Browning’s LongTrac .30-06 Semiauto
Offers Accuracy With Class.
Story By John Taffin
Photos By Ichiro Nagata
due to the excellent recoil pad and gas operation of the action.
Testing the LongTrac, or any other firearm, often requires time to put everything together necessary for the best results. The BAR LongTrac was first announced in the late 2005 but not expected to be available until June of 2006. I sent a request to Browning for a test rifle and a similar request to Burris for a proper scope once I knew the rifle was available. I first received a set of Browning rings and scope mount base in March 2006 with an accompanying back order of the rifle and the rifle arrived shortly thereafter followed almost immediately by a Burris Fullfield II scope. With this scope came a set of rings, however, the Burris LongTrac base was back ordered. No problem, I now had a Browning rifle, a Burris scope, and a set of Browning rings and bases.
Compatible, Sort Of
I thought I was ready to go forward with the project until I mounted the Burris scope using the Browning rings. The Browning mounting system consists of two bases with integral bottom rings. It appears to be a good system with minimum bulk, however, when mounting the Burris scope in the medium Browning rings the bell of the scope contacted the barrel — definitely not a workable situation. A few days later the Burris base arrived and a little measuring revealed the use of the medium Burris rings and base with the Burris scope would work (more on both the Burris scope, and mounting system shortly).
The Browning LongTrac is a gas-operated, semiautomatic rifle and loads from a magazine attached to a floor plate. When the magazine latch in front of the triggerguard is the pressed rearward, the hinged floorplate swings down allowing the magazine to be loaded. When the last round is fired, the bolt locks open and re-loading is now quite easy and it is not necessary to remove the magazine from the floorplate to load, however, it can be easily removed.
Once the magazine is loaded with four rounds, the floorplate can then be swung back into position, the magazine latch locks it in place and then the bolt release lever on the right side of the receiver directly behind the forearm is pushed down to allow the bolt to go forward, feeding a round into the chamber.
If the magazine is loaded while the bolt is in the forward position, the bolt-operating handle allows the bolt to be manually drawn rearward and released to chamber a cartridge. The shotgun-style safety, located in the triggerguard directly behind the trigger, is set up for right-hand operation, meaning the trigger finger pushes it in to the left for firing. It can be reversed for ease-of-use by a left-hander. Once a round is chambered, and this safety is in the safe position, the magazine may be unlatched and another round inserted achieving the full capacity of four rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber.
Browning says: “The trigger mechanism has been adjusted at the factory to provide a short, crisp pull consistent with safety. The trigger is a single-stage design with the weight holding closely to four pounds. It is recommended that no attempt be made to change the weight of pull of the trigger.” I did find the trigger pull to be short and crisp and easily used, however, I measured it with the RCBS Trigger Pull Gauge, which registered it at 51⁄4 pounds. Considering my test-fire results, I see no reason to change it.
The receiver of the Browning LongTrac is formed of an aircraft-grade alloy providing both strength and lightweight. The receiver is also drilled and tapped for scope bases and no iron sights are provided. Barrel length is 22", overall length is 42", weight is just under seven pounds and the stock and forearm are satin-finished walnut with very small excellent checkering providing security without discomfort. This is a very easy shooting rifle due to the gas operation, which helps soak up some of the recoil and also the installation of a very comfortable recoil pad, which can be adjusted to personal preference with the spacers provided. As issued by the factory the drop at the comb is 5/8" and the heel, 11⁄8". Spacers allow the comb to be raised or lowered 1/16" and the heel 1/8" — all designed to place the eye in perfect alignment with the scope. There are also spacers provided to “bend” the stock, or to adjust the stock to bend away from the face or bend to the left by 1/8" again to help provide perfect eye/scope alignment.
My testing of all firearms, whether they be handguns or rifles, is accomplished the same way. I break in each gun by shooting it. I don’t shoot a round, clean it, shoot a round etc., etc., etc. I shoot and shoot and shoot. No special preparations were made with the Browning LongTrac. I simply fired a sufficient number of rounds to sight in dead on at 25 yards so I would be on paper at 100 yards. This assured me any load tried would print on paper at 100 yards. Sighting in precisely for a particular load is not necessary until that load is chosen for general use.
