X Bolt Max Long Range Hunter

Picked mine up today. Got the Area 419 magnum brake and timber trigger. Now need help on a scope. What's everyone's thought on the Leupold
VX-6HD 4-24x52mm?
 
I am also working on scope.
Have looked at Leupold VX-6HD, it's a very nice scope and would work great with your new gun. I am shying aware due to cost and cost only. This scope is one of the best in my opinion. Like the internal level, flip up caps, weight, locking stops, 34mm tube.

Looking at getting Zeiss Conquest V4 6x24 due to the less cost. Does not have all the features Leupold does but will work just fine for what I am doing.
I have other Zeiss Conquest scopes and like them a lot.
 
Update to this thread. I bought one of these rifles in .300 WM. I'll give MY OPINION, and what I have found with this particular rifle.

It sucks.

Starting at the muzzle working back, it has a removable brake and came with a thread protector. I never fired it without a brake, so I can't say how much the factory brake cut back on recoil. But, I did change the brake to 2 others in my quest to get it to shoot, one was a cheap Brake/comp from an AR the other was a JP "tank" recoil eliminator. Both of mine cut the recoil considerably more. Also the factory brake is terrible for shooting prone, especially if you're in a sandy/dusty environment.
The barrel: The barrel is 26" fluted grey matte stainless. Can't say much about it other than I'm ALREADY replacing it with a Bartlein. I don't own a bore scope so I can't give much detail on it.
The stock: the stock Has some very nice features, adjustable LOP and comb, I Added the "medium" spaced and the rifle fit me well. The stock is also "flimsyer" than I'd like to see on a "long range rifle" but it will probably work fine. As it sits the barrel is free floating in the stock but I can see where it could easily make contact if you heavily load a bipod or if perhaps shooting at high angle or goofy positions. I might try to address this in the near future.

Trigger: sucks. Forget about trying to shoot with any accuracy with this thing. This trigger is the heaviest trigger I've ever felt on a factory bolt gun. It has near Zero creep or overtravel. But stupid heavy. I did NOT put a gauge on it. I put a mcarbo spring in it which helped tremendously. BUT this will be getting a Timney sooner than later.

Action/receiver: pretty smooth. You can unload the rifle without needing to put rifle on fire, typical x bolt system.

Performance: EXTREMELY POOR! I fired a total of 354 rounds through this rifle. I did manage to get some decent (3/4") groups at 100 and 175 yards. But any load that would give me decent results close would absolutely fall apart at distance. Most of my longer shots were at 475 however I did take it to 600 a couple times. The best I could come up with at 475 was right around 2moa. These are 3 shot groups. I tried 212ELD-X and 215 hybrids, I tried about 8-9 powders as well.

I bought this rifle specifically for elk hunting this fall and in the future. So with such terrible results I contacted browning to see what could be done, and what their "acceptable" accuracy was. 1.5 MOA is acceptable for browning!! So they offered to send me a shipping label to return the rifle for inspection, but they said it would be a minimum of 8 weeks once they get it and could be significantly longer depending on the issue!! Figuring 1 week travel each way that puts the rifle getting back to me beginning of sept! Unacceptable, especially considering 1.5 moa being "OK" by them. All that said, I'm sending the rifle off to a smith who claims to be able to spin up a Bartlein to the same contour, chamber/thread/install and have it done in 3 weeks.

So if I could do it again, I would have saved the $600 worth of components, $1200 for the rifle and shipping, and the charge for the custom barrel and just bought a custom rifle. This will be my last NEW browning, or factory rifle I buy.!!

If anyone has any Q's about it please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.
 
Sorry to hear of your problem child there T3.
Hard to imagine that they consider 1.5 MOA acceptable. Seems like most bolt rifes in the $600 - $1K range can do 1 MOA these days. Both of my Xbolts (243 & 6.5CM) are .25 MOA rifles. They can shoot better than I can. Trigger? 3 lbs is what Browning states as minimum, Mcarbo should bring it to 2 from what I've read. Getting ready to install one myself. Brakes with holes in the bottom will blow up dust/sand, this is known.
 
Yeah that sucks man, sorry to hear it! Hopefully it will shoot with the bartlein.
 
Sorry to hear of your problem child there T3.
Hard to imagine that they consider 1.5 MOA acceptable. Seems like most bolt rifes in the $600 - $1K range can do 1 MOA these days. Both of my Xbolts (243 & 6.5CM) are .25 MOA rifles. They can shoot better than I can. Trigger? 3 lbs is what Browning states as minimum, Mcarbo should bring it to 2 from what I've read. Getting ready to install one myself. Brakes with holes in the bottom will blow up dust/sand, this is known.


