Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Thoughts on Browning X-bolt

I have - seen a few. Guess I never really paid attention.

I have a Browning micro hunter xbolt in 7mm/08 that I could not be happier with. It weighs 6lbs 2oz., has a great trigger. Shoots lights out. I took one at a laser ranged 253 yds. the deer were moving and one stopped long enough for me to get on him. Year after year this rifle performs above expectation. It carries a VXll Leupy 3x9.


The story behind how I got this rifle is. I had wanted a win. model 70 featherweight for years in 7mm/08. So I ordered one brand new. Got it and the inside of the barrel looked like 40 miles of bad road. I sent it back and they sent me another. Exact same thing. I finally spoke with a plant supervisor. His words were
"I always plan on rebarreling when I buy a new rifle" I was not satisfied with that, so I contacted corp. office in Utah. They said they would send me browning x bolt micro hunter in my cal. of choice. Was not sure I wanted it but told them to send it on. Have not looked back since then. Pretty is as pretty does, this gun will flat shoot with any of my others ie rugers, remingtons, savages.

Mine shoots okay. Its an X-Bolt Varminter, weight is perfect for a hunting rifle.

I like it. Maybe a bit ugly and I am not a fan of a detach mag on a centerfire but it works. If buying new I cannot say I would buy one though, better set ups out there for same price. Bought this one used from a bud and knew how it shot.

I have yet to understand why Browning would outfit that rifle with the WORST new-production trigger ever invented...

That company never fails to amaze me with its stupidity..

It means that if you miss the buck of a lifetime and you try to wrap your rifle around a tree you will probably really hurt it if you are packing an X bolt

I have a stainless stalker and I like it. Balance and weight to me are nice, especially when hiking a long ways.

I have a stainless stalker and I like it a lot. Mine's a 30-06. It's accurate, well balanced and easy to carry all day. I don't have a good scale to weigh it but it feels light. Smooth action and good recoil pad so recoil is comfortable for a light feeling rife. No problems with the magazines on mine, they go in & out easily. I can see how some guys might not like the racy looking design of the stock but a stainless/synthetic rifle isn't going to win any beauty contests anyway. The only thing I'm not a big fan of is the bolt release button but I think that could be disabled pretty easily.

I have one in 300 WSM that is freaky accurate and every X Bolt or A bolt I've been around has shot well. They are fairly light and handle well.The triggers are over complicated but the one on my rifle did adjust well. Browning offers some pretty interesting rifles and doesnt appear to be afraid to buck some old standards they offer a 9 twist 22-250 for instance. Not my favorite bolt action rifle but I like them.

They seem to be decent rifles. I just can't get over that "made in Japan" part. My grandpa took a bullet at Guadalcanal and to the day he died we weren't allowed to own anything made in Japan.
I remember once I had a buddy from high-school who drove a Toyota, and made the mistake of parking in the driveway, once.
He never came over to the house again .

That being said, I did marry a German woman.

I have a 25-06 in the x-bolt that is very accurate like all Browning's we own. I had my 'smith install a lighter spring in the trigger and it reduced the pull to 2 #'s. It is mushy but it works.

I believe most of the folks associated with the late unpleasantness are dead now and aren't associated with Miroku. Funny how so many hold grudges against the Japanese, but are fine with buying German and Italian stuff.

The Chinese and Koreans, and others that endured occupation by the Japanese; now those folks really don't like 'em!

And many don't blink at putting a fine Jap made scope on their rifle

I have a RMEF model X-bolt in 300WM.
One of the most accurate rifles I have.
Hate to admit it, but I had the factory stock Camouflaged.
Love the rifle even more now.

Browning has a $75 rebate on X Bolts till the end of the year

I decided on a Tikka T3 compact in a .308. I'm gonna start upgrading the plastic parts with metal ones. Thanks everyone for the opinions.