New Goodies

[Deacon]

So after I finally got through the 28 day waiting period for PTAs in ACT i've finally gotten my new rifles.
One is a Browning BL22 Grade II which im really excited to have a shot with because its the first .22 ive owned. Absolutely busting to get this thing out to property and im even considering heading to the range right now! Please excuse the terrible photos, i have realised i dont actually own a camera apart from my phone. should have sized them better as well but im strapped for time, apologies. If you have trouble with the sizes use "right click>open image in new tab"

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Small little thing. beautiful timber.

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The Grade II fanciness and "gold bling" trigger

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The rear sight is flip up. Front is a little hard to pick up but i think that was just the lighting. Out in the sun it shouldn't be too hard. Can always put a drop of paint on it if need be.

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This is probably what browning levers are best known for. The short throw 33 degree (i think) lever throw. Its fully extended in the photo. Smoothest lever ive ever used by far although im yet to handle a Henry which people rave about.

So thats the little BL22. The other gun i picked up is a bit less known so maybe you havent heard of it its called a Tikka T3

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Im sure everyone is more than familiar with the tikkas so i wont post a million photos of that one. imo stainless or nickle is the only way to make synthetic furniture look good so double that with the scope being as good as it is im pretty happy with the tikka. probably a little more interesting than the tikka is some of the ammo i picked up to put through it. Its a hunting rifle so my LGS recomended these buffalo river rounds that use 55 grain sierra game kings.

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As i said, i havent got a chance to shoot either gun yet but what i found interesting about these rounds is the way they are packaged.

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Now this is more a novelty thing than anything else for me because i sure as hell havent seen this before. Not sure if its a new thing or its unique to this producer or what but i thought it was fun. Anyway, i'll update this thread with some pics (once ive been to the range or one of my properties) of groups shot and hopefully some bunnies, foxes and dogs taken with these two beauties.

Thanks,
Deac

[AusTac]

That .22 looks classy, is a grade II some sort of "luxury " model?

Can't go wrong with a tikka, tried and tested

[Deacon]

As far as I know the only difference is the scroll work on the receiver, the trigger colour and the checkering. No performance difference that i am aware of. I only got the grade II because its what they had in the store

[Supaduke]

Grade II also makes you smarter , increases your sex appeal and makes you stronger.

[juststarting]

I have grade 1 BL-22 - love it. Fastest way to go through 200-500 rounds in couple of hours.

I don't have checkering on it, but it has few scratches now. Couple more months and I'll turn it into grade 2

[MR. WINCHESTER]

The Browning is 'made in Japan' ?

[Deacon]

The Browning is 'made in Japan' ?

Yes sir made in Japan. Not sure how old it is.

[MR. WINCHESTER]

.... then, made in the Miroku factory which also makes a lot of Winchester and of course, Miroku firearms.
Bloody good stuff !

[Deacon]

Good stuff indeed. Got out to the range today after all. I only took the browning and quickly found out how spoiled I was using always using scopes. I couldnt hit s**t! It's an outdoor range and was bloody windy which makes for some terrible shooting when combined with my inability to hit the side of a barn with open sights. Started to get the hang of it towards the end though. So far I've put CCI standards, CCI quiets, Remington targets and winchester power points through it and it seems to like the Remington's and the winchesters the best but it's honestly not a fair question until I'm more practised using it. At the moment if I said that it's the guns fault I'd be headed straight downstairs to hang out with the devil because that's the biggest lie I've heard in a long time still bloody stoked with the new additions all things considered

Thanks,
Deac

[MR. WINCHESTER]

Unfortunately, buying a quality product carefully crafted by talented artisans, does not give guarantee regarding marksmanship ! Lol

[Deacon]

I have grade 1 BL-22 - love it. Fastest way to go through 200-500 rounds in couple of hours.

Have you ever used it on bunnies JS? Hoping to get out for a hunt this Sunday but unless I can fit some more practice in before hand I won't be taking the browning along.

[juststarting]

Deacon, I haven't had a opportunity. I did use it on some beer cans... But that said, I am in the same boat with open sights. I think it took me better part of 500 rounds to realise how crap I am and learn to shoot with them (under fear of confiscation by Supaduke if I ever to scope this little sucker). At this stage, I am pretty confident with it to 50m with open sights, like a minute of bunny - I'd be okay. But need waaaaay more practice to tighten groups on paper.

[Deacon]

Yeah I had considered an optic but it just seems wrong to scope up this little lever gun. I only had time to put maybe 100 rounds through it today and I've got bugger all time during the week so I'll have to leave it home for this coming trip unfortunately.

[Supaduke]

If you are looking for a .22 tack driver you bought the wrong gun. Levers are never going to have bolt gun accuracy.
If you can comfortably hit a clay target or beer can at 50m with open sights you are within its performance parameters. Shoot em fast, shoot em off hand, shoot em with open sights.

.22 levers are plinkers. Sure you can hunt with one but it will never be as good as a nice bolt gun. Use them for fun stuff and enjoying yourself. If you start chasing tiny groups with a lever it will just do your head in.

[GLS_1956]

Without going to an autoloader, something forbidden to you Australians, the BL-22 is the fastest cycling rifle you'll come across. My dad had one, it was inherited by a brother, and there is no question of how well made and great handling they are. That short lever throw, along with the trigger staying within the lever, makes for quick repeating shots.

[deadkitty]

Congrats Deacon, I hope they both serve you well, Cheers

[Gwion]

Without going to an autoloader, something forbidden to you Australians, the BL-22 is the fastest cycling rifle you'll come across.

Not forbidden, just strict qualification criteria.

[MR. WINCHESTER]

JWH was so very right ....

Semi autos are unnecessary in GENERAL 'life'.

[juststarting]

Supaduke, yep. Though if you look at the picture of a can I posted in hunt reports thread, you will notice a pretty tight group with BL-22 offhand. LOL

[Deacon]

I was shooting at about 60m. Definitely me shooting like s**t as opposed to the gun. It was only bought for cheap fun knowing full well there is likely to be 17HMR on the horizon that will be the tack driver if need be. There's really nothing better than a .22 to practice open sights on anyway with ammo being cheap as chips. That's why I don't mind being near useless with it

Deac

[Wm.Traynor]

Can you get a peep sight for it Deacon?
Might be easier to see the foresight.

[Supaduke]

(Best David Attenborough accent)
The mighty beer can is an elusive creature, making its home in fridges. A cold blooded creature, it lives in groups of 6 or 24. Preyed on by humans, the preferred hunting method is quite barbaric. It's head is first ripped off, then its guts are sucked out through the neck. The carcass is then discarded or sometimes shot at.

[juststarting]

Can you get a peep sight for it Deacon?
Might be easier to see the foresight.

Actually... Here's a response from andy @ Skinner sights

"I’d go with a 3/8” X .600” front sight for the Browning" (referring to BL-22)

[Wm.Traynor]

Can you get a peep sight for it Deacon?
Might be easier to see the foresight.

Actually... Here's a response from andy @ Skinner sights

"I’d go with a 3/8” X .600” front sight for the Browning" (referring to BL-22)

Guessing he means one of his blade fore sights with a 3/8" dovetail, 0.6" high. So I suppose he makes a peep for too.

Now back to Deacon and our Regular Programme
No need to buy one. Make (punch) a hole in stiff cardboard and look at the fore sight from a distance of 2 feet. If it looks better, the Skinner should be ok