Preface
Bolt-action rifles are among the most simple of the repeating rifle designs. And yet they continue to thrive as one of the most popular firearm types on the market. Today I am taking a look at something new, that closely mimics something old. A bolt-action rifle from European American Armory (EAA) chambered in 308 Winchester. The EAA Balikli BLK 308 rifle is an imported copy of the very popular Remington 700. It incorporates a great deal of the popular features while bringing some of its own flare as well.
The BLK 308
The Balikli BLK 308 uses the popular Remington 700 design because it has become the standard for most precision rifle actions. And allows you to use the wide variety of aftermarket accessories and products that support the design.
Built around a short-action design, the BLK 308 uses two action screws to attach it to the walnut stock. The two action screws go through a floorplate designed to accept AICS magazines. A traditional 700 style trigger is pinned to the action with the safety extending up the right side of the tang.
The two-lug bolt turns 90 degrees, but that’s where there are some differences between it and the original. The BLK 308 bolt has a Sako style extractor, far superior to the original. While a single plunger does the ejecting. The bolt body itself is helically fluted while the bolt handle has several lightening holes. At the rear of the action on the left side there is a bolt-stop or bolt-release that you can simply push in to remove the bolt.
Above you can see the similarities with the 700 action. The recoil lug is captured between the action face and barrel shoulder, also included with the BLK 308 is a one-piece scope mounting rail, which is a nice addition. Adding to the value of this rifle, the 20-inch barrel is helically fluted and threaded 5/8-24 to add your favorite muzzle device.
Specifications
| Caliber | 308 Winchester |
| Capacity | 5+1 AICS compatible magazine |
| Barrel | 20-Inch spiral fluted and threaded ⅝-24 |
| Overall Length | 41.4-Inches |
| Weight | 6.85 Pounds |
| Stock | Checkered Walnut |
First Impressions and Range Prep
As I lifted the rifle from the box, I was greeted with the old feel of walnut and checkering. Perhaps not my style, but I can still appreciate it. The weight was nice, and what I would expect for a semi-compact hunting rifle like this. I ran the bolt a few times to get a feel for it, as well as a few trigger presses. Dropping the magazine free was done with the trigger finger, and I tried both polymer magazines that had come with the rifle.
My initial impressions were a touch let down. The trigger was a bit rough, I felt around 3-4 different movements before the trigger actually broke. Additionally, the bolt felt a bit sloppier than necessary. I would later dig into several of these issues which I’ll detail later.
For testing the rifle, I decided to install my Winchester Premium Optics 6-18×50 riflescope. Experience told me it would make a great option for most deer rifles like this one. Using a set of Wheeler 30mm low rings, the scope sat at a perfect height. Since the BLK 308 muzzle is threaded, I for sure was going to shoot the rifle suppressed. For that I grabbed my YHM R9 suppressor.
Shooting the EAA Balikli BLK 308
As a copy of the popular 700, the Balikli BLK308 is very familiar. It feels much like your Grandpa’s walnut stocked 700 but with an AICS magazine. I would take the rifle on several trips to the range and into the mountains to see how it functioned. One of our children showed significant interest in the rifle, and since he may end up hunting with the rifle this fall I let him do a lot of the shooting.
Shootability
I mounted the scope as low as possible on purpose, to avoid needing a big comb-height gap. It appears there are other versions of this rifle with a higher comb, which might be handy. The length of pull was fine for my 13-year-old and myself, the recoil pad is a firmer rubber than I expected too. But no complaints as I expect it to be more durable as well.
Running the bolt and feeding cartridges worked great, as one would expect as a 700 clone. There is a little more slop in the bolt than I would like, which I believe is partially due to the bolt fluting. The two AICS mags that came with the rifle are slippery polymer which makes feeding smooth. And the mag release is easily reached by the trigger finger. The trigger itself was a bit of a let down but better after adjustment.
Ergonomics
The classic walnut stock checkering felt good in your hands. Giving good grip on the areas you need. This rifle has the same basic ergonomics of the rifles we all grew up shooting. Traditional grip angles and stock thickness makes it familiar. Turkey is famous for its beautiful walnut, but I think this stock was more about having a large supply of walnut versus the cost of a more rigid fiberglass or other stock material. I will say it is better than many of the cheap plastic Tupperware stocks many lower prices rifles come with these days.
The controls on this rifle are great, I really appreciate they put the bolt release in the right place versus the traditional style. The large bolt-knob gives great purchase for running the bolt under pressure. Magazine swaps are also easy and tactile, and the rifle was compatible with other AICS magazines from Magpul and MDT.
Accuracy
Our initial accuracy tests show that the rifle as-is can do one MOA groups without trouble. I found it seemed to prefer the 175 Match ammunition that I shot over the 150 and 155 grain ammo. Accuracy like that is not likely to win any competitions, but it is certainly enough to take into a deer blind. And comparable to other rifles in a similar price point. I could see this gun doing well on a deer hunt, but I wanted to see if I could squeeze something better out of it.
Reliability
While the rifle never malfunctioned on us during testing, there are a few things that need mentioning. I saw a couple small things that would catch any sharp eye. First off, I noticed that the polymer floorplate seemed uneven in the stock.
I decided to look further into the situation, to see if maybe this had something to do with the trigger feeling less than ideal. As I disassembled the rifle, I found that the floorplate was actually colliding with the trigger housing. So much so that it had actually bent the trigger guard portion.
The trigger housing is actually wider than the gap in the floorplate, particularly the trigger axle and bottom apex of the safety. I can’t imagine this was helping the rifle shoot well. So I tried to remedy the issue by widening out the space in the floorplate, making room for parts so they were not compressed when the action screws were tightened.
And since I was in there, I figured I would adjust the trigger to see if I could improve the break of it. To my surprise it wasn’t too hard to make it feel pretty good. I also tried to install a completely different 700 trigger that was narrower to avoid the whole issue. But unfortunately, the BLK308 isn’t a close enough clone to use 700 triggers. That was a big let down as I was looking forward to it.
Value
I was willing to accept from the very beginning that this rifle might have a couple issues bases on its source. I expected though that with a little alteration and some elbow grease I could still make it a very useful rifle. And for the most part I think it is, but there are a few caveats for me here.
If its a 700 clone, but wont take 700 triggers, then is it really a clone? I suppose it might fit into a chassis, but if I cant change the trigger its value as a clone goes down. As a stand alone rifle for around $600 it does alright, but I can think of a couple other rifles that perform as good for the same or less.
Pros and Cons
Obviously I’ve gone over some of the issues with the rifle, so those would certainly be the negative aspects of this rifle. And since I’ve detailed those issues already, I’ll focus on the good things about the rifle.
It does look good, and has a classic figure with the added value of modern AICS magazines. It does work with some of the aftermarket support compatible with the popular 700 pattern. And the rifle functions well, and shoots accurate enough for most purposes. After a little tinkering the rifle’s performance is actually good, and I expect we will put it to good work for years to come.
Conclusion
I find myself torn on this rifle, on one hand I enjoy shooting it and find it suitable for particular purposes. But on the other hand the rifle does fall short of my expectations. I have always been a bit of a tinkerer, which has made it easy for me to be successful with firearms that others might find finicky. I’m also perfectly aware that this rifle could be the exception, and my experience could be singular.
All that to say; I like this rifle but also understand why some might not. It does a great job at reliably cycling cartridges, and shoots well compared to many peers. EAA’s Balikli BLK308 is worth taking a look at and judge for yourself if you are in the market.