Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed, 7 PRC Field Evaluation

[wind gypsy]

@Formidilosus Did you notice that the bolt was very tight when first installed? I just got my Speed SPR in 6.5 PRC and have put 50 rounds through it so far. The bolt was difficult to install but is slowly getting easier to work. This is my first bolt gun so I wasn't sure if that was normal.

Is/was there a bunch of grease on the bolt, in the action?

 

[RocketRob16]

Is/was there a bunch of grease on the bolt, in the action?

Not that I noticed but I can check here in a bit.

 

[Buzzsaw]

Great review and torture test. Most of us wouldnt shoot a 1/4 of the rounds you did. How about the trigger? Did you install a spring? I believe Jard makes a trigger for this rifle.

I'm shopping for a 7mmPRC and this new XBOLT 2 is at the top along with Tikka, Seekins PH2, trying to stay around $1500.

 

[RepeatPete]

@Formidilosus can you snap some pictures of the bottom of the action when it's apart? Specifically the feed rails, curious if they are following the trend they started with their target models to be truly center feed.

View attachment 704806

That little teflon "bump" was added to the X-Bolt a few years ago, some of mine have it some don't, even in the same caliber.

Best picture of the X-Bolt teflon guide I could find on the www
View attachment 704807

Answer to your question




@Formidilosus is this the teflon pad you are referring to that helps with the bolt binding issues?

View attachment 708281

What exactly is the anti-bind feature on this action/bolt? Is it the Teflon pad in the second picture, or what looks like a screw in the first picture?

@Formidilosus Any chance you could take a few pictures of the “anti-bind” feature?

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus Did you notice that the bolt was very tight when first installed? I just got my Speed SPR in 6.5 PRC and have put 50 rounds through it so far. The bolt was difficult to install but is slowly getting easier to work. This is my first bolt gun so I wasn't sure if that was normal.

Have you applied lube or oil to the bolt?

 

[Formidilosus]

Great review and torture test. Most of us wouldnt shoot a 1/4 of the rounds you did. How about the trigger? Did you install a spring? I believe Jard makes a trigger for this rifle.

I have not changed the spring, I did lighten it as much as the factory will allow. It is better.

 

[RocketRob16]

Is/was there a bunch of grease on the bolt, in the action?

Have you applied lube or oil to the bolt?

I have not put anything on it. I just pulled the bolt out and inspected it. There’s a light coat of oil on/around the lugs.

 

[tommy226]

 following

 

[Animalnoises67]

Great thread!

 

[mtg]

Great info! Thanks for all your work!

 

[Weldor]

Just curious have you borescoped the chamber and barrel? I just did mine( 7mm-08 Hells canyon speed) after 200 rounds, no cleaning etc. Only thing I seen was some tiny rust spots in the machining divets in the chamber. It has been shot with a suppressor since day one. Live in AZ, so no humitiy to speak of. Desiccant in the safe. Yesterdays 10 shot group.

 

[CSY]

Glad I joined, been reading non-stop the past few weeks. Thanks for the review.

Curious, what is the normal level of formality for these reviews? Do manufacturers ask for a written assessment or do they look at a persons previous reviews and predict a review will end up somewhere, like Rokslide? Just curious, thanks.

 

[Balderdash]

Longtime Browning bolt action user, but just now stumbled upon this thread.

Formidilosus:

Thanks for the evaluation and write up. I'm glad to see that the test rifle seems to be doing well.

As a lefty who likes tang safeties that lock the bolt down and have less than 90 degree bolt throws for hunting, I've been running a lot of A bolts, A bolt 2s and X bolts since the late 90's; I have them in calibers ranging from 223 through 375 H&H. I've sent many thousands of rounds downrange and killed many head of game with the Browning rifles listed.

By and large they've been great rifles and generally are very, very accurate with a number of loads. As alluded to earlier in this thread, the only real consistent hiccup I've experienced with them is if they get wet and the weather is or turns bitter cold. Between the triggers and bolt design, like some other gun designs, it's not uncommon to get a mushy trigger pull and/or slightly delayed and soft firing pins strikes when its very cold. To account for these conditions, I degrease the bolt and trigger group, sparingly lube with teflon rem oil, and dry fire the rifle several times before loading, which has eliminated any such like issues.

