Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester XPR Impressions?

I'm considering buying a new rifle. It will be for elk hunting so I will carry it a lot. Probably .30-06 or .308. For those that own or have handled/shot one, what are your impressions of the Winchester XPR? Feeding? Accuracy? Does it have a high quality magazine? It has some features that intrigue me. Is it simply a renamed XBolt with some different features?

I have a Tikka T3 and am tempted to get another or a T3x. The Weatherby S2 intrigues me though it is kinda heavy. I've heard the magazine/magazine catch on the RAR is not great, but have no personal experience with them.

Thanks in advance,
Expat

Winchester XPRs are just so damned ugly that they make Remington 783s look good.

If you want cheap and reasonably light, find a new, old stock, Marlin XL7. They are usually available for under $350 on GB.

I have 3 of the Rugers. I bought one of the 223 Compacts as soon as they came out. The magazine that came with the rifle wouldn't feed the last round. It didn't matter if you loaded 5 or 1, they would all feed but the last one. Ruger replaced it and I've not had a problem with any of them since. I'll be honest, just looking at them does not inspire confidence, but I've had the 223 and a 308 Predator long enough with zero issues to trust it by now. With no ammo in the magazines there is some movement, but once loaded with ammo they lock solidly into place. I recently bought another Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have under $1000 in all 3 combined and they are the most accurate rifles in my safe. I can get standard Rugers for $320-$350 out the door. The Predators run $389 OTD.

I've looked at the Winchester. If I needed another rifle I'd be tempted. There are a lot of features that I like. The only real negative I've found is that it is a little heavier than it needs to be. Compared to the Tikka or Ruger about 3/4lb heavier.

I have a Winchester .308 XPR with just north of 350 rounds down the barrel. I also have Tikkas and a X-Bolt. It has taken an extraordinary effort to get my XPR to shoot a 1.25" 3-shot group consistently. The trigger is horrible, the rifle is heavy and crudely manufactured. Also, in a discussion with Winchester they have told me they have no parts available for purchase by the public. You cannot even get spare action screws for the XPR from them. Insofar as comparing the XPR to a Tikka or a X-Bolt-it is not reasonable to mention it in the same conversation with those rifles. I would strongly recommend that you look elsewhere for a budget rifle. CP.

Safe to say Winchester missed the mark with xpr.

If I had the bucks for a Tikka, I wouldn't look at either the RAR or the XPR, unless I just wanted a cheapo for some purpose. In that case, the RAR is a known performer with considerable aftermarket support, good factory service, and available in some interesting cartridge choices.

The XPRs and 783s I've seen in the rack were dismissed without even picking them up.

A little additional commentary... I have a handful of model 70s with MOA triggers. Putting aside the potential enclosure issues, my MOA triggers are more than decent for range work. However, I believe the slide safety/bolt release system on the XPR has negatively altered the MOA trigger characteristics. My XPR trigger breaks like an extremely crude two stage trigger. The front is inconsistent and extremely rough. The set stage feels like my model 70 MOAs-decent. Watching the trigger work when the barreled action is out of the stock, it is my pure-ass speculation that the additional hardware hung on the XPR's MOA trigger has screwed it up. Just my guess... CP.

Thanks all.

I have an XPR in 6.5 Creedmoor. I wouldn't call it anything to write home about, but it would suffice as a loaner or truck gun. Accuracy is fair IMHO - 1.25-1.5" @ 100, regardless of what it's fed. As much as I've tried, I have yet to be able to get the trigger to adjust below 3.5#. Fortunately I have MUCH less into this gun most people do, or than I have in other 6.5CMs in the safe.

The triggers are only able to go down to 3# from the factory. Most spring trigger scales are not very accurate, though they are usually consistent. All I have tried are very crisp and clean.

It is not even close to as complicated as a Browning A or X bolt. In many ways the trigger is similar to a 700. The connector has been replaced with a hinged "actuator."

Scope mounts are specific to the XPR and use 8-40 screws. Talley makes their lightweights for them but only sells them to Winchester.

For a cheap beater I'd go RAR.

From what I've seen the XPR is a poor version of the A-Bolt. While the A-Bolt is far from my fave gun, it does have a few decent features and those I've shot, shot well. The XPR seems a cheaper rip-off version thereof.

A friend proved you could give me an A-Bort... and I have shot it quite a bit... I would never buy one and proved it a number of times with incredible deals.

An XPR would not be a bad purchase.

The trigger is light-years ahead of the Brownings.

The scope base 8-40 holes are a real good idea.

The bolt has fewer parts, by a lot.

To the negative, the magazine would have to go and the stock is flimsy and loud.

The adjustability of the XPR trigger would be better for those who don't want to pull apart a trigger to fix it.

As stated, I'd go RAR over both...

I tried to scope one once for a guy and had a heck of a time finding anything other then Leupold bases for them. Even called Weaver and they said they didn't make any for the XPR. That may have changed by now.

I was not impressed with the overall feel of the rifle but I felt the same way about Savage Axis' and Ruger American rifles and have seen some of those that shot and functioned very well.

I have one in .243. It's a decent rifle, shot a half dozen different loads through it and all we under 1", with several between.500-.600.
The trigger is heavy but ok, for what I paid it's a decent rifle, I'd buy another if I needed one.
For scope mounts use Browning Abolt 3 bases. They are the same. Talley also makes Browning branded mounts for the Abolt 3 that will work as well.