Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed

charliebravo77

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Joined
Mar 23, 2015
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161
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
So over the past decade I've been fighting with a Remington 700 SPS trying to make it into an accurate, semi-lightweight, all-weather hunting rifle and it's just been an endless circle of throwing money at problems/dislikes and discovering new ones. Its current state is a .30-06 Remington 700 SPS barreled action with a Timney 510 Trigger, Bell & Carlson Alaskan Ti stock, Badger Ordnance bolt knob, Vortex Viper HS-LR 4-16x44 scope, Magpul DBM and a few layers of Krylon Fusion which actually do a fair job at preventing rust and corrosion. It's a decent enough gun but it is a bit clunky, not super accurate, real picky on ammo and just kind of a cobbled together amalgamation of parts trying to improve upon what was never that great in the first place. I've always lamented that I should have just spent $1k on a better gun in the first place rather than the ~$2k over the years adding and changing parts out to get where it is today. So I bought the better gun.

After a couple years of researching, playing with rifles in stores and shooting a couple other models I had narrowed down my list of "perfect" purpose built hunting rifles to a Sako Finnlight/Finnlight 2, Sako A7 Roughtech, Kimber Hunter, Kimber Mountain Ascent, Tikka T3x Superlite, and the Browning Hell's Canyon Speed. I think based on the thread title you can figure out which one I finally settled on.

I started out dead set on the Sako Finnlight, but something about it just didn't sit right with me. I still can't exactly put my finger on it - maybe it's the super lightweight stock but it just felt 'off.' The A7 was too heavy for the calibers I was waffling on, I couldn't get past the wing safety on the Kimbers and the T3x didn't have enough of the features I wanted.

Ultimately my "wants" list were the following: Composite stock, short action, stainless or Cera/Durakoted finish, lightweight action and barrel, bolt lock/release and tang or traditional safety.

For caliber, I wanted something capable of hunting all but the largest (moose/brown bear) of North American game in a short action with great bullet selection and less recoil than .30-06. I shot a friend's Sako A7 Roughtech in 7mm Mag and was blown away by how soft it shot, but I didn't want the heavier rifle to offset the recoil so I was looking at .260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08 Rem. The ballistics of all three are very close, and all are capable of taking pronghorn, deer and elk so rifle availability and bullet/load selection were the main driving factors. The slightly heavier bullets available in 7mm-08 ultimately tipped me in that direction, as I'd like to be able to use this rifle on elk and the heavier the bullet the better. 7mm-08 offers great BCs and SDs with premium hunting bullets such as the Hornady ELD-X, Barnes TSX and others.

Enter the Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed in 7mm-08 Rem.

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This particular model features a 22" barreled action that's been Cerakoted in Burnt Bronze and set in a composite stock finished with Dura-Touch A-TACS AU (Arid/Urban) camo which should blend in pretty well with the western states' terrain that I hunt a lot.

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The rifle comes with a fluted barrel and factory threaded with a radially ported brake, which will be nice for the range as well as a thread protector for hunting with since I don't often wear ear pro while hunting even though I should.

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The X-Bolt series gets its name from the 4 hole pattern the scope bases use, which form an X. I don't think the T-Bolt or A-Bolt share a similar naming convention.

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I stuck a Vortex Viper HS 2.5-10x44 scope on it, which is maybe the perfect 'cheap' hunting scope. I will likely order a Kenton Industries custom elevation turret for this once I get a load picked out.

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One of the main things I was looking for in a new rifle was a bolt that is able to be locked/unlocked either via the safety or a dedicated button. This is particularly handy for traipsing through the brush so you don't accidentally knock the bolt open and eject a round and also so that you can unload the chamber without taking the rifle off safe. The rifle also features a 3 lug bolt with a 60 degree throw which is very fast and allows ample clearance of optics.

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I've even got a pile of premium food to feed it and see what it likes best.

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Old and new.
 
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charliebravo77

charliebravo77

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Joined
Mar 23, 2015
Messages
161
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
First range trip reinforced my decision pretty well.

