Browning A-Bolt Stalker II in .223WSSM?

T

Troy

New member
I found this Browning A-Bolt Stalker with a medium Bull barrel on a clearance rack new and was wondering if i buy it and don't like it, am i stuck with it? I can get it out the door for about $475, even though the cal is a screamer, it isn't very popular and ammo isn't widely available for it. I got a AR15 comming and don't need this gun too, but the price has got me thinking really hard about it right now! What is your opinions on it, would you buy a rifle based on price if it wasn't your first choice on caliber? For $50 more i could always get a Tikka T3 in a .22-250 or .243, i know the A-Bolts cost alot more than Tikka's but i sure like those T3's alot too! Hate to let a good deal pass me buy if you know what i mean.
 
I'd buy the Tikka, you'lll be much happier in the long run.

Winchesters short mags in 223WSSM, 243WSSM & 25WSSM cals never caught on. Early guns had throat erosion issues and factory ammo is limited and expensive. Most dealers around here dumped the small cal WSSMs years ago at below cost prices.
 
I have that same gun.I like it and it is accurate as heck, but I am not a fan of the way the A-bolt clips attach to the trap door and the sharp shoulder causes it to not feed as smoothly as a regular .243.

Personally I would look hard at the Tikka.
 

Tikka is really hard to beat.

They always shoot wonderfully, they are smooth, the trigger is simple to a adjust & breaks like an icicle. What's not to like?

I did an article on the .223 WSSM and found the case necks incredibly thick. It took a maximum load to seal the round; anything less and I got smoke halfway back on the case. The rifle was a Browning and the action was so short that placemnt of the rifle scope was incredibly problematic.

Buy the Tikka, preferably the T-3 Lite in Stainless/Synthetic, and never look back.

Steve Timm
 
I have a Browning A Bolt in 30/06, synthetic. Very nice rifle/action but I also dislike the floor plate (first one I have had) to which the magazine is clipped. It pops up/down very nicely but if not handled delicately - laying the rifle on a bench, unloading when going from field to vehicle, forgetting to pop it up, etc. the plate could easily get bent. Secondly, it is a pain in the *** to do the three step thing in order to unload the gun - drop it down, un-clip the mag, push the floor plate back up. It is also a pain to replace (push) a loaded mag back into the floor plate - seems a little flimsy/fussy and to much force could easily bend the plate. Life is so much more pleasant with a detachable mag.
I checked with Browning to see if there is an easy conversion from the floor plate to a detachable mag. and there is not. Requires replacement of the whole unit and that can get into $150/$200. Consequently, after much research, I have just bought a Tikka T3 in .223/wood and with a detachable mag. Can't wait to get it out.
 
Thanks, i kinda figured if it was really a great deal it would've sold by now. I guess guns never make a good investment in the short term anyway so i might as well get what i prefer for a few dollars more! If i could find a deal on a T3 like that i wouldn't have had to ask this question lol! My Stag 3 AR15 came in the other day and they had to send it back because they sent us a left hand model (@$%#&*%) so i was a little upset and was looking for something to use until i get the right one in and the price on that A-Bolt was tempting me.
 
I have that exact rifle and consider it to be the best thing since sliced bread. Ammo is tough to buy but I handload for it anyway. With handloads its the most accurate factory rifle I've ever owned. Its so flat shooting and accurate my friends call it the "Death Laser"
Why do you guys think it is so bad? I've been considering making one on a 700 action. It would be really sweet with a 1:9 twist pushing 70 gr VLDs.
 
You are wise to pass on this "deal". Buying a .22-250 Tikka or Savage is a vastly better option IMO and should you ever want to sell this gun, you'd have far less trouble and it's likely you'd get more money for it as well.

I think you have to work very, very hard to make a case for the "advantages" of a .223 WSSM over any of the other conventional .22 centerfire options.

I almost talked myself into a .243 WSSM last year and I'm so glad that better sense prevailed.

Grouse
 
Originally Posted By: The Famous Grouse

I think you have to work very, very hard to make a case for the "advantages" of a .223 WSSM over any of the other conventional .22 centerfire options.



The advantage is it's the fastest commercial 22 cartridge, and it does this with a short barrel. Super high velocity and Browning accuracy, what's not to like?
 
Now i dont see how you can say a Savage or Tikka will sell for more then a Browning , i know alot of people love the savage, but it just isnt build like the Brownings and wasnt very long ago Savage was a bad word in guns and they were the cheapest on the market, i know they have inproved . And Tikka hasnt been around long enough to prove there self IMO.I know this prolly will make alot of Savage owners up set, but its the truth. I am by no means saying that a Browning is the best around either , i am just saying they have been around and proved there selfs and didnt have to do a compete face lift to start selling guns Like Savage did. But thats just my 2 cents.
 
Back
Top