browning a bolt in 223?

remy 700

Active Member
Hi, having only owned remy 700s I would like to know what are the browning a bolts like in 223 , many thanks remy 700.:)
 
Once the trigger is tweaked they actually shoot very well indeed with the right load. The synthetic (plastic) stocks are a bit light and I am thinking of replacing mine with a Bell & Carlson which will really make the rifle a keeper. Another alternative would be a Boyd stock which would work out quite cheap. I've seen a couple done in Boyd stocks and they certainly look the part but until I shoot one in one of those stocks I will reserve judgment.

My biggest criticism of the rifle is the silly magazine arrangement which is neither fish nor fowl. If top loading which is my preferred method of loading the extractor groove of the .223 round can and often hangs up on the rear of the magazine and it is a pain to clear, normally resulting in having to drop the floorplate to sort it out. The alternative method of loading and the one that works best is to drop the hinged floorplate remove the detachable magazine load it and clip it back in place. The rifle actually comes with a spare 5 round magazine normally so you can carry a spare ready loaded in your pocket for a quick reload. Except it isn't a quick reload because clipping the new magazine on the floorplate can be a bit fiddly. Browning obviously saw the problems with this system hence going to a fully detachable magazine in the X-bolt.
Personally I would have preferred it if the rifle was a simple conventional top loading drop floorplate design but once I worked out the quirkiness of the design I can live with it.

The like the action itself as the short bolt lift and smooth flow of the bolt works well and makes for quick reloads. Overall for the money it's not a bad design and I think that if I do eventually go for the B & C stock it will be a very nice rifle. It's certainly better made than a factory Remington probably because it's manufactured by Miroku in Japan.

If I think about it and have time I will post photographs of the magazine snag up problem later today.

Accuracy Potential.
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i had 1 in 223 flavour, was a good work horse and accounted for many foxes but i didnt like the mag box..apart from that it was a good rifle.
 
Thanks gents, great topic and very helpful replies. I have a .223 slot and have also been seriously considering an A-Bolt to leave the .243 exclusively for Stalking. The price point, accuracy and fair looks of the A-Bolt are appealing, the only small down-side appearing to be the magazine configuration. Equally, I'm still not entirely convinced of the benefits of a separate rifle, especially since taking out for daytime foxes would rule out deer if presented. Apologies if this is too much a diversion from the thread, but if permissible, may I ask as to real benefits of a second/dedicated foxing rifle, other than perhaps setting up exclusively for nightime (NV or Lamping)?
 
I have lots of long range precision rifles but my go to rabbit and fox rifle is my stainless synthetic 223 a-bolt. I quite like the mag / floor plate system and for a sporter weight barrel (cut back to 18") it shoots very well. The short bolt lift is a good feature too. The synthetic stock is well fitted with an epoxy style bedding compound applied to the inlet - I've never had a loss of zero making the rifle solid and dependable. I think they are a good buy.
 
Stick with the Remmy 700's. After all they are brilliant guns and if you don't like something there is enough after market parts to put them right.

I loved the look of the Browning X-bolts and both my shotguns are Browning so have nothing against the brand, but their rifles had nothing over a Remmy 700 out of the box and with little after market custom options.
 
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