[Logan2302]

Hello and happy holidays to everyone. I like to post questions and comments as short as I can, so let's see how i do.

I've been fighting with a 30-06 BAR for a long time. It's a standard BAR, mid 70's maybe. It's a dependable and fun rifle to shoot, but I can't count on it for hunting shots, say over 200 yards.

The problem is, shooting with a cold barrel, at 100 yards, it can't beat about a five shot 3 1/2" group. If I shoot 3 targets one after the other, the rifle will group 3+", 2", and 1". That is to say, with a toasty barrel, this thing will compete with a bolt action, with a cold barrel, forget it.

Any comments? I've gotten a wide range of possibilities from all kinds of shooters and gunsmiths. The best comment I ever got was from an old friend of mine who has witnessed all this and has shot the rifle. He said, "if you think this is not a good shooter, you should try a Remington auto for a week".

[Vearl Brown]

Originally Posted by Logan2302

Hello and happy holidays to everyone. I like to post questions and comments as short as I can, so let's see how i do.

I've been fighting with a 30-06 BAR for a long time. It's a standard BAR, mid 70's maybe. It's a dependable and fun rifle to shoot, but I can't count on it for hunting shots, say over 200 yards.

The problem is, shooting with a cold barrel, at 100 yards, it can't beat about a five shot 3 1/2" group. If I shoot 3 targets one after the other, the rifle will group 3+", 2", and 1". That is to say, with a toasty barrel, this thing will compete with a bolt action, with a cold barrel, forget it.

Any comments? I've gotten a wide range of possibilities from all kinds of shooters and gunsmiths. The best comment I ever got was from an old friend of mine who has witnessed all this and has shot the rifle. He said, "if you think this is not a good shooter, you should try a Remington auto for a week".

Over the years I have shot several thousand BAR's. I was there when they came out and was still shooting them when I retired 30 years latter. And though this is MY PERSONAL OPPINION the best out of the box ammo that I found is Federal. It's not worth a nickel more for the premium for it all shoots good. Unless you are going to shoot 5 shots when your hunting I'd go with the cold barrel point of impact. That's where (PROBABLY) your first shot is going to go and if you need 5 shots for hunting I think that you ought to consider another past time.
On the other side--if the rifle is changeling the group size as your shooting I'd say that you have another problem of which I can't help you with on a computer. BrowninG in Arnold should be able to help you with this one.
Lots of luck. For what ever it's worth I think the BAR is the best semi-auto on the market and for the most part pretty good shooters and very reliable.

[Logan2302]

I contacted Browning several years ago. All they would say was to send it to them if there was a problem. I guess I still could.

The 'cold barrel first shot' in unpredictable.

[Vearl Brown]

First thing that I would do with the rifle ( this is JUST a suggestion ). If you know of a competent gunsmith is to check the crown. That's a small but VERY IMPORTANT part of the accuracy situation. When the Marine Corps armors at Quantico, VA were building target rifles they would run the crown a 1/4" down the bore just to protect it. This suggestion comes with NO guarantees but it's where I would start. Polishing the bore with J-B bore polish MAY also help. When ever we ran across a rifle that just couldn't be straightened out (and there were some) we would fit a new barrel. That usually solved the problem. Good luck to you.