Browning BOSS???

[brentburgess171]

Hey, I was wondering if anyone out there has had any expirience with Brownings Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System. I bought a BOSS equiped BAR several years ago and I love it (1/2 inch groups@100yds. with factory ammo). I figured that everyone would follow suit (including Remington); but, It really hasn't made as much impact as I expected. Anyone know why? I thought maybe it was because of velocity loss; but, Browning claims that there was no measurable loss during testing. If your wondering what the heck I'm talking about, here is a link that describes the BOSS. http://www.browning.com/products/cat...asp?value=013B

[Johnny Nitro]

Originally Posted by brentburgess171

Hey, I was wondering if anyone out there has had any expirience with Brownings Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System. I bought a BOSS equiped BAR several years ago and I love it (1/2 inch groups@100yds. with factory ammo). I figured that everyone would follow suit (including Remington); but, It really hasn't made as much impact as I expected. Anyone know why? I thought maybe it was because of velocity loss; but, Browning claims that there was no measurable loss during testing. If your wondering what the heck I'm talking about, here is a link that describes the BOSS. http://www.browning.com/products/cat...asp?value=013B

You're kind of in the wrong forum for this subject.

The BOSS is mostly a gimmick. It works, but who in the hell wants to mess around with dialing that damned thing in to a particular setting? It's just as easy to shoot a few different loads in your rifle and pick the one that shoots best. The BOSS gizmo allows you to calibrate the rifle to the load rather than the load to the rifle.

Another reason that none of the other manufacturers have adopted it is Browning's patent. There was or is a company that makes a similar device that can be retrofitted to a rifle. Naturally Browning sued and the company now has to pay a royalty for each item manufactured. (I don't think the item is a big seller.)

The standard vented BOSS is obnoxious as hell to other shooters since it directs gases and muzzle blast to the side rather than downrange. Browning has since offered a conventional recoil version with no vents.

It's also ugly.

[brentburgess171]

Yes, I know I'm in the wrong forum. Oh well, should of paid attention.
I have the CR version. The ported version is to loud, unless you have ear plugs. I just went with the factory reccomended setting and got the results described above. It gets pretty expensive buying different brands and loads for a rifle, striving to find the most accurate. Not to mention the amount of time you waste. I guess cosmetics may have something to do with it not catching on.

[helomech]

Originally Posted by Johnny Nitro

You're kind of in the wrong forum for this subject.

The BOSS is mostly a gimmick. It works, but who in the hell wants to mess around with dialing that damned thing in to a particular setting? It's just as easy to shoot a few different loads in your rifle and pick the one that shoots best. The BOSS gizmo allows you to calibrate the rifle to the load rather than the load to the rifle.

Another reason that none of the other manufacturers have adopted it is Browning's patent. There was or is a company that makes a similar device that can be retrofitted to a rifle. Naturally Browning sued and the company now has to pay a royalty for each item manufactured. (I don't think the item is a big seller.)

The standard vented BOSS is obnoxious as hell to other shooters since it directs gases and muzzle blast to the side rather than downrange. Browning has since offered a conventional recoil version with no vents.

It's also ugly.

b.s. the BOSS is awesome it reduces recoil and you can tune it to shoot any bullet great. I don't ever plan on buying another hunting rifle without the BOSS. I can put all bullets touching the same hole at 100 yards with ballistic silvertips. Made two head shots on deer at 150 to 200 yards this last week. Browning A-Bolt 30-06

[Armada]

Since this is the "Off-Topic" section and anything goes here, it's really not the wrong forum. I don't own a Browning rifle (but have lots of their shotguns) so I have no personal experience. I have a bunch of Remington 700's, Winchester Model 70's a Sako medium action, and a Weatherby Mark V, among others, and several Remington semi-auto hunting rifles in various calibers. I shoot with friends with BOSS equipped rifles and know about them from that perspective.

Here's my read: The BOSS can reduce felt recoil, but that is not a big deal unless you are shooting 300 magnum class or bigger. The BOSS can reduce group size -- sometimes. It take a lot of ammo and patience and it does not always make a lot of difference, but with some rifles it can be dramatic.

What it does is act as a barrel vibration dampener. Every rifle barrel has a natural harmonic vibration pattern when fired. The BOSS slightly changes that pattern as you adjust it. Some barrels benefit and some do not and finding the sweet spot (watching my buddies sight in) can burn up a lot of ammo with either big improvement or maybe none at all. And that setting works only for that brand ammo in that particular bullet weight.

Nosler Ballistic Tip ammo is naturally very accurate in most rifles. I handload for most of my rifles. I do not use dedicated target bullets, but find the Nosler BT's to be very close in consistency. The BT's are more accurate than other hunting type bullets, such as Nosler Partitions or Barnes X, Speer Grand Slams, etc., in my rifles.

My most accurate hunting rifle is the Sako in 6 mm Remington. It is in a custom varmint stock, has a Douglas barrel, a 6-24x Burris Black Diamond scope, and shoots .25 inch groups or less at 100 yards, with little explosive 55 grain BT's smoking along at 4100 fps.

A 280 Remington Custom Shop KS Mountain Rifle routinely shoots 1/2 inch groups and sometime down in the 4's with 140 grain BT's at 100 yards.

The BOSS does produce a lot more noise, especially to bystanders. If it tightens up your groups , it is a good thing. A friend of mine with an A Bolt 270 gets one inch groups, which are nothing to be ashamed of, but he gets the same groups regardless of how he adjusts the BOSS. Go figure.

