Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Iron sights on my stainless X-Bolt

I live in Romania so my options are limited as far as Rifle model selection is concerned. I wanted a stainless Browning X-Bolt in 30-06 but also wanted iron sights. No such model available over here. And 'importing" ? Forget about it, I've been there and done that. Too much cost, especially the import tax and too much paperwork. Sooo, I bought the only stainless model 30-06 X-Bolt available to me. It has a fluted 20.86" barrel with threaded muzzle. I have tools and some parts and I have installed Ruger stainless front sight bases on my 2 Winchester stainless M70's, so figured I'd try it on try browning. I turned down the ugly knurled thread protector on a tap chucked in a drill press, to barrel muzzle diameter. Then I fairly radically sculpted a Ruger stainless front sight base to lighten and make it look a bit less Rugeresque. Then, using a Dremel and a brake cylinder hone, I opened up the inside diameter of the sight base for a snug tap on fit to the barrel muzzle. After final sanding and bead blasting the parts, I bonded the sight base to the barrel with German UHU Plus high strength epoxy. I used a home made tool to make sure the sight base was clocked exactly in the 12 O'clock position. I use Warn Weaver type scope bases on most of my rifles for the option of switching sights especially on my driven game rifles. In some situations irons or red dots work the best, In other situations, low powered scopes seem to work better. I use the rear base to attach an X/S Low Weaver back-up sight when I want to use irons. I replace the X/S attachment screw with a fixed stud and a thumb wheel for fast swapping between scope and irons. My sights hold zero very well and can be swapped in less than a minute. I was using the X/S flat top white line post front sights at first, but have since switched to the white bead Ruger replacement front sights sold by NECG. I have found that the white bead is a little more visible and slightly faster to get on running game than the white line flat top post, although you do sacrifice a bit of precision when shooting past 50 or 60 meters. RJ

Well done. It's good you have access to American style rifles in a great caliber.
kwg

That's a good project and professional looking results. Nice work!

Very nicely done. Got a x-bolt in the same caliber that shoots lights out. Very nice guns.

Thanks guys, I also have one more X-Bolt, a stainless .223 with 1-8 twist. Both will shoot little tiny groups. I was surprised how light they are. The 223 weighs 7 pounds 2 and 3/4 ounces with a Leu 6x36, Warne steel bases and Burris QD rings and the 30-06 weighs 7 pounds 12 and 1/2 ounces with a Ziess Conquest 3x9, Warne steel bases and Warne QD steel rings. At first I was not too crazy about the looks of the stocks but quickly forgot about after I started handling them. RJ

Nice job! Most of us wouldn't have the stones to take on something like that.

I like having irons, but my old eyes like red dots better for that job now. One of those mounted on the receiver ring works nicely.

I hear you Pappy. A Vortex Sparc II is my sight of choice on drive hunts using this rifle followed by a Leupold VX-2 1x4 the irons are for a quick back-up if needed. The Leu 1x4 is in QR rings so it, the red dot or the receiver sight can be changed on the rifle in less than a minute. RJ

Well done! Was the barrel factory threaded? What was the thread pitch?

That's a coincidence. I have an old FN .270 that was tapped for an funky old mount with only three holes that nothing available now will fit. Until I had another hole drilled in the bridge, I made do with a Sparc II mounted on the reciever ring. That 2moa dot allowed me to shoot surprisingly well, to 100 yards at least, as far as I ever tried it.

If I were ever to go that route again, I'd likely go for something a bit more compact, like one of the Trijicon RMRs or a small Aimpoint.

Cotis, The barrel is factory threaded, 14x1mm RH.