Browning X-Bolt Rifle Reviews

Discussion in 'Browning X-Bolt Rifle' started by Billythekid, Mar 20, 2011.

  1. If hydrex’s AU reference was to All Weather, then the lightest caliber is .243. Browning said they would CONSIDER bringing back the All Weather. I also totally believe it should be made in 22-250, 223, and .243 on the low end! If I ordered one it would be in 6.5 Creedmore as that round is becoming extremely popular! Also I have a fleet of .243s and don’t need another. Also it is best for me to have a quite different shape cartridge as a 257 Roberts does not look that different from a .243 in low light!
  2. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    David, my 243 Xbolt Hunter (walnut stock) has been one of my favorites since I bought it almost 10 years ago. The palm swell and finish of the bolt is what made me choose it over the Tikka T3. It can consistently shoot shoot , 1" groups at 300 yards with my handloads if I do my part. Keeps under well under 1 MOA at 400 yards in 5 - 12mph gusting conditions which is the norm where I shoot. The ergonomics are perfect for me. It is light and rugged. I'm just bummed that the twist won't stabilize the 105 Hornady match bullets.

    Not sure about your distinction between a "bench rifle" and "target rifle".

    My debate on what to do in 6.5 went on for a long time. Considered many makes and models. Browning, Tikka, Christiansen, Beraga, Remington, etc. Wanted a tactical type grip. Wanted a rifle I can hunt with in rugged mountainous terrain and good for long shots in the wild and on the bench. Xbolt with McMillan was a consideration but I decided I really wanted to keep the cost around $1K for the rifle and $1K for optics. Agreed, Hells Canyon Speed stock just didn't feel great. Not the same distinct palm swell and balance as Xbolt hunter, but I liked the weight. Not knocking the HC, just not my favorite. Decided if I'm going synthetic, then it's a McMillan, or Manners, etc. Those are $600 bare bones.

    I settled on an Eclipse Hunter in 6.5 CM. That's a 22" sporter barrel like the Hunter. I LOVE the Eclipse laminate stock. If it is unpopular, I don't know why. I can put 4 in 1 nonragged hole with 130gr Bergers @ 100 yards. Literally .1 MOA many times, but averate .2 MOA. Unfortunately Browning nor anyone else could give me an accurate naked weight and it came in at 7.6 lbs. I put a 2 lb. 5-25x50 Gen2 Viper PST on it making it 9.6 lbs. - almost a pound heaver than I wanted. But what the hell, I'll just have to keep hiking and working out to make it feel lighter. I thought about drilling out material from the stock to lighten it but don't want to chance ruining it. Again, the thumbhole pistol grip-like stock is just about perfect, allowing for a very comfortable consistent grip. MUCH better than the Tikka CTR, which feels like crap by comparison in my hands. Yet they are all the rage, but their stock and actions are crude compared to the Xbolt.
  3. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    I have not broken my Brownings in with any disciplined regimen. Shot 2 boxes of factory. Cleaned. Shot another box, cleaned. Shot 16 handloads, cleaned. Cleaned every 40 rounds or so. Now I go even longer. At my sportman's club some of us believe that barrels get "seasoned" after X number of rounds....maybe about 20. Then the are very very consistent. 1800 rounds later my brownings are still very accurate. 243 shoots 1" groups at 300 yards in natural breeze conditions.
    Your Criterion may be different in terms of break in. It should be a match winner. Custom barrel on a known good platform. Seems like you can't go wrong with a RPR but barrel length might not be optimum depending on caliber. Good for the bench or stationary shooting, not good for hiking in the mountains.

    I have heard very mixed stories about the Kimber but no personal experience. I would not take one over the Xbolt, a proven consistent standard for $600 - $1200. My 7mmRM is a Savage. I had to put a brake on it to be consistent and make it fun to shoot. Now it is the most deadly weapon I own at 1000 yards. 168gr Bergers driven by H1000 hold 3" groups at 600 yards no problem. I love H1000. RL22 does very well too. 4831 has worked very will with 120 and 140 Barnes. .25 MOA and they scream.
  4. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    I have 2 Xbolts, no problem with stripping mount holes. Used Browning Xbolt rings on 6.5 CM / Leupolds on 243.

    You better be ready to put a brake on that 200 WM!!! The HC Speed is light, and that cartridge is a kicker. Braked my 7mmRM and it now kicks a little less that my 6.5 CM of similar weight. JP Precision by EA Brown for $165.
  5. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    It's all the rage. In the last 18 months all manufacturers have started making them. Low recoil, with 6.5 high BC bullets. But if you want to hunt at long ranges a 7mm RM is a much better choice. Just be sure to put a brake on that one. 6.5 CM does not need a brake, but it's nice to have one if you don't mind the noise. I don't wear earplugs when I hunt but for long shots I can put them in so the noise from a brake doesn't bother me. Nonbraked, a 6.5 or 270 is just fine. No objectionable recoil, and the noise travels away from you.
    SHOOTER13 likes this.
  6. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    I like the 5 shot group in your avatar. My Xbolt Eclipse does that. But that's with my handloads, not factory. But I only shot 2 boxes of factory when I got it, then started loading for it.
    Your Xbolt will probably shoot better and faster once it has some rounds down the tube. Mine sped up at 180 rounds.
  7. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    And BTW, I considered one of those maple Xbolts, but they looked too beautiful to hunt with!
  8. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    Buyer beware, Browning's website is not always accurate in product descriptions. Weight of my Xbolt Eclipse hunter shows 6.7 lbs, same as the synthetic stocks, and standard walnut but it is actually 7.6 lbs.!

