that mine is in .358 Winchester.

[Nanook 450]

I've tried many different loads for my 22.250 - although I could easily hit a Coyote out to 300 yards with it - the bench rest accuracy is not what I had hoped.  Wishing I had simply gotten a good bolt action.  Have a Leupold III 2.5 x 8.  Beautiful rifle, just does not seem as accurate as some of my bolt actions.

[Dr. A]

I'm with Nanook.  I was expecting a bolt gun with an attached lever, which it is not.  I miss the ease of cleaning and disassemble.  I shoot quite a bit, and this gun was not meant for that. It will heat up very quickly   A very thin thickness to the barrel, my 3006 can deliver good accuracy, but it is not as predictable as my bolts and even my Marlin levers. It is a little harder to find the right load.  I shot some targets for Ranch Dog's postal match, and I will enter with a sub-moa target, but it was tough to achieve, and I am afraid, not as predictable as the Marlins, which can do as well or better.   I much prefer the Marlin, and have not used my 3006 since the first season I had it.  Something about that bright and shiny barrel and stock that is kind of a turn-off.  I shoot 58gr. of H4350 and get good velocity out of a 165gr. Hornady spire point.  It was very deadly on a pig and a couple of deer.  I should really have no complaint, but I use my 270 Marlin bolt much more for the same thing.  Sorry to be a negative, but that is my opinion.  I will not sell mine, because it is good for hunting long ranges.  If you are a cast shooter, it is not in the offing for me.  Simply too hard to clean the action.

[Blackhawk44]

For three shots, yes; for five rounds its looser.  These are rapid fire, as fast as I can work the lever and get back on target, just like in the field.  For three round groups, after load work my 308 will go well under 1".  Never fired a factory round in it in 30 years.  My 223 and 257 will do 1-1.25" with factory loads and somewhat better with handloads.  One trick (for all two piece stocks) is to rest the action on the bags, not the forearm.  The light barrel and separate forearm start to move around with the heat of multiple rounds.  Have never needed more than three rounds on any single critter and even a big sounder is scattered pretty well by that third one.  They are my most used long guns.

[marlin shooter]

I have a BLR 81 in .358 that is very accurate. I have a receiver sight and have shot some targets for ranchdog's postal match. I use 51grns of WW748 with a 200 grn hornady spire point. this is the most accurate lever I have now out of several marlins, wins, and a savage 99. I really like this rifle and am thinking of buying one in 7-08