Small changes in powder charge, for those of us who handload, probably have the same effect in altering barrel vibration and may account for why sometimes just a tenth or two change in powder weight can tighten up a group without really changing velocity. So I don't discount the BOSS. But since I do handload, I don't have much use for one personally. Most people don't handload.

[Contra]

i have this on my rifle is actually works if you set it correctly

[tnbowhunter]

A friend I work with has a couple of Browning bolt actions with the BOSS system. He is a fanatic about accuracy and like me he handloads all of his ammo.

I'll have to admit his brownings are just a tad more accurate than any of my off the shelf Remington Mdl. 700's. I'm sure it has a lot to do with his bullet, powder selection, but the BOSS system does help.

I just remind him of a Remington add I once saw, "With Remington, accuracy is built in, not added on." That usually stops his gloating.

No doubt about it, the BOSS system works. If i'm not mistaken Winchester is in partnership with Browning now and some of the Winchester rifles have the system installed.

[brentburgess171]

Hey,TNBOWHUNTER and ARMADA.The BOSS reduces the barrel length by a couple inches. Have you or your friends shot there BOSS equipped rifle through a chronograph and compared it to a non BOSS of the same caliber and make? Browning swears there is no difference; but, I was wondering if anyone had actually tested it for themselves. I see this as possibly the only negative thing about BOSS.
HELOMECH, I use the Ballistic Silver tips as well. Awesome accuracy and knock down.

[tnbowhunter]

My friend who owns the Browning is on vacation and I will not see him untill after the holidays, unfortunate because he owns a chronograph as well.

But I don't think the loss of velocity would be much if any. It has been my experience that for every inch of barrell you gain or loose you will loose or gain approximately 25 fps. So you would only loose at most 50 fps. I would gladly trade even a hundred fps. for greater accuracy any old time.

My favorite tree stand rifle only has an 18 1/2 inch barrell. It's a Remington Mdl. 7 in 260. Believe me, the deer I kill with it don't know that rifle is going 100 fps. slower.

Check your PM's from time to time and when I see my friend I will get you an answer.

[brentburgess171]

Yea, I guess your right about the deer not being able to tell.LOL It probably wouldn't be relevant ,unless your shooting a magnum. I believe the muzzle velocity change per 1" increases with the faster calibers.
How do you like your .260? I've been thinking about getting the same set up for my boy. I wish that they made the model seven in standard calibers with a 22" barrel(here we go again). I heard that the recoil was very mild with 120 grain Ballistic tips.

[tnbowhunter]

Originally Posted by brentburgess171

How do you like your .260? I've been thinking about getting the same set up for my boy. I wish that they made the model seven in standard calibers with a 22" barrel(here we go again). I heard that the recoil was very mild with 120 grain Ballistic tips.

I love it!!! That is when I can get it away from my wife and daughter.

The 260 is a great caliber, its based on the 308 as is the 243, 7mm08 etc. I hand load it with 129 gr. Hornady SST's. They are real close to the Nosler Ballistic Tips but you get 100 Hornady's for the price of 50 Noslers.

The 260 does a great job on our smalish Whitetails. And has very little recoil. I tried 100 gr. Noslers and couldn't get very good accuracy out of them. I load just about everything with Hornady's now, they are all accurate and realy perform well on game.

If you go with the stainless Mdl. 7 it comes with a 20 inch barrell, it is a really sweet looking rifle.

[Johnny Nitro]

Originally Posted by brentburgess171

It gets pretty expensive buying different brands and loads for a rifle, striving to find the most accurate. Not to mention the amount of time you waste.

Wasted time? "Expensive?" Please.

[Johnny Nitro]

Originally Posted by Armada

Since this is the "Off-Topic" section and anything goes here, it's really not the wrong forum.

Uh, this was originally posted in the "General Titan Talk" forum until a moderator moved it. So yeah, it was in the wrong forum when I originally posted.

Originally Posted by Armada

The BOSS does produce a lot more noise, especially to bystanders.

The BOSS does not "produce" more noise, nor does it "produce" any noise. It redirects the existing muzzle blast outwardly rather than down range.

[Johnny Nitro]

Originally Posted by helomech

b.s. the BOSS is awesome it reduces recoil and you can tune it to shoot any bullet great. I don't ever plan on buying another hunting rifle without the BOSS.

No, not "b.s." The BOSS hasn't been embraced by any manufacturer outside of the Browning and Winchester/USRA empire, nor have custom gun builders or target shooters employed it. In fact, it's offered in fewer rifles than when it was first introduced in 1993.

Originally Posted by helomech

I can put all bullets touching the same hole at 100 yards with ballistic silvertips. Made two head shots on deer at 150 to 200 yards this last week. Browning A-Bolt 30-06

I have no idea what you're trying to prove with this quote. All of my rifles can do that, too. Without any feel-good gadget on the end of the barrel. I shot two deer this past year, too, at approximately 150 yards. Do I win a prize?

[helomech]

Originally Posted by Johnny Nitro

No, not "b.s." The BOSS hasn't been embraced by any manufacturer outside of the Browning and Winchester/USRA empire, nor have custom gun builders or target shooters employed it. In fact, it's offered in fewer rifles than when it was first introduced in 1993.

I have no idea what you're trying to prove with this quote. All of my rifles can do that, too. Without any feel-good gadget on the end of the barrel. I shot two deer this past year, too, at approximately 150 yards. Do I win a prize?

The boss is patented therefore it can't be put on by another manufacturer. And if you say the boss doesn't improve the accuracy of a rifle, you have either never used one or you are delusional. I really doubt all of your rifles can do that. All of mine can't, just the browning. Actually I shot 5 deer this year all in one day 2 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, 2 were head shots at more than 150 yards.