    Also, they don't show all models. There are many variations out there in the real world not shown on their site. Poor marketing communication. I was looking at a Mossy Oak semi heavy barrel 24" in 6.5 CM for a while, that also showed a lighter weight than it probably really is. That model is not even on their site and never has been. The Mossy Oak they show is only in 205 Ruger and not the heavy barrel.
  9. I supply a fair amount of Tiger Maple, American Black Walnut stock blanks. The Eclipse thumbhole stocks look more like a stock blank than a finished item. I have seen target competitive shooters do well with them, but as a field rifle they are not as popular in any way as the X Bolt AllWeather. Again this is an opinion of dealers, hunters, and the benchrest target shooters are a different crowd. I am very good shooting off hand and from rapidly assumed positions in the field. Having looked at the X Bolt Pro and about every other one out there, I still like the AllWeather or the Maple Medalion best. They should bring back the regular Black Laminate stock. As to all the synthetics including Bell and Carlson, MacMillians, etc., I do not think they are as good as their ratings. A lot of higher US Military think the Laminate Sticks are far superior for verything but weight. And a thumbhoels tack weighs quite a bit more. But glad you are happy with the Eclipse Hunter.They look cool,etc.
  10. The oldest gun stocks I have ever seen from the Americas are maple stocks. When the rifles were first produced according to anecdotal records and diaries, they were quite blond and darkened with time. They were often used to club adversaries with, even in bear attacks. I regularly hunt with a Browning X Bolt in heavy Tiger Maple pattern. It does not have a single mark on it. In testing blanks to be sold particularly for Kentucky and Pennsylvania Longrifles we whack them against a big boulder. We have to wear special gloves as the impact on regular gloved hands would be pretty tough on us. These stocks are so much tougher than you would think. Most bowling alleys and high end gymnasium floors had Hard Maple (Sugar Maple) for flooring. Only recently has the cost of such flooring made flooring companies switch to lesser veneered and laminate flooring. Check out Stealth Bonded Killamanjaro Rifle stocks. Their Leopard rifles are three bookend slices of the same wood, glued together. Price is about $18,000,
  11. timbrowning

    timbrowning .22LR

    I teetered on the edge about an All Weather that was on Gun Broker for some weeks, then it disappeared. Stainless steel, laminate with the palm swell of all Hunter models, and the slimline break. It was a good deal. Browning has a way of making certain models for a season or 2 and then discontinuing.
  12. I follow hunting rifles. As a former US Army LT.Colonel I have a great interest in Bolt action rifles. Personally I am not all that fond of semi autos. Laminate stocks hold up incredibly well. The lovely XBolt All Weather is maybe their best to date rifle to date by my reckoning. Sure would have liked to buy one in 6.5 Creedmore but lost out on that. There is some move to get Browning to bring back the All Weather. The X Bolt Pro is very expensive and not one ounce more corrosion resistant, etc., all it is is lighter. I also think the big fluted Bolt knob looks like a plumbing device on the Pro Model.
  13. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    I just picked up a X-Bolt Hells Canyon Speed in 300 WSM to get me out further than my Win 70 30-06 and my personal ethical kill max of 250 yards. Haven't had it on the range to sight it in yet, the weather has been crap. I put a Leupold VX6i 3.5x18 on it for now but that may change after I get back from the range.
  14. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    Took the X-Bolt 300 WSM out to the range today and ran 9 rounds through it. I zero'd it at 100 yards and shot sub moa off the sled. I then went off hand and shot just slightly over 1 moa. The rifle is light and agile and recoil, with the compensator, was about the same as my .308 and maybe even a little less. As a comparison I also shot my Model 70 30-06 and there was significantly more recoil but then the 06 has always been on the upper end of the scale. Next time out I'll take a couple of cinder blocks to get an idea of the differences in impact. It's not scientific like ballistics gel but it's good enough for me.
  15. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    Weatherby's 6.5-300 seems to be doing very well. A Browning 6.5 would be nice if the spiced it up a little.
  16. Sounds like your X Bolt Hells Canyon Speed rifle in 300 WSM is a great rifle. I am going to my closest Browning Medalion Dealer in May as they have some Browning X Bolts Pros coming in, mostly this time in 6.5 Cteedmore which would be my ideal cartridge. I’d like to,think they would have a Hells Canyon Speed Rifle so I can see it side by side with the Pro. Since the Pro is $700 more to me in the same caliber, I’d have to like the Pro a whole lot more. In terms of accuracy and probably general handling it sounds like your rifle is almost the ideal rifle! I also am going to guess that the Dura Touch Stock would do OK with my use as I am used to using high grade wood stocks. Here obviously I am looking for a superb field rifle with the latest modern features. Again I might wait to see what Briwning does when Dura Touch gets replaced. But from a 2019 Shot Show annoucement to actual delivery....l would be at the edge of wasting time waiting for an already ideal rifle to evolve. I did think of a Stainless Steel Stalker to just get it done. Your sight in data is most welcome news! Still though, I would never go to the big boy magnums. If I ever did Magnum, it would be the short action .270 WSM. Which I personally would take over a .270. I have a .Jack O Connor Tribute Rifle. A beauty. For my hunting though, I like lighter rounds. European wild boar would be my biggest target and 6.5 I am certain would do!
  17. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    I was out at the range today getting some time on my larger caliber rifles. Today was 200 yard day. I shot my DPMS Style LR .308 that I built from scratch with all the best parts. Of course, with it's Swarovski glass and JP Rifles Super Match barrel I can shoot moa at 200 yards no problem. After that I shot my Win 70 Featherweight 30-06 which I had sighted in previously but this time I was practicing 5 round quickly fired groups, with a short cool down in between. Next was the X-Bolt Hells Canyon Speed 300WSM. I shot 4 round groups quickly with cool downs in between. Lastly, I shot my 6.5 Grendel which by now, felt like a 10/22 compared to the others. It easily shot sub moa at 200 yards. Prior to this I had been shooting the Win and the Browning off a lead sled. Today I was shooting off my portable bench with a sand bag rest.

