Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Difference in A-bolt and X-bolt

Whats the difference between the Browning A-bolt and the X-bolt. I heard the X-bolt trigger gaurd and mag plate shroud was plastic! Yall tell me!

What, nobody knows!!

They are the same. Both a POS. I am not sure. One has an A and the other has an X. LOL

x-bolt has a new trigger, a new magazine design and 8 screws to mount the bases. you can also work the bolt while on safe where as on the a-bolts you couldnt.
Dustin

X-Bolt has a slimmer bolt handle with a button built into it to permit cycling the bolt with the safety ON to unload the chamber - serves the same purpose as the Model 70 3-position safety, but even easier to use.

X-Bolt has a different kind of top to the receiver and newer scope bases.

X-Bolt has a rounded bottom to the magazine and stock, which is more slender, and easier for small hands, too.

X-Bolt has an oil-finish look, unlike the glossy finish of the A-Bolt II Medallion.

The A-Bolt is generally a very accurate rifle right out of the box. The X-Bolt is, too, say those who have shot them.

Cruise through Browning's website and they'll outline the changes - pretty much what dc3483 said. The gun is not significantly different from the A-bolt, and I'm with pdx in my assessment of either gun. Of all the major producers (Win, Rem, Ruger) I'd take a Browning dead last. IMHO, a Browning A- or X-Bolt is an engineer's nightmare and a perfect example of mass-produced crap designed to use the cheapest materials in a pretty package that'll fool the general public. John Browning has got to be rolling over in his grave every time he reflects on the fact that his name is carved into those things.

Come on, John. Don't sugar coat it. Tell us what you really think! ;o)

For what it's worth, I tend to agree with you............

-Mike-

Thats funny, cause I actually traded off a Win 70 for an A-Bolt. The M-70 was the biggest hunk of crap I ever spent money on. It went back for repairs 3 times and they still couldnt get it right. The A-Bolt came out of the box functioning fine, shot great and didnt have to be "tweaked" to make it a shooter, or work for that matter.

Truth be told, I would take a Ruger M-77 Mk II over all of them.

I was looking at an x-bolt stainless, but the dealer didnt have the caliber in stock and didn't know when he could get it. Instead, brought a Rem 700 SPS stainless for a couple hundred bucks less and it is very accurate! Man, am I glad they didn't have my caliber in the browning.
I guess the browning's action is glass bedded from the factory and is supposed to be very accurate rifle. I don't know anyone that has one though.

I don't know that I see any MORE people bashing the Brownings than other brands. They just seem to be the LOUDEST...???

My buddy has the original version with a green and grey laminate stock. Its an 06 and it shoots lites out and has never let him down in spite of the fact he treats it pretty ruff.
I have heard some people were not too happy with the 2nd version. There is a good article in the jan/feb RifleShooter mag by Layne Simpson on the new X-bolt.
Just FYI

Now that's telling it like it is. They must possess some sort of higher level intelligence that gives them the qualifications to shout about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own one, and don't really care much one way or another.

My buddy has a blued/synthetic .338 early model A-Bolt that has been a pretty good gun for him... he's killed a bunch of stuff with it, doesn't baby it at all (I think I clean and oil it more than he does, but that's OCD for you). Shoots prety good groups with Federal Premium factory loads.