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It was windy as hell, 18-20 mph primarily from about 160-180 degrees behind but enough that it was blowing me around a bit. At 100 yards everything performed adequately off a bench and solid rest. Of the 4 ammo types I tried, Nosler E-Tip, Hornady Precision Hunter and Browning BXR grouped 1.2-1.5 MOA which was likely more the wind and my shooting than the gun. Best group of them all was Barnes VOR-TX 120gr TTSX which did .785 MOA.

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I need to shoot again on a day with better conditions, but I'm perfectly pleased with the setup. It's lightweight but recoil is very tame thanks to the brake and cartridge.

I did adjust the placement of the scope too. The eye relief didn't seem right at first but now that I have gotten more time in with the rifle I have moved the scope forward a bit.

This now means I won't draw a lottery/limited entry tag for 2018.
 
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Rs3003

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
397
Location
SW PA
I've been thinking about getting one of these in a 30.06. I think you have me sold on it now. Great threat. FYI Browning has a 10% rebate offer till 3/31/18.
 

aboss014

FNG
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Mar 5, 2018
Messages
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I also have this rifle but in .26 Nosler. I chose that just due to the ballistics. Looking for speed and energy at distance. If anyone is considering a .26 nosler get ready to open the wallet for ammo, it isn’t cheap.

I put the new Vortex Viper PST gen2 on it. Incredible scope.

I only have one box of ammo through the gun but I’m beyond happy with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

blasterak

FNG
Joined
Nov 11, 2017
Messages
43
Location
Alaska
I handled one of these the other day along with many others at local sportsmans warehouse. I was very impressed with it and pretty sure i'm going to bite the bullet on one in 300WSM. I was torn between this and the Tikka but the Hells canyon already has all the bells and whistles that i'd end up upgrading the Tikka. Plus the 10% rebate going on this month brings it well within my budget. Thanks for the thorough review!
 
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charliebravo77

charliebravo77

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Thanks all. I'll have to check out that trigger spring upgrade, though so far no complaints after backing out the screw a little bit.

The Browning rebate system might be the fastest ever. I had my check 9 days from submission.
 
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I ended up picking up a regular long range stalker a few weeks ago when I found one online for a couldn't deny price. Looks to be the same as the hells canyon save for the flutes and cerakote... not a big deal for me, I'll just get it cerakoted later, and I'll get to pick the color.

I went ahead and grabbed the mcarbo spring for the trigger. Before it was a little too heavy for my liking, now it feels great except for some slop that was introduced... we will see how it shoots tomorrow. If nothing else I'll just buy a Timney for it. For the record, the trigger had slop in it before I changed the spring, and I figured that would make the problem worse(and it did).
 

McGilvra

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Feb 12, 2017
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Baraboo Wisconsin
Great write up. I traded a fella here for a 300WSM stainless stalker. Great rifle and I appreciate the same features you mention. Might have to pick up one of these HC speeds in 7mm-08 for my wife...


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Well, that was a blast.

Hit up the woods this morning before all the crazies got out. Did some very preliminary load testing with the LR Stalker(its in 7mag) and shot two different factory offerings.

Federal premium 160gr nosler ABs came in just under an inch(my fault, pulled the last shot, probably would've been under 3/4) at 3000fps, which is about 100fps faster than the box states. Hornady Precision Hunters came in a little over an inch at around 2970fps, which is a little faster than the box. Me shooting better would likely tighten it up a little - I work 230-11 so I only got about 5 hours of sleep. I may buy a box of Winchester Expedition(168 ABLR) for testing next time, but I'll also being doing load workup with 162 ELD-X over RL26.

I figured the brake would've been louder. It certainly increases the blast by a significant amount. I'm only planning to use it from the bench so in the field it won't be a big deal.

As far as my trigger, with more use it seems to have tightened up a bit - its still sloppy for my liking, but its better than it was yesterday.
 

mcseal2

WKR
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May 8, 2014
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I really like the look of these rifles. How flimsy are the stocks? Is it easy to get the forend to contact the barrel? That's my biggest complaint with several of the factory lightweight rifles, they can shoot different from a loaded bipod or sticks than from the bench.
 