I will be the first to admit I am not an accomplished rifleman. For test firing at 100 yards I place an 8"-high wood block on my handgun shooting bench, a sandbag goes on top, and I am ready to go. I do not go through any kind of breath control when shooting, I simply align the crosshairs on target, do my best to stay steady and squeeze the trigger. I fired as fast as the chronograph could pick up the shot, could realign the sights and squeeze the trigger. Being at the age when I prefer a minimum of stress in my life, I always give myself one throwaway round when testing any firearm. Since the Browning LongTrac has a magazine capacity of four rounds, all four rounds were shot with each load and the best three of four measured. All of this is shared to place the test-fire results in the proper perspective. That perspective is this is one fine performing rifle, cartridge and scope combination. Put simply, this rifle should not shoot this well.
releases the magazine floor plate to allow loading of the 4-round magazine,
while the lever to the rear of the forearm depresses the magazine
follower allowing the bolt to close on an empty chamber.
It so happened my friend Denis Fletcher had just returned from six months in Hawaii right after I had finished test firing the LongTrac and asked me how it shot. When I said, “Would you believe three shots in 1/2" at 100 yards?” His eyes widened and he asked how I knew it wasn’t a fluke. I then showed him target after target with the results the same, all groups approximately 1" or less. In fact, Hornady’s 165-grain SP load gave me three shots in 1/2" and “opened up” to less than 1" with all four shots counted. He then said I must have had a very calm day for shooting. Actually it was quite windy with the flag at 100 yards standing straight out. For the next half hour he talked about the fact this was one superbly shooting rifle. He is correct in that assessment
Normally I prefer to do my testing of any firearm by myself without interruptions. I had just sat down at the bench to begin to sight in the LongTrac when another friend, my photographer for all the “man shooting” pictures, Joe Penner, showed up. In light of the shooting results, I am very happy to have had a witness. I can only wonder what a much younger and more accomplished and dedicated rifle shooter could do with this particular Browning LongTrac .30-06. It certainly is a joy to contemplate. I will purchase this test rifle. My son owns a lodge in the middle of some of the finest hunting and fishing country in Montana and I would expect both he and my grandson will spend many years using this superb-shooting .30-06 in that area. Who knows? Perhaps on the 200th Anniversary of the .30-06 one of my descendants may still be using this BAR to hunt with, at least we can hope so. I won’t be around for the next anniversary of the ’06 but I may even be able to do some shooting of the BAR with the two other Johns myself over the next few years. I certainly can’t think of any rifle I have ever fired in my 50-plus years of shooting which could be a better choice.
between the Burris Fullfield scope bell and the barrel on the Browning BAR.
The Ballistic Plex reticle features four reference points on the lower vertical crosshair to compensate for bullet drop. Once the rifle is sighted in you can then shoot at other distances using the reference points. For example if sighted to hit 3" high at 100 yards and approximately dead on an 250 yards, it is then possible to fire at longer distances by using any one of the reference points to calculate where a preferred load will impact.
Boattail Spirepoint was one of the best recorded.
A chart is provided giving approximate point of impact, however, you should check your own particular rifle and load at various distances. You may prefer to sight dead on at 100 yards and then by experimenting come up with point of impact distances for the other reference points. The provided chart using a 150-grain bullet at 2,900 fps gives the top reference point putting the bullet dead on at 200 yards, the next lower reference point 1" high at 300 yards, the third reference point down 1" at 400 yards and the final point, down 4" at 500 yards. This is an exceptionally handy feature, but it requires the ability to either read or measure distances and one should actually fire a sufficient number of rounds at each distance rather than depending upon a chart. Burris does supply a small chart, which may be taped to the buttstock for quick reference, but again actual shooting experience should be used.
Posi Align Rings
Once the Burris Fullfield II with its 42mm front lens was installed using the proper base and rings it proved easy to use and sight in with each click moving the point of impact 1/4" at 100 yards; counting the clicks I came up with 150 clicks windage and 235 clicks elevation. Adjustment knobs may be moved with a coin using the slot or by the fingers. The Burris one-piece mount’s front ring fits in a slot and is rotated 90 degrees to lock into place. The rear ring fits between two large adjustment screws in the base allowing even more windage adjustment. Each ring comes with two 1/2 circular nylon inserts placed around the scope before the rings are tightened. These inserts not only allow the scope to be snugged tightly into place they also prevent marring the scope’s finish. More importantly, if the receiver is slightly out of true, a kit of Posi-Align ring inserts can be used to coarsely adjust elevation so the scope’s internal adjustments don’t bottom out.
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