Browning BAR Mark II Rifle

My dad has used one for hunting for years. I prefer a Tikka in 25-06, but the '308 BAR is a perfectly respectable calibre. I would actually get one in 308 over 270, because of ammo availability in the event where we need to use our firearms for non-sporting purposes. I suppose 270 is becoming a more common calibre, but 308 is still cheaper, at least it is in Canada.

I would get a standard BAR II in 30-06. That would be excellent for deer, elk, moose and some bear. If the rifle is well built then recoil should not be a problem. Next, you need to decide on optics.

They are not a user friendly rifle from a maintenance standpoint. But as far a quality goes, they are very dependable (just don't take it apart!) .

Currently, for the money I think the Nikon 3 x 9 Monarch is a hard scope to beat. I like Nikon optics.

Renault

Nikon makes a decent scope. If you can afford, get a Zeiss or Swarovski scope. You should have really good optics with a fine rifle such as the Browning Bar. That outfit will take down anything in North America with the possible exception of polar bear. And the ammo is inexpensive and easy to find. I like Hornady Superformance SST.

Schmidt and Bender is sort of a deal when it comes to top Euro glass. Personally, and this comes from I guy who's had it all, I like fixed focal lengths 4x or 6x. I always used to hate it when people told me "you don't need more" ... but you don't need more.

Many companies like Leupold or Burris have good glass in their high end scopes. But only the best scopes have a good repeatable click adjust action. Trying to find the right ammo and then zero a scope that has an unreliable action makes you give up and go home. Some scopes are more subject to parallax than others ... you have to get your eye in exactly the same spot for each shot. I think fixed focal length scopes are better for this. I have never had a Nikon but everybody I know that had them liked them.

http://www.samplelist.com/Riflescopes-C3391.aspx

That's a good place to get a deal on stuff that has been returned from trade shows and the like. Usually unused but they've been 'out of the box' so to speak.

The BAR is a good rifle, I've had them apart and thought they looked tweeny on the inside but the only autoloaders I've had much experience with are Garands and the like (heavy duty!). A gunsmith friend says he NEVER sees BARs come in for repair. I'm partial to .270. Check the ballistics and zero it for a +3" point blank ... -3" is WAY out there. .270 has never had a lot of different loads (not like .308) so chances are you'll hit one your gun likes pretty fast. 130 grain was the standard for a long time and I suspect that virtually every .270 is "designed" for that bullet. The standard for .308 has changed over the years, 147gr, 150, 168. It's a crap shoot.

I am a mediocre shot. But on a number of occasions I shot .25" groups with a .270 H/S Precision varmint rifle. Great rifle. The right ammo. I was really Zen. Doubt I could do it today even if I still had that gun.

One good thing about BARs for hunting ... they are light for an auto loader. Military autos usually have a huge gas system that makes them almost like you are carrying a double barrel.

Be safe.

I've owned a BAR for years, but I've never used it much. Mine is a 1987 model. It’s chambered in .270 and is topped with a Simmons Aetec scope. It is an excellent weapon, but never matched the kind of deer hunting I once did...which was mainly running dogs. When you’re running dogs, most of your shots are at fast moving deer and are at seventy-five yards or less. Also, dog runners are always on the move so you need a rifle that comes in and out of a truck quickly and easily. The BAR (and scope) is a fairly heavy, large rifle. It is over kill at seventy-five yards and it definitely isn't handy for climbing in and out of a pickup.

On the other hand, it isn't my first choice for the tree stand, either. Tree stand shots can often be at three hundred yards across a bean field. While the BAR is reasonably accurate at that range…and has excellent follow up…for shooting at longer ranges, I would rather have a more solid bolt action of some kind.

AF

Hi

I don't hunt much, but in general a bolt action will be a better rifle from a maintenance standpoint. The Remington 700 is probably a good one to get from the availability of parts both Remington and after-market. I also own a Winchester and a CZ, but the Remington has the advantage of popularity. The .270 with a 130 grain bullet is a very good choice, but like the guy said, .308 Winchester will be more available if things get really bad.

Later

.30-06 topped with a Schmidt & Bender 4x scope. I'd try to special order the Lite Stalker with a 22-inch barrel, otherwise I'd go with the standard Mk II. (I'm not overly keen on the overall look of the wood-stocked Mk IIs, and prefer the balance of a 22-inch barrel. I am also not a fan of variable power scopes, for the reasons Mike pointed out in his post.)

For non-sporting purposes I am surprised no one offers an aftermarket 10 or 20 round magazine. It would be ideal for the Zoot-Shooting crowd.

The BAR has a hinged magazine that hinges forward. It could probably have been expanded to tolerate 8 rds but that might be the limit. Unlike a number of auto loaders you never have to worry about losing the magazine but you have to hand feed it. There's a lot of things I sort of like about the BAR ... I don't like them enough to own one. But I don't hunt and just like shooting goofy old guns at the range.

For glass, I would strongly encourage you look at the offerings of Vortex. Great glass