Love hunting the woods with my BLR .308. As per comments above, very pointable, light (carry in one hand), durable, very reliable safety. I recently switched to 165gr Norma Oryx from 150gr GameKing which were a bit fragile for very close range shots.
We made a decision not to suppress this rifle as we like to use the open sights, and some rifles are just all wrong with a can on the end of the barrel. I generally use an Aimpoint reflex sight as light conditions in thick NZ native can often be quite murky for open sights. But the wife prefers the open sights for more open country goat hunting, so off comes the Aimpoint. I’ve got a Skinner sight for it but haven’t fitted it yet.
The lack of a suppressor is the only downside. It is as loud as fark in the timber and you have to be careful with your ears. When hunting with the BLR, I have special ear plugs on a lanyard around my neck which I put in when I get into the hunting zone. I forget what brand they are (they were a present) but they’re bloody good cos I can still hear the sounds of the bush, but they muffle the bark of the rifle shot very well and I’ve never had ringing ears afterwards.
The modern Browning BLR trigger can be lightened by replacing the sear spring without having to take apart the timing mechanism. It’s a simple job. There’s a lot of cobblers written about the BLR trigger and the complexity of fixing it. I was under the impression for a long time it was a nightmare job that would result in me buggering the timing mechanism. Wrong! You don’t need to go anywhere near the timing mechanism. All you need are aftermarket springs of the right diameter, which are progressively shortened until the preferred pull weight is achieved. It’s a bit fiddly to get the spring in there but like the CZ455 “Ball Bearing of Doom” once you get the hang of it, it’s straightforward. My rifle’s trigger is now at a sensible 3lb exactly with a tiny bit of creep, which believe me is not noticeable when snap shooting deer at short range. I don’t want it any lighter than that.
The wife tells me that she was happy with the heavy trigger, having a military view on the matter having grown up with heavy triggered assault rifles. The point being that when you are in the thick of it, firing quickly at 3 or 4 likely running targets, a heaver trigger can be advantageous.
I can honestly say that I’ve never owned a rifle that has put a smile on my face quite like the Browning BLR - it is deeply satisfying to lever your way through five shots whilst maintaining your targets in your sight picture. But that said, if you’re not expecting to take multiple shots in quick order then there’s not much point getting one.