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charliebravo77

charliebravo77

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The stock feels pretty stiff, I'd put it about on par with my B&C Alaskan Ti on my 700. You can make it contact the barrel if you try, but it doesn't seem like it'll be an issue from a variety of positions. I'll see if I can quantify it somehow.
 
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I really like the look of these rifles. How flimsy are the stocks? Is it easy to get the forend to contact the barrel? That's my biggest complaint with several of the factory lightweight rifles, they can shoot different from a loaded bipod or sticks than from the bench.

They are flimsy.. with a little bipod load you can see the barrel lift out of the barrel channel of the stock. Mine still shoots fine for regular hunting purposes. I actually bought the laminated thumbhole stock from browning because of the flex but decided to leave it in the standard synthetic stock anyway.
 
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My xbolt is just a standard stainless stalker - one thing i noticed about the hells canyon is that the muzzle brake is really thin, thinner than the barrel. I have a hard time seeing how these brakes would reduce recoil much, seems like a waste to me. I'm not sure if there is much for aftermarket brakes available in the metric thread pitches they use.

That said, I've got customs costing a lot more but end up hunting with my 300 WSM stainless stalker most of the time. Primarily because in a short action and 23" barrel it is nicer to carry. They have a lot going for them - smooth 60 degree bolt throw, stock that fits me better than the Manners EH3 or SL with a recoil pad that is IMO better than limbsaver and pachmayr. I'd love to try out the carbon stock from the xbolt pro. Bottom metal system is better than any other dbm i've used for hunting.
 

Rs3003

WKR
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I just purchased one of these in 30.06 for my son. I use a year 2000 Abolt stainless stalker. For my other son I purchased the stainless stalker with carbon fiber dipped stock. Both rifles are 30.06 fluted barrels. They are set up with nice rifles. Now I need them to get a little older 20 months and (-2)months. Next will be Leupold engraved scopes.
 
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bought an after market trigger spring from mcarbo. due to eye surgery have not installed yet. anyone else? results
 
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Bit of an old thread but I've been testing the timney trigger vs the Mcarbo spring in my x bolt speed 30 06.

The gun shoots awesome. Best groups were 180 grain Hornady ELD-x, Federal Trophy Bonded Tip and Trophy copper. Hornady shot the best with 1/2 groups at 100 yards with the Federal TBT and TC a close second with maybe 5/8 inch groups, splitting hairs! 200 yard shots were the same opening up a bit but still awesome. The Browning XRB, or whatever they are called were awful, all over the place.

The best trigger pull on the MCarbo I could get was about 2 3/4 lb. Nice with a but a bit inconsistent. Went from 2 3/4 to about 3 lb on my trigger gauge. But much better than the stock. Not the fault of the spring.

The Timney was a consistent 2 lb and a bit cleaner feeling. Had to oil the safety to work consistently. The Timney does not work with the bolt lock in the fire mode.

Ended up using the Timney. Really pleased with this gun.

I also have a Tikka T3 in 308 which is also sweet. Factory trigger is a consistent 2.5 lb. Overall I like the balance and feel of the Browning better, but would not turn down another Tikka!!!!
 
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I also have this rifle but in .26 Nosler. I chose that just due to the ballistics. Looking for speed and energy at distance. If anyone is considering a .26 nosler get ready to open the wallet for ammo, it isn’t cheap.

I put the new Vortex Viper PST gen2 on it. Incredible scope.

I only have one box of ammo through the gun but I’m beyond happy with it.


Your Hells Canyon scope is sick! Can you share if you did it yourself or where you had it done? Thanks
 
Joined
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Messages
3
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I also have this rifle but in .26 Nosler. I chose that just due to the ballistics. Looking for speed and energy at distance. If anyone is considering a .26 nosler get ready to open the wallet for ammo, it isn’t cheap.

I put the new Vortex Viper PST gen2 on it. Incredible scope.

I only have one box of ammo through the gun but I’m beyond happy with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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