    You won't get any confusing ballistics science or mind boggling calculations from me, I just love to shoot and hunt. Oh, I do know what BC's are and how they affect trajectory but I put them together in my head in sort of a general manner and go from there. Call it Kentucky windage if you wish but I learned to do this many years ago and it has never failed me on a hunt. But I digress... Of all my rifles, yes even my Win 70, the Browning is the nicest rifle to shoot. Partly because it's magnum recoil is more of a push unlike the smack of the 30-06. The muzzle brake is a welcome addition for some recoil reduction and getting back on target quickly and unlike the one on my .308 my buddy commented that it wasn't as loud as he thought it would be.

    The stock is beginning to grow on me. I'm a wood stock guy, always have been. There's something about a beautifully finished walnut stock that just get's my heart. However, the Browning stock is slowing gaining my approval. I was just about to order a Boyds Platinum for it but stopped and sent them an email instead. They never responded to me so I'm glad I didn't order it. I'll wait and see how this stock holds up.

    To summarize, the X-Bolt Hells Canyon Speed is a fine rifle and for my tastes, the 300 WSM compliments the rifle beautifully. The 3 round + 1 capacity is fine but I bought 3 more mags from Midway USA just to make it easier to reload if I had to do it in a hurry. Why 3? Because, I'll loose one for sure and I'll misplace one that I'll find the second I don't need it so that leaves me with one spare which is perfect... LOL..
  18. Great write up! And very much fun to read! I am a Boyd Dealer, not by choice. However they rarely return calls or emails at all. Frankly, I have NO idea how,they stay in business. However their Pararie Hunter Black Laminate Stock which they call Pepper, is probably one of the finest stocks I have ever owned. And of all of the Bench Rest Shooters, their approach is completely different than mine. I was a friend of Jack O Connor because Dr. Craig MacPhee Chariman of the Fisheries Science Department at University of Idaho was a close friend of his and they were really into Mountain Sheep hunting in mountainous terrain. Their approach was very different than the current long range bench rest shooters. I believe they would,have liked the Browning Hells Canyon Speed Rifle. But their wood stocked rifles were truly amazing what those rifles saw and accomplished. And they were not just great hunters, but great Americans as well and role models if such a thing ever existed. I do think when I get my next practical hunting rifleit will,be a 6.5 Creedmore X Bolt pretty much like the Hells Canyon Speed Rifle. The other attraction here is that Jack O Connor lived right there and the Canyon still pulls on my imagination in a hard to fathom manner. My real life expeditions are always more geared to getting great photos of these wild magnificient animals in the field. and the rifles in reality are relegated to my in between Walkabouts usually on my own farms or ranch. Just the two cameras and the two lens in the field plus my day gear is a physical challenge but it is always enchanting to think of a very light super high grade camera and a field rifle, like the Hells Canyon Speed or X Bolt Pro and actually hunting. I have been fortunate to capture photos of wild animals on lands open to hunting that few would have got to see. But my love for really good rifles has not diminished one iota since I was seven years old and dreamed about owning a high end Weatherby! Well now the X Bolt has come to me to represent one of the best production rifles. And a wonderful rifle to own and shoot with. I dare not properly edit this for spacing as I have learned that ditches what I wrote. Typing with this mini iPad is like shooting with a entry rifle or doubtful quality. But it does allow me to,see what others who love the outdoors and shooting are up to.
    sschefer likes this.

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