Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Browning quality?

Well, I picked up a Browning X-Bolt, in synthetic Gray stock, cal. .30-06. Not because I particularly needed it, but I wanted to try a Browning rifle, based upon previous good experience with Browning firearms, and reports of great accuracy.

Cleaned it up, applied Dyna Bore Coat and Dyna Shield to it, mounted up a Leupold VX3 3.5-10 scope in Talley LW rings, and headed to the range today with a box of Federal 165 gr. Barnes TSX bullet ammo.

Three shots to sight in, then shot two, three-shot groups at 100 yds. Both groups measured .7", for heaven's sake, out of a new barrel and with factory ammo!!

Then, on to the 300 yd. range- dialed in the turret, and centered the 300 yard gongs, no problem. This rifle is definitely a shooter, and kinda makes me wonder why I have spent all the time and money doing custom rifles, barrels, and stocks.
The trigger on this rifle is probably its best feature, other than it's accuracy- absolutely no creep whatsoever. Weight of rifle, with scope and rings, is exactly 7.5 lb.
Not sure why there is so much negative stuff on this forum about Brownings, but I am impressed so far.

Not sure either, especially since there seems to be 10 reports like yours compared to every 1 non-factual negative based opinion.

The guys in coastal Alaska have reported problems with the triggers rusting is about all that I can remember, but since I live almost smack dab in the middle (East to west) of Canada, I don't worry about that. My Browning is super accurate and has a real decent trigger on it.

I shot in a guys 308 BLR this weekend and with factory 150 Winchesters, it printed 3/4" at 100 yards for both of us. Wouldn't have guessed it would have been that accurate.

I've never had one but my buddy loves his. He's not a rifle loony like us though. All he has for deer is his Marlin 30/30 and an A bolt in 7mm08.

I've read this same "Coastal Alaska-rusty trigger" problem on here also. Not sure if it's one of those "heard it from my buddy John, who heard it from his cousin Bill, stories, or if it was a first hand experience.

I CAN say from personal experience, that I've dragged my A Bolt thru some of the saltiest marshes, and pluff mud along the SC coast for more than 20 years. We deer hunt for 4.5 months here in SC, one of the longest, if not THE longest deer seasons in the country, and it's never failed to do it's job, which is to kill [bleep]. Once a year, it gets wiped down with a oily rag, and the barrel gets cleaned. Other than removing the stock to remove that gawd awful shiny finish and doing a trigger job, it's never been apart. It's made 3 trips to Saskatchewan for deer and worked perfectly. Can't ask much more out of a $360.00 rifle...

update on my Browning 300 x-bolt stainless stalker I traded it yesterday for a Kimber Montana 84L in 280ai.

The 280 AI just may be the most scookum round ever invented. Are you going to shoot the Nosler custom ammo or reload? Sorry....didn't mean to highjack the browning rifle thread. Brownings are scookum also.

Shod

I owned a A-bolt in 375 H&H for a few years, it was very accurate, but occasionally would not eject LOADED cartridges, if I wanted to work them thru the action, it never happened with fired cases so I think it was an over all length issue

I just bought an X-Bolt in 7-08. The "Composite Stalker". I mounted a VX-2 3-9 on Talley lightweights, and handloaded some 140gr TTSX rounds. Got on the paper at 100 yds and shot a .70 group off a Caldwell rest. Then shot another such group off my pack. So far, I like everything about the gun, especially the four-screw mounts. (I've never been able to believe that two little screws per mount will hold everything in place.) TJ

The 280AI may be the most "Scookum" round ever invented, but I just hope, for the new owner of the Montana, that it shoots near as good as my Browning A-Bolt in 6.5x55 Swede!

So do I.

I have had good luck with brownings. I wanted to get out of the magnum business, my shots aren;t long enough to need them.

Damn guy's all this love is makin Me want to go out and buy me a new X-Bolt SS in 300 WSM ......................Hb

One of the finest rifles I own is my Browning X-Bolt 300 WM Stainless Stalker. It has never failed to eject a spent case or jam when I cycle in a new round. The 60 degree bolt cycles as smooth as any rifle I own. That said, It bangs the crap out of me off the bench (I normally use a Past Pad if I'm shooting more than 10 or 12 rounds off a bench). However, is a real pleasure to shoot off-hand or from shooting sticks in the field. It's also accurate to ranges much further than I care to shoot. It is and will always be my long range rifle big game.

Now that's a round I wish the X-Bolt was chambered in. I'd be all over one of those.

If they made a stainless hunter in .358 win, I would try one for sure.

20" bbl and open sights would make for a slick brush rifle...

I absolutely love the 6.5x55 Swede. I have a Ruger #1 in that chambering that shoots well. I wanted a Stainless bolt gun in the Swede. I tried for a while to find a NH SS M70 with no luck. Then I saw this Browning White Gold Medallion A-Bolt on GB. It is a special edition, only 50 were made. I paid a lot for it and have a McMillan Browning Classic Edge stock coming for it. I bought some Stainless Stalker bottom metal to tone down the BLING! All and all I will have too much money in it, but know something, I'm 64 freaking years old and not getting any younger. I'm going to have what I want as best I can. The rifle shoots very well. With the Edge stock, Leu VX-2 3x9x40 and Talley LW's, it will weigh around 7 pounds 6 ounces.

I like your attitude, sir!

rj308, do you still have that white gold medallion 6.5x55 Swede?

I had a browning citori featherweight with a plated or something receiver. Plating started tarnishing. Browning didn’t care. Sold it. I have a maple stocked x-bolt I inherited that may be the most accurate rifle I’ve ever owned