I think it's unfortunate that Browning seems to have abandoned the "Max" stock design that was common on many iterations of X bolt 1. IME, they're one of the better factory stock designs available, and especially so for many of the price points at which they were offered. Instead, they stuck with several McM designs on the X bolt 2's that are more expensive and, IME, not as functional.

Mostly for better aftermarket stock availability, I've been running more and more Tikka actions for the past several years, but I still picked up a few new X bolts in configurations I like. Also, the X-bolts are a great low-bolt-throw, safety-locking-the-bolt-down option for cases that either need or could use more than 3.34.

 

[Benaiah]

@Formidilosus Any updates on the rifle or scope? Thanks for this review.

 

[Formidilosus]

Not much. Hunting season greatly reduced the use on them.

 

[Dsellen14]

I have not changed the spring, I did lighten it as much as the factory will allow. It is better.

Speaking of of the spring. the xb2's have a trigger weight adjustment screw. I backed this screw completely out and a very tiny spring fell out. I'm not sure but I don't think, on this DLX trigger, this spring is the main spring. I think it adds tension to another spring in there. I've dry fired probably 50x and shot another 30x with it completely out and no safety concerns so far. MCarbo does not have a spring out for this trigger yet and I have not pulled the trigger assembly apart. Interested in others experiences too...

 

[cottonant]

Speaking of of the spring. the xb2's have a trigger weight adjustment screw. I backed this screw completely out and a very tiny spring fell out. I'm not sure but I don't think, on this DLX trigger, this spring is the main spring. I think it adds tension to another spring in there. I've dry fired probably 50x and shot another 30x with it completely out and no safety concerns so far. MCarbo does not have a spring out for this trigger yet and I have not pulled the trigger assembly apart. Interested in others experiences too...

Regarding the XBolt II trigger spring, we assume Browning changed the trigger in some way to keep it from being able to be adjusted below about 3 lbs; does anyone know if this is correct?

I have 2 XBolts and replaced the Browning trigger spring with the MCarbo spring in both of them. I like my XBolts so much my brother in law bought an XBolt II - but when we tried to replace it with an MCarbo spring, his XBolt II trigger will not go below 3 lbs with the Browning spring totally removed.

TIA

 

[Dsellen14]

Regarding the XBolt II trigger spring, we assume Browning changed the trigger in some way to keep it from being able to be adjusted below about 3 lbs; does anyone know if this is correct?

I have 2 XBolts and replaced the Browning trigger spring with the MCarbo spring in both of them. I like my XBolts so much my brother in law bought an XBolt II - but when we tried to replace it with an MCarbo spring, his XBolt II trigger will not go below 3 lbs with the Browning spring totally removed.

TIA

Yes I would assume they changed it so we couldn't take the main spring out without a complex disassembly/liability release/etc.. It's good to know, on your BIL X2, the same thing is happening as what I experienced. I don't think that spring is the main trigger spring, only a tensior spring. The X-Bolts are easier in this manner with the Mcarbo.

 

[cottonant]

Yes I would assume they changed it so we couldn't take the main spring out without a complex disassembly/liability release/etc.. It's good to know, on your BIL X2, the same thing is happening as what I experienced. I don't think that spring is the main trigger spring, only a tensior spring. The X-Bolts are easier in this manner with the Mcarbo.

I wish Browning had left the trigger alone as I love XBolts, their locking bolt feature and the ability to get the trigger down to 2 lbs. I've gotten used to custom guns with 12 ounce to 2 lb triggers so 3 lbs is just too much.

My brother in law installed a Timney in his Bolt II but it deleted the locking bolt feature. I will buy an XBolt II if there's an economical way to get their trigger adjusted to 2 lbs.

 

[Tandin93]

Great review! I have the original x bolt speed and I love it.