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

Browning became THE go to in the south, for a semiauto or O/U, for a status symbol or ‘higher end’ shotgun or rifle, way back when....at least from what I’ve seen. Remington going downhill in quality (especially shotguns) just compounded it. Those that get their feelings hurt by the emblem, probably run hipoints when nobody is looking. Browning has never been a bolt rifle player to the level of Remington and Winchester, but they built better semi-auto anything than the rest, and cornered the O/U market. I’ve debated trying an Xbolt, but I’ve never really taken issue with the Abolt.....though I always preferred M70/700 stuff for bolt guns. There’s a lot to like about the xbolt, on paper. Most durable, reliable SA shotgun ever built is still the Auto 5.

We don’t use rifles but shotguns for our hound hunts down here and I’ll tell you what, I’ve heard less gunfire amongst the the old Taliban than you heard from our group when the deer starting coming up the line. Not my favorite way to hunt but it is a lot of fun when the dogs are running well.

Funny stuff. Yes I was on a few hound deer hunts in MS, behind a tree was a good safety measure. I had buckshot hitting the brush behind me from the guy next door.

All them extra shots are just to wake everybody up and get them exited.

Great knife BTW. Puma skinner is my personal favorite field knife.

LOL beretzs, I bet, never any danger of nodding off on hunts like those ; ]

FLDH, I can guarantee you I was wide awake and headed for cover, I quit counting at 50 rounds fired that morning, those guys have that whole 800 acres covered with 308 and 243 RP brass.

I love any rifle with a receiver that is beer can aluminum thin. I mean they needed 4 holes in the base mounts to keep them on there.

You don't sound very familiar with X-Bolts. I should share a picture so you could at least say you saw one. Laffin.

It's actually a ton of fun and we set up pretty safely but man oh man, do those auto's put out some rounds pretty quick!

I have owned two of them , Laffin. Measure the thickness of the rear bridge and compare it to other rifles and get back to me.

.090"

Perhaps I should put up a picture of a beer can. You don't sound very familiar with those.

It is a blast, after the race, and dead deer back at the trucks at the low water bridge dressing spot, all the BAR guys are re-filling their extra mags they keep in coat pockets, the BLR guys are restocking those nylon buttstock sleeves with fresh ammo! I'm walking around still shaking my head with a Sharps or scoped bolt rifle and haven't fired a damn shot.

I am trying to forget ownership of the two I had, don't call me a liar internet jackass. 4 holes to hold the mount in place, they are there for a reason. You obviously are too dense to comprehend this.

Oldelkhunter,

I understand the point you are making about the thinness of the top of the receiver, But, it has nothing to do about the 4 holes to attach a scope base or the strength /safety of the action. The X-Bolt is a 3 lug design and the very top of the receiver scope mount surfaces is thin because that is where one of the 3 lug race ways is machined. It is too thin to drill and tap for conventional 2 screw mount set-up, but plenty strong for a non stressed part of the receiver. There is plenty of thickness on the sides of the receiver for scope mount screws, hence the 4 screw scope base mount pattern. Also, the threaded part of the receiver that accepts the barrel shank is the same thickness (where it needs to be), as other modern bolt actions. RJ

My point exactly you need 4 screws to hold a mount correctly on the rear bridge. It is too thin for my likes, you could not give me another one. The trigger is a no go , if there is one good thing about an Xbolt it is the magazine. It is a good design. Bolt is field strippable(if you know what you are doing) but there are better designs.

Why would you want to drill and tap the thin part if you have thick parts on both sides. Browning could have just used one screw on each side and the base would be attached just as good as a base attached with 2 screws on a Remington or Winchester. You hear people bitching about how scope bases are held onto a receiver "only by 2 little tiny (6-48) screws", and recommend re-drilling and tapping to 8-40 screws. The X-Bolt bases are held on by 4 6-48 screws, which is definitely stronger than 2. Like it or not, it's a good thing. RJ

He's not smart enough to understand it. I mean he even said the trigger is a no go. My X-Bolt trigger is amazing. He believes he's had X-bolts before but he doesn't sound very well versed in them.

Buy what you like, its your money. Only browning rifle I would buy would be made in the early 60's.

I have a half dozen of them, three 300 WSM, 243, 7mm-08 and a 308. I wish I could find a 358 Winchester X-Bolt, that would be my holy grail of factory rifles.

I get it. I've owned somewhere around a hundred rifles over the years and I like this X-Bolt maybe more than any of them.