Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles X-bolt vs T3x

Believe it or not, this is part of the reason I am leaning Tikka. It's more of a riflemans rifle. No gimmicks.

Hell's Canyon Speed Long Range, 26 Nosler.




Liking this one!


ya!


GWB

love my 30-06 Xbolt, the ergos sold me on the rifle. Mcarbo sells a trigger spring. I installed one in my rifle last year, the trigger pull maybe too light now. I may adjust the trigger weight up some after season.. Rifle shoots itty bitty groups.

If you are going away from traditional blue and walnut , the Browning has a lot of redeeming qualities. Of course they are only good below the 60th parralel since they apparently disintegrate above that .

I own one Tikka in 243 Win. and I love it. I ordered a Tikka stainless fluted in .223 Rem which was on order for 6 months (I live in Romania). I got tired of waiting and "settled for" a stainless Browning X-Bolt. After shooting and hunting with the X-Bolt for a year, I decided to get another stainless 30-06. I walked right passed the Tikka order counter and ordered another Browning X-Bolt. I've had it for about a year now and I'm very happy I got the Browning, And I love Tikka's. RJ

I have many hunting rifles from pretty much every manufacturer, my favorite to carry around is my X-bolt HC speed 6.5 Creedmoor. Light, handles great, very accurate, trigger breaks clean at 2lbs every time with the Mcarbo spring.

where did you get your spring kit?

NM. I found it.

I have an Xbolt Hells Canyon Speed in 7mm-08 and love it. It shoots the 120 grain Barnes ttsx 3100 fps and they cluster in tiny groups. I've had several Tikkas and have never been able to warm up to them despite the fact that they are accurate. I will be buying another Xbolt in 300 Win Mag to take care of the critters that the 7mm-08 may not be ideal for. I'm liking the Western hunter.

I never expected so much love for the X-bolt! The Fire is a notoriously hostile place for X-bolts.
I found a Hells Canyon Speed X-bolt on Gunbroker for $900. That's about the best price I have seen on them. Chambered in .30-06, I think it's worth a shot.

I looked at that same rifle next weekend, very nice rifle. The fire is a notoriously hostile place for anything but this weeks Rifle Flavor. The Alaskan guys think Abolts dissolve when used in their extreme harsh environment. I have not heard too many of them complain about X bolts yet.

You will have to spend $10 on an Mcarbo spring kit for the Xbolt where the Tikka trigger will probably adjust light enough to suit you.

Seem to work just fine in the Texas hill country!



My oldest son circa 2004 with an A-Bolt in 300 Win Mag!




Just to be sure it held together, I gave it a Krylon Rattle-Can security coat!




and my favorite A-Bolt, a Micro Medallion in 7mm-08 from the same period!

Neither have yet melted from the Texas heat!


ya!


GWB

Are there any issues with blue/walnut x-bolts?

I would go for the x-bolt. Love the tang safety/bolt lock/release deal. Never fell in love with tikkas

I was referring to the X bolt styling in wood and blued steel. It is not tradional and turns off some people. It has nothing to do with the design or construction of an Xbolt.

Iast spring I compared both in store only. I liked the browning stock better (hells canyon speed). the bolt smoothness was a toss up as was the trigger feel - i am only a deer hunter and not a long range shooter so the trigger was good enough for me. I liked the tang safety on the browning. there was a $100 rebate at the time so I went browning x bolt.
I'm not into modifying and messing with guns - Find a reasonable load, take them out and kill deer. put them away til next season.

Don't let them fool you. I've met more people in Alaska that hunt with Browning A-bolts and X-bolts than any other state I've lived in. I went on several hunts with a former co-worker that hunted with nothing but a Browning until his new wife bought him a Savage 116 Bear hunter in .338WM.

I prefer the Tikka however I only buy the ones that are twisted right which limits one to 6.5s or 223

Recently Browning hit a homerun with there new long range rifle with the 300 win mag, 7 rem mag, and 28 nosler being 8 twist!
The 6.5 creedmoor, and 26 nosler are 7 twist.

I've personally handloaded for the 300 win mag Browning and can attest to the quality barrels browning is now putting on there rifles imported from a Japanese barrel manufacturer. The barrels are hand chambered and lapped and the last 50 rounds thru the rifle produced virtually zero copper fouling. Yes I was impressed and though I'm a hardcore tikka fan I will be adding a Hells Canyon 8 twist 300 win mag to my Arsenal



Trystan

How's the finish holding up on those Hell's Canyon Speed X-bolts?

I own both and prefer the Browning. Have owned three x-bolts and all have been extremely accurate, functioned perfectly and smoothly. I prefer the 3 lug bolt and unlock feature on the bolt handle. Tang safety is handy. If I hunted Alaska frequently where Brownings wither away before your eyes I may have a differerent opinion.

I've owned two T3's which were also accurate but not as good as the X-bolts. I agree with Trystan, the barrels are excellent quality with minimal chamber dimensions. Very little case stretch on fired cases.