A-bolt: Good platform for build?

[AKNomad]

I currently have an A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 300WM, left hand. I originally picked it up for Moose, but my moose hunting interests have moved more towards the archery side, and I have a .270 that would make a fine moose rifle as well. I'm into the rifle, picked up second hand years ago, for $400 including the Vari-X III 2.5-8x36 mounted on it, on there's no emotional attachment to it.

I am, however, contemplating some brown bear hunting, both coastal browns and interior grizzly in Alaska. I want to get all my rifles set up for a silencer that's in jail, but I've heard the A-Bolt is hard to do barrel work on. If I stay with the A-Bolt, it will likely get cut back to 22" and threaded, but I don't expect I'll do much else. If I go with a new platform, I can also change cartridge if desired. 30-06, 7MM Rem Mag, and 7MM PRC all on the table, though the 300WM is already a great option.

Is it worth trying to go ahead and convert this into a suppressed rifle, or would I be better off with a different platform (likely would go Tikka for a semi-custom build, or Christensen for an out-of-the-box option). Anything I should know about with it as a base for this build?

 

[Lowhighlander]

I’ve had a number of a-bolts through the years and enjoyed them all, strongly prefer them over x-bolts. $10 set of timney trigger springs and you have a useable trigger. All mine were shooters. If yours is I’d chop it off, thread it and enjoy it. Worst you can lose is $400

 

[KenLee]

Chop and thread the barrel, swap out the hockey puck recoil pad for direct fit limbsaver, and enjoy one of the best factory rifles ever made.
If that's not acceptable, sell it and buy a suppressor ready x-bolt with short barrel.

 

[AKNomad]

I think my big concern is that I wouldn't have the aftermarket support the way I do with Tikka (the other rifle I'm threading...). I think you're both right: I don't have much to lose, and don't have much to do to make it a pretty potent but pack-able rifle.

Now to find a gunsmith and start thinking about bullets...

 

[sdupontjr]

I have a Abolt II Medallion in 7mag with the Boss that I got when back in the early 90's. Blued finish with beautiful wood stock. It is still the queen of my safe. I was going to go that route and get the boss system taken off and have it barrelled. I like the face the bottom metal is flush but does have a removable mag.

I ended up leaving well enough alone, replaced the trigger spring to get a much lighter pull and removed the granite recoil pad it had on it and installed a limbsaver. Very nice to shoot. I just recently pulled it out the safe, and started reloading for it. I never really played with the Boss system, but since loading some rounds, it definitely works. I had gotten away from it and started using my Tikka T3 308 because it was easier to use in our tower stands.

 

[huntsman22]

A-bort....

 

[huntsman22]

A-void....

 

[Trapperkid]

A-bort....

I know very little about the a-bolt but this is funny.

 

[sdupontjr]

The Abolt and Abolt II were very nice rifles. They dropped the ball with the abolt 3 and tried to resurrect it back with the xbolt.

The problem is aftermarket parts or lack there of. People like to tinker with their stuff dont like these rifles due to aftermarket availability. I know back in the early 90's it was one of the few at the time that claimed to shoot sub moa, and it did. The barrels are installed with a loctite and it has fine threads. So the issues that people were having were the threads were stripping or pulling out of the action or the action would twist due to too much torque being applied to remove barrels.

Now, the process involved is if heat doesnt break it free, cut the barrel and machine the rest of the barrel out of the action. It's a lot of work and some just dont want the responsibility. To me, it's the best action next to my tikka. I love the short throw bolt and it's as slick as my tikka. Mine however is blued finish and just decided to keep it as is.

 

[SDHNTR]

Nope. Sell it and use the proceeds to start with a more user friendly platform. Should be able to turn a handsome profit.

 

[KenLee]

All the shade on the a-bolt
I have the exact rifle you are discussing and probably 20 other a-bolts. I'd be interested if you sell

 

[KenLee]

The Abolt and Abolt II were very nice rifles. They dropped the ball with the abolt 3 and tried to resurrect it back with the xbolt.

The problem is aftermarket parts or lack there of. People like to tinker with their stuff dont like these rifles due to aftermarket availability. I know back in the early 90's it was one of the few at the time that claimed to shoot sub moa, and it did. The barrels are installed with a loctite and it has fine threads. So the issues that people were having were the threads were stripping or pulling out of the action or the action would twist due to too much torque being applied to remove barrels.

Now, the process involved is if heat doesnt break it free, cut the barrel and machine the rest of the barrel out of the action. It's a lot of work and some just dont want the responsibility. To me, it's the best action next to my tikka. I love the short throw bolt and it's as slick as my tikka. Mine however is blued finish and just decided to keep it as is.

I drug around an a-bolt 1 in 270 from age 21 to 51. Still take her out when I'm mid day hunting or walking/bumping. She's killed more animals than antifreeze. Literally over 1,500. Not a better handling factory rifle ever made. No aftermarket support needed if a user can leave well enough alone.

 

[sdupontjr]

I drug around an a-bolt 1 in 270 from age 21 to 51. Still take her out when I'm mid day hunting or walking/bumping. She's killed more animals than antifreeze. Literally over 1,500. Not a better handling factory rifle ever made. No aftermarket support needed if a user can leave well enough alone.

Yep, about the same as me. 7 mag ammo was easy to find but for my conditions, it was way overkill so picked up a tikka 308. But that medallion still shoots tiny clusters over 30 years later.

 

[KenLee]

Yep, about the same as me. 7 mag ammo was easy to find but for my conditions, it was way overkill so picked up a tikka 308. But that medallion still shoots tiny clusters over 30 years later.

I can't bring myself to change scopes on the old 270 or I'd probably still be using her more.
Old 35 yr old Nikon 3-9x40 that needed 2 clicks when I ran out of discontinued light magnum btsp and had to swap to Superformance SST. Only adjustment ever made to the scope

 

[RepeatPete]

I really enjoy my A-bolt, and it shoots fantastic. Seems to be a phenomenal platform if you don’t need to tinker. I put the Timney trigger spring in mine and it made a world of difference.
I’ve heard the barrel swap issues are more with the stainless versions, the blued seem to be fine. PAC-NOR will install a new barrel, I haven’t found another that will spend time on an A-bolt yet.