Ed Brown A3 Tactical

Ed Brown A3 Tactical
In my book the finest looking of the batch, the A3 has many features found only on true custom rifles. The action is Ed Brown's own, built in-house and mated with a match-grade, hand-lapped Shilen barrel before being hand-bedded into a McMillan stock. The trigger is also a Shilen and is finely adjustable. All components of the A3--including the bottom metal--are machined from steel bar stock.

Although it's hard to talk of handling characteristics in a tactical bolt gun, I felt that the ergonomics of the Ed Brown are outstanding. All the controls are well thought out and easy to manipulate. The 26-inch barrel (all the other .308s were 24) didn't feel longer. The package as a whole just handled well.

A couple of interesting facts came out on the range. First, the controlled-round bolt fed a bit stiffly. It seemed that the base of a cartridge sliding from the magazine up across the face of the bolt encountered a tight spot and bound up just a bit. This, I think, would disappear with extended use. Second, the rifle always shot satisfactorily, but as the barrel heated up it really got going. Point of impact didn't change as it heated. Groups just got smaller--really small in some cases.

It's worth noting that the A3 is available with a drop-box extended magazine. Considering the rifle's penchant for shooting hot, I'd certainly recommend an A3 so equipped for anyone going into situations that might require sustained, highly accurate fire.

Pros: Built with extraordinary precision. Maintains accuracy and point of impact very well when hot.
Cons: Most expensive of the .308 rifles tested. Action somewhat stiff when chambering a round.
Best load: Black Hills 175-grain match
Accuracy: .52 inch
MSRP: $3,695