Browning X-Bolt Composite Stalker: Your Thoughts?

[cohunt]

Double post

 

[nimrod_gn]

I have a Hell's Canyon McMillan LR in 28 Nosler. Awesome gun. Shoots .3 MOA. Love the smooth bolt and short bolt throw on the x bolts

 

[sydhunter]

I have two: 270wsm and 338WM, and shoot a 375H&H ex-bolt in the medallion. All are accurate rifles. They handle recoil well. I had an issue with the duratouch coating getting sticky and coming off on my 338WM and winchester australia the importer replaced the stock. I am happy with the x-bolts.

 

[MudRunner2005]

If you can find the X Bolt Max Long Range in .28 Nosler, it will have the 1:8 twist. Unfortunately, it seems most Browning models still have not updated their 7mm RemMag chambered rifles to the 1:8 twist.

https://www.browning.com/products/f...t-production/xbolt-max-long-range-hunter.html

 

[manitou]

Cheekweld is fine for me, but I seem to fit a lot of configurations fine.

 

[SCHillbilly]

Hello all,

Looking at purchasing a Browning X-Bolt Composite Stalker in 7mm rem mag. Any experiences? Likes/dislikes? How accurate? Without rebarraling are 500-600 yard shots doable?
Thanks!

I've owned and set up for others probably 100 abolt 1 and 2 and x-bolts in the last 30 years. Haven't handled any that you can't find a factory load to shoot 3/4 moa, at least 50% 1/2 in moa. That's usually Hornady, Barnes, Winchester, or Nosler, but mostly Hornady. At least 5 of those rifles were 7 mag. I'd be floored if you can't buy a good 500 yard shooter out of the box. If you don't like the trigger, replacement springs are available dirt cheap. I leave all mine with factory triggers so they have the same feel when I swap out.

 

[ofbandg]

I purchased a Stainless Stalker thirty years ago and it is still one of my favourite rifles. It's a 300 Win Mag and is the most accurate factory rifle I have ever seen. I lopped two inches off the barrel because I don't like 26 inch barrels and I did some trigger work and basic bedding, mostly to stiffen up the forestock, and it remains one of my all time top picks. Years later I picked up a composite stalker in .338 Win Mag and it is a good rifle too. It needed the same tuning as the first one, and I put a muzzle brake on it, but it shoots very well. Not as good as the 300 but better than average. I am a Browning fan. For the money they are good rifles.

 

[18whlsrolin]

I have a xbolt stalker long range in 7mm mag. I used a 50mm scope (vortex viper 6.5-20) with the DNZ Game Reaper medium 30mm mount and the cheek weld was great. Mine is a 9.5 twist and shoots 160, 162 & 168 grain bullets with excellent accuracy just like 140s and 150s. I really haven't found anything it won't shoot very well. Good luck.

 

[Danehunter]

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor Browning X-Bolt Pro (22" barrel, 1:8 twist) and it shoots Hornady 140 gr & 143 gr. factory am o into 1/2" groups OR BETTER.

My old .300 Win mag Browning A-Bolt can do the same with hand loads and 3/4 MOA with some factory ammo.

I may even sell both for an X-Bolt Pro in 6.5 PRC (24" barrel)

Eric B.

 

[Roughwater]

Funny thing on the limited shot show 2018 lr stalker in 7rm it was originally advertised as fast twist 1:8, I tried to buy one and could only find it in 9.5 twist--- I saw this post earlier today and looked online to see if anyone had the 2018 lr stalker available and --- low and behold!!!! The browning website now says that the discontinued 2018 lr stalker had a 1:9.5 twist, not the fast 1:8 that it was originally advertised as--- I'm not sure they ever actually produced a 2018 lr stalker with the 1:8 twist, I think the hell's canyon lr was selling so well they used all the 8twist 7mag barrels on the hell's canyon rifles as their sell price was higher (just my opinion I have nothing to back this up other than my actual experiance in trying to buy a lr stalker with the 8 twist 7rm barrel and not being able to locate one anywhere ) ended up with the lr stalker 7rm with the 9.5twist for 550 due to wrong advertising on twist rate

If you go to the browning arms website they do list a couple of their "limited Production" models for the 7mm Rem Mag in 8 twist. Some of those that did I think were shot show specials. However their current production Xbolt stalker still has the 9.5 twist. However the Hells canyon LR current production models have the 8 twist barrels.
I saw too listed with their limited production at least one model came with a straight 9 twist. Seemed odd to me too that the current production X-bolt stalker long Range in 300 Win Mag come with an 8 twist. In my mind anyway I think better use would be made with a 7 mm mag in 8 twist than in 300 WM. The 9.5 twist is really kinda outdated for sure. Seems if gun makers were at all in tune with buyers they would at least offer the 7 mag in a 9 Twist.

 

[Roughwater]

I have a hells canyon speed in 28N and it is way more accurate than I can shoot. Smooth and lightweight. A great mountain rifle. Some prefer a shoter barrel but I like to get all I can velocity wise so I wouldn't buy a shorter than 26" barrel in a magnum caliber except maybe in a WSM caliber. Having said that I believe one of the Hells canyon models makes a 26" barreled 300 WSM. You seldom will see factory made WSM rifle with a barrel that long.

 

[Danehunter]

I am kinda wishing the 6.5 PRC was available when I bought my 6.5 CM X-Bolt Pro because the 6.5 PRC is a more versatile hunting cartridge. But for now I'll stay with my 6.5 CM since I have nice Redding precision reloading dies for it.

My 6.5CM Pro has a 1:8 twist and a 22" barrel
The 6.5 PRC Pro has a 1:7 twist and a 24" barrel, which I think is ideal in twist for that cartridges heavier bullets and a good length for hunting.

A 26" barrel is a bit long for my taste, especially if you run it with the brake which gets you out close to 28".

Eric B.

 

[djfriesen]

If you go to the browning arms website they do list a couple of their "limited Production" models for the 7mm Rem Mag in 8 twist. Some of those that did I think were shot show specials. However their current production Xbolt stalker still has the 9.5 twist. However the Hells canyon LR current production models have the 8 twist barrels.
I saw too listed with their limited production at least one model came with a straight 9 twist. Seemed odd to me too that the current production X-bolt stalker long Range in 300 Win Mag come with an 8 twist. In my mind anyway I think better use would be made with a 7 mm mag in 8 twist than in 300 WM. The 9.5 twist is really kinda outdated for sure. Seems if gun makers were at all in tune with buyers they would at least offer the 7 mag in a 9 Twist.

One thing I ran across: Browning's website is occasionally incorrect. At one point, and it may still show this, they had the Xbolt Max LR Hunter in 7RM listed as 1:9.5. Another member here called and verified it had the tighter 1:8 common to their other LR offerings.

 

[Brydawg512]

I have a xbolt stalker long range in 7mm mag. I used a 50mm scope (vortex viper 6.5-20) with the DNZ Game Reaper medium 30mm mount and the cheek weld was great. Mine is a 9.5 twist and shoots 160, 162 & 168 grain bullets with excellent accuracy just like 140s and 150s. I really haven't found anything it won't shoot very well. Good luck.

Glad to hear. Wonder if medium rings will work with a 20 moa rail or if lower is an option?