That's what I was hoping for, seems most of them do shoot well. It's been a long time since I've bought a factory built gun other than for parts. I figured that the brake would make some dust, there wasn't much of a surprise there for me, I just wanted to mention it in case someone wanting to buy one overlooked it. I planned on putting a new brake on it anyhow until my can is out of ATF jail.
 
Update to this thread. I bought one of these rifles in .300 WM. I'll give MY OPINION, and what I have found with this particular rifle.

It sucks.

Starting at the muzzle working back, it has a removable brake and came with a thread protector. I never fired it without a brake, so I can't say how much the factory brake cut back on recoil. But, I did change the brake to 2 others in my quest to get it to shoot, one was a cheap Brake/comp from an AR the other was a JP "tank" recoil eliminator. Both of mine cut the recoil considerably more. Also the factory brake is terrible for shooting prone, especially if you're in a sandy/dusty environment.
The barrel: The barrel is 26" fluted grey matte stainless. Can't say much about it other than I'm ALREADY replacing it with a Bartlein. I don't own a bore scope so I can't give much detail on it.
The stock: the stock Has some very nice features, adjustable LOP and comb, I Added the "medium" spaced and the rifle fit me well. The stock is also "flimsyer" than I'd like to see on a "long range rifle" but it will probably work fine. As it sits the barrel is free floating in the stock but I can see where it could easily make contact if you heavily load a bipod or if perhaps shooting at high angle or goofy positions. I might try to address this in the near future.

Trigger: sucks. Forget about trying to shoot with any accuracy with this thing. This trigger is the heaviest trigger I've ever felt on a factory bolt gun. It has near Zero creep or overtravel. But stupid heavy. I did NOT put a gauge on it. I put a mcarbo spring in it which helped tremendously. BUT this will be getting a Timney sooner than later.

Action/receiver: pretty smooth. You can unload the rifle without needing to put rifle on fire, typical x bolt system.

Performance: EXTREMELY POOR! I fired a total of 354 rounds through this rifle. I did manage to get some decent (3/4") groups at 100 and 175 yards. But any load that would give me decent results close would absolutely fall apart at distance. Most of my longer shots were at 475 however I did take it to 600 a couple times. The best I could come up with at 475 was right around 2moa. These are 3 shot groups. I tried 212ELD-X and 215 hybrids, I tried about 8-9 powders as well.

I bought this rifle specifically for elk hunting this fall and in the future. So with such terrible results I contacted browning to see what could be done, and what their "acceptable" accuracy was. 1.5 MOA is acceptable for browning!! So they offered to send me a shipping label to return the rifle for inspection, but they said it would be a minimum of 8 weeks once they get it and could be significantly longer depending on the issue!! Figuring 1 week travel each way that puts the rifle getting back to me beginning of sept! Unacceptable, especially considering 1.5 moa being "OK" by them. All that said, I'm sending the rifle off to a smith who claims to be able to spin up a Bartlein to the same contour, chamber/thread/install and have it done in 3 weeks.

So if I could do it again, I would have saved the $600 worth of components, $1200 for the rifle and shipping, and the charge for the custom barrel and just bought a custom rifle. This will be my last NEW browning, or factory rifle I buy.!!

If anyone has any Q's about it please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

That sucks man - I have had a few different xbolts and still have one, a medallion in 270wsm that is one of my favorite guns...
 
Yeah, they're offering the 8" twist in the 7mm RemMag and .28 Nosler... I think I might have to find a way to get one in .28 Nosler, since I already have a custom 7mm RemMag on an A-Bolt II action.

Hey Browning, if you want to send me one, I'll do a full write-up/review for couple different LR hunting sites. ;)

Hey MudRunner2005, take another look at their 7mm Rem Mag specs! Browning specs show their 7mm Rem Mag in X-Bolt Max Long Range Hunter with a twist rate of 9-1/2".

Browning did great on nearly every other cartridge offering in this line! What happened with the 7mm Rem Mag? :eek:
 
Hey MudRunner2005, take another look at their 7mm Rem Mag specs! Browning specs show their 7mm Rem Mag in X-Bolt Max Long Range Hunter with a twist rate of 9-1/2".

Browning did great on nearly every other cartridge offering in this line! What happened with the 7mm Rem Mag? :eek:
They probably were too busy pushing other crap to remember the old workhorse that has killed millions of animals on all continents.

The 7mmRM isn't "new and sexy" enough for them to push hard and market hard for. :rolleyes:

It's one of my all-time favorite all-around hunting cartridges, so personally, I don't see why more people don't shoot it.
 
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Hey MudRunner2005, take another look at their 7mm Rem Mag specs! Browning specs show their 7mm Rem Mag in X-Bolt Max Long Range Hunter with a twist rate of 9-1/2".

Browning did great on nearly every other cartridge offering in this line! What happened with the 7mm Rem Mag? :eek:
1:9.5 seems to stabilize 168s pretty well. That's the heaviest I hand load. How fast a twist would you want them to make it?
 
