Browning T bolt

[daytime dave]

This last time I was at my favorite gun shop, Woods & Waters in Saranac Lake NY, I found my beautiful Henry lever action .410. I also found a Browning T bolt that they had been waiting for for a long while. It had just come in 20 minutes prior to me walking in. The owners know my interests and the T bolt was interesting. As you hear on Midway USA, Col. Whelan only found accurate rifles interesting. This Browning is interesting. I'm not a rifle man, but I had never seen a T bolt. The action intrigued me and with all the appropriate accessories in tow, I left there with two great firearms.

I mounted the Stryka scope shortly after I got the gun and took it out to zero it a few days later. There were showers and I only got three shots off. I was impressed enough to be glad of the purchase. Today, I finished the zero. It didn't take long. There are three in the box that are about a 1/2 inch or less in size. I don't use traditional rests. I had two outdoor furniture pillows handy in the barn and I laid them across the hood of my Craftsman garden tractor. I am not a good rifle shooter as I move around alot and don't hold a steady aim. That said, I was "interested" in the results of this T bolt.

It's a fun gun and accurate.









The three closest in the center are my last shots. It's a 4 power scope with awesome optics. I knew I should be dialed in pretty close, so I took my time more or less. It is an interesting rifle all right.

[daytime dave]

To be fair, not all the groups are that close in the photograph. As I said, I'm not a rifle shooter and I don't use a vise like rest. I move around more with rifles than handguns. The box is about 3 x 3 inches, more or less.

[North Country Gal]

Congrats, Dave. You made a great choice with the new T bolt and with those groups, you are off to a good start. They are accurate and fun to shoot with that T bolt action.

I had two of the new versions with the rotary magazines and enjoyed them, but they didn't survive my big gun sell off a few years back. Just had too many guns in the safe, so they didn't make the cut. Both would do half inch at 50 yards, though, so they were right there with my CZs and that's saying something.

I did save one T bolt, though. It's the very first series of T bolts all the way back to 1966 when they were being made in Belgium. (Browning soon switched to the current Miroku T bolts in the early 70s, so the Belgiums are fairly rare.) Those first T bolts were a gun I lusted for in my youth, but couldn't afford, so when I found one a few years back, I grabbed it. No way could I let it go, so it survived the big sell off.

Still the same identical T bolt action as the new ones. The only difference is that the old ones had the usual 5 round metal magazine instead of the rotary mags on the new edition. This one is the T2, meaning it has the checkered stock. The T1 had a plain stock. These first editions also came with the factory supplied peep sight.





Welcome to the T bolt club, Dave.

[RetiredSeabee]

Thanks Dave, and Joanie. Now I have to go find a Browning T Bolt to handle and fight the urge to bring it home.

[Sir Henry]

Thanks Dave, and Joanie. Now I have to go find a Browning T Bolt to handle and fight the urge to bring it home.

Amen.

[daytime dave]

I forgot to give the distance. I was just over 50 yards away.
Beautiful T bolt NCG.

[North Country Gal]

Good shooting at 50, Dave. Keep it up.

I think you guys would love working a T bolt. Working any kind of a side lever action is fun. Have one on my high end air rifle and and my competition grade PCP air pistol. Much prefer a side lever to the traditional bolt actions on my other air rifles.

[roddy]

I had a Miroku made T-Bolt in .22 LR for a while, and enjoyed shooting it. I would love to have a nice, salt free, early model like NCG's.
My rifle was a 'Shot Show' sporter in a maple stock. I would still have it, but someone offered me a clean Winchester model 61 in trade...I couldn't say no.
If I happen to stumble over another late model in .22 WMR, with a varmint barrel, it will likely come home with me.

[North Country Gal]

Yeah, a Model 61 would be hard for me to pass up, too.

[roddy]

Found a pic of the T-bolt I had...

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