Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why the lack of love for Browning X-Bolts?

The logo is every where

I've owned both A-Bolts and now three X-bolts.









Works for me!







270 WSM











26 Nosler , Hell's Canyon Speed Long Range is a hammer!




Browning Max Long Range, 6.5 PRC

Animals did not co-operate on its maiden outing, but I think it will be fine!




100 yd. zero, 200 yds.




Smilin' n' dialin @ 300.


The trigger pull weights could be better, but what the hey!

ya!

GWB

And Georgia

I always liked the stainless stalker and the micro midas

I’ve got two that I’m very happy with. A .280 and a .25-06, both Stainless Stalkers. Have done nothing but adjust down the pull weight of the triggers. I think they are a lot like a higher priced Tikka in that they generally shoot very well and need little to nothing done to them. That may be why they get less attention from loonies that like to tinker. Also the Made in Japan thing may play a role.

I enjoy my browning xbolt because of the operating ergonomics that work well sitting in the stand or making a drive.

ts similar to my old ruger 77 tang safety ruger, but now I have a composite SS rifle for the rainy days

I have not had to work on it like my remington 700 rifle...
And it doesn't ooze cheap like many savages


Matter of fact I bought the browning on clearance in a small town hardware store because it was well above the save price point and the browning sat there.

One of the major gun dealers here (Scheels) has a nice large display of Browning X-bolts. Out of probably two dozen rifles there are only 6.5 Creedmoors and 300 Win Mags. There may be one 7mm and one 6.5 PRC. Jeez, finding a good 7-08 anymore is like pulling teeth. Now that I think of it, they have a large selection of Bergaras, Seekins, Christianso Arms, Coopers and Brownings and I don't think there is a 7mm-08, 270, 30-06 or 308 among them.

Anyway, I think the Hells Canyon in 7mm-08 will find its way in to my collection as soon as I can come across a good deal on a used one. It will be either that or an X-bolt pro. I'll bet if I stumble across Big Foot riding a unicorn, he will be carrying a Hell's Canyon in 7/08.

The barrels are apparently very difficult or impossible to remove on an x-bolt. Read somewhere it will tear the threads out of the receiver.

Like that they have three different size receivers though.

I have a X-bolt Pro Tungsten with the Carbon stock in 6.5 Creedmoor ... its my 1st Browning and it seems like a solid shooter with good build quality. It’s a great carry rifle with it being lighter in weight than most others I have.

At my age, "getting lucky" has become more like walking from one room into another and remembering why I did.


Don't get old!


Anywho, almost forgot about the Browning Hells Canyon that followed me home two weeks ago. Did a trade and this was part.




Chambered for the 6.5 Creedmoor.


Rifle came with the scope, so I took it straight to the range, did not bother to zero at 25 yds.



Shot these three groups @ 100 yds. Three different bullets/loads.

Think I'll do the 130 Accubonds. Cold bore shot close to the dot is after adjustment w/ the 130's.


It just may be a keeper.

I like them. Seems people buying most of the used guns only want cheap stuff. They know they can get a .270 for $300 and anything more than that they wont spend. So they buy Americans, Axis & SPS etc.

I have two xbolts and what I like is what's shown in your target photo. Both rifle shoot multiple loads very well and print them in the same spot.
I've had other rifles that would move the poi quite a bit with any change to the load.

O e of them happens to be a 7mm rem mag and I do live in the South.
I do not own a bit of buck mark marketing propaganda.

I've owned a number of A-Bolts,



My oldest with a Browning A-Bolt in 300 Win Mag.


but my favorite is a "tricked" Micro Medallion chambered for the 7mm-08.





Hard to recollect how many critters I've taken with that rig









ya!


GWB

I have a .22-250 X Bolt that shoots really well. Unfortunately, the plastic stock on it has damn near turned into goo. It sticks to absolutely everything. Been looking for a replacement and will probably get a Boyd's. Not much in the way of aftermarket choices for it.

They are a good rifle, but if you ever have to replace the barrel.... that could be a problem

I have a stainless A-Bolt II in 6.5 Swede and 2 stainless X-Bolts in .223 and 30-06. I like them because, kind of like Tikka's, you just take them out of the box, add ammo (and scope) and hunt. All are well under M.O.A shooters. RJ

I’ve seen a few up here in AK, one of my buddies has an older stainless xbolt and that’s his only rifle. He brings home meat every year with his best up old Lund and his browning.

They don't appear to be all that popular down here either, just a lack of marketing I think. People don't know what they are missing out on. I've only got one X-bolt but really need a few more. Accuracy is just outstanding for such a light rifle. I have one in 325WSM but feel like I need another in a 6.5 of some sort.

No X-bolt, but have an A-bolt Medallion for some years and yes I'm in the south in Louisiana. I was about about 16 and my dad and I went to the local gun shop and was looking. When the owner opened the box and I saw the engravings and that wood stock, DONE. And yes as someone mentioned about southern states, it was a 7mag. I did however went in with the intention of 30-06, but was sold out so the 7mm mag took down deer for many many year until recently I picked up a Tikka in 308. I still use it from time to time but not as much. It does have the Boss on it, 1st year they came out. It is now the Queen of my safe and gets used on an as needed basis.

Not a lot of people like the floor plate design of the A-bolt back then. Hinged floor plate with detachable mag. I personally liked it. Clean look on the outside but allowed for a removable mag. I never had a single issue with it as far as trigger, shooting or anything. I do see now that there are offerings for trigger springs and I may try that just to see. I'm not sure about the X-bolt, however the A-bolt's recoil pad felt like it was made of granite. Hard as [bleep]. I have sinced replaced it with a limbsaver and its much better now. Mine was bedded in the wood stock originally from factory. I didn't know this till many years later when I completely tore it apart to check some things out. All in all, southern states or not, it was a shooter and still is. Its just my shoulder with the issues I have can't take the recoil as much as I would like anymore.

I don’t shoot Brownings because that’s all my father in law buys ! Is that a good enough reason? Lol