Update to this thread. I bought one of these rifles in .300 WM. I'll give MY OPINION, and what I have found with this particular rifle.

It sucks.

Starting at the muzzle working back, it has a removable brake and came with a thread protector. I never fired it without a brake, so I can't say how much the factory brake cut back on recoil. But, I did change the brake to 2 others in my quest to get it to shoot, one was a cheap Brake/comp from an AR the other was a JP "tank" recoil eliminator. Both of mine cut the recoil considerably more. Also the factory brake is terrible for shooting prone, especially if you're in a sandy/dusty environment.
The barrel: The barrel is 26" fluted grey matte stainless. Can't say much about it other than I'm ALREADY replacing it with a Bartlein. I don't own a bore scope so I can't give much detail on it.
The stock: the stock Has some very nice features, adjustable LOP and comb, I Added the "medium" spaced and the rifle fit me well. The stock is also "flimsyer" than I'd like to see on a "long range rifle" but it will probably work fine. As it sits the barrel is free floating in the stock but I can see where it could easily make contact if you heavily load a bipod or if perhaps shooting at high angle or goofy positions. I might try to address this in the near future.

Trigger: sucks. Forget about trying to shoot with any accuracy with this thing. This trigger is the heaviest trigger I've ever felt on a factory bolt gun. It has near Zero creep or overtravel. But stupid heavy. I did NOT put a gauge on it. I put a mcarbo spring in it which helped tremendously. BUT this will be getting a Timney sooner than later.

Action/receiver: pretty smooth. You can unload the rifle without needing to put rifle on fire, typical x bolt system.

Performance: EXTREMELY POOR! I fired a total of 354 rounds through this rifle. I did manage to get some decent (3/4") groups at 100 and 175 yards. But any load that would give me decent results close would absolutely fall apart at distance. Most of my longer shots were at 475 however I did take it to 600 a couple times. The best I could come up with at 475 was right around 2moa. These are 3 shot groups. I tried 212ELD-X and 215 hybrids, I tried about 8-9 powders as well.

I bought this rifle specifically for elk hunting this fall and in the future. So with such terrible results I contacted browning to see what could be done, and what their "acceptable" accuracy was. 1.5 MOA is acceptable for browning!! So they offered to send me a shipping label to return the rifle for inspection, but they said it would be a minimum of 8 weeks once they get it and could be significantly longer depending on the issue!! Figuring 1 week travel each way that puts the rifle getting back to me beginning of sept! Unacceptable, especially considering 1.5 moa being "OK" by them. All that said, I'm sending the rifle off to a smith who claims to be able to spin up a Bartlein to the same contour, chamber/thread/install and have it done in 3 weeks.

So if I could do it again, I would have saved the $600 worth of components, $1200 for the rifle and shipping, and the charge for the custom barrel and just bought a custom rifle. This will be my last NEW browning, or factory rifle I buy.!!

If anyone has any Q's about it please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Sorry it worked out that way. My impression of the two I've shot was not favorable either. Neither wanted to shoot well and the triggers were terrible.
 
1:9.5 seems to stabilize 168s pretty well. That's the heaviest I hand load. How fast a twist would you want them to make it?

For a 7mm Rem Mag using very heavy high BC cup-n-core bullets, a twist rate of 1 in 8-1/2" to 1 in 8" is best for most shooting situations. Even the 162gr and 168gr cup-n-core bullets benefit from the 8-1/2" twist in very cold, low altitude environments as found during winter, in Canada and Alaska near coastal and island areas. The heaviest copper solids, i.e. some of the heavier 7mm Hammer Hunter bullets, which are quite excellent bullets by the way, require at least a 1 in 8" twist, and even faster when used in very cold low altitude environments.

I have six 7mm Rem Mags. Most of them still wear factory 1 in 9-1/2" twist barrels but, two of them have1 in 8" twist custom barrels. I also have quite a few 7mm-08s and even one 280 AI. For my personal preference in 7mm bullet selection and use, the 1 in 8" twist is the ideal twist rate.

On a side note, I have played around with 1 in 8" twist in 30 caliber, particularly in 300 Win Mag, and still have two heavy barreled rifles in that twist and chambering that I have yet to rebarrel to 1 in 9" twist. I have found that the 1 in 8" twist rate is just too much! My 1 in 8" twist 300 Win Mags torque like crazy when I"m using 212gr to 240gr cup-n-core bullets, particularly when velocities are approaching the upper limits. 1 in 9" twist in 300 Win Mag, and even in 30-06, is plenty twist for all but a few extra-heavy custom solids, in 30 caliber. Personally, I get my best accuracy in my 300 Win Mags and 30-06s with 1 in 9" twist barrels and have been slowly migrating all of them to that twist rate, as replacement barrels are needed. YMMV
 
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