Browning X-bolt issues.

[Sandstrom]

A little history on the gun. It is a browning x-bolt micro hunter in 308. I love everything about this gun except the way it shoots! I have had it for several years and it is my go to hunting gun. It shoots just ok... I have been able to get respectable 3 round groups with it most around 1.5 - 2 inches at 100. I have found that 150 TTSX are around 1.25 for 3 shots. Not bad, but I would like better!!

Took it out for the first time this summer to try the Hornady 178 precision hunter. First two shots were very promising, then it all went to hell!

The next shot was up a bit, not sure on the order of the holes, but they were all walking up! I did not rapid fire this group. Not sure on the over all time or time between shots, but I did walk down to the target and back half way through.

I then let the gun cool down for awhile and tried the Hornady 168 match. I fired 4 then let it sit for a bit then fired a few more.

This time it walked the shots down as it heated up.

The scope is still torqued properly.

The barrel is free floated all the way.

The action screws are properly torqued.

A couple of years ago I had a smith recrown the barrel when he added a radial brake. He did mention that he had never seen such a bad crown from the factory. Apparently the bore is not perfectly aligned with the outside of the barrel. That being said he mentioned the same thing to me a year later when I brought him another gun for the same treatment, and I ran into a guy at the range who had the same smith tell him that about his gun. Maybe his tail stock is off

I don’t want to be a Karen, I know that for a hunting rifle the first few shots are what count, it does a great job at that! However after trying some 10 shot groups it is not building any confidence!!

Am I asking for too much for a gun that will print a nice 10 shot group?

Is it time for a new barrel?

Thanks in advance for looking at this!

Any ideas would be great!

Ryan

 

[ElPollo]

If you have a barrel with a bore obviously off-center, then you've got one side with a thinner wall. This likely isn't a safety issue and may not even be out of spec for the manufacturer. But the thinner side will heat up and dissipate heat faster than the thick side. Expanding and contracting due to this heat differential can cause walking like you are seeing. If the gun isn't doing what you want it to and everything else is torqued and floated, then a new barrel is probably your best bet.

 

[Doodle]

What ElPollo said…..New barrel time.

 

[DangerRanger]

My xbolt is a lr so I think it’s a slightly heavier profile but it for sure doesn’t do that.

I’ve had mine so hot I couldn’t touch it shooting 600 plates and it didn’t walk off. I would not be happy with that.

 

[chlanoue]

I’ve experienced similar frustrations, some brownings are just junk.

 

[Sandstrom]

So I went out again and shot it today. Another smith that I had talked to recommended trying it without the radial brake. He was not a fan of the first smith I used and questioned the brake that he made. I was not expecting these results!


This is a 10 round group with Hornady 150 sst. The one to the left was user error.


This was with the same Hornady 178 eld-x as the other day. The four shots above are from my wife with the Tikka 223

The only thing that changed was the removal of the brake!!! (The weather was hot as f both days)

Any ideas on how a brake can cause that with heat?

Thanks!

Ryan

 

[RS3579]

I’ve had good luck with Federal factory ammo out of all my browning rifles. I noticed you shooting Hornady only. Might want to try a different brand of ammo. Good luck

 

[manitou1]

I had similar results in a non-Browning rifle.
All my Brownings have shot (handloads, only one had factory aammo shot in it) great.

 

[Spoonman]

I have multiple browning rifles and never had a accuracy issue until the other day when shooting a new to me rifle. I was out shooting my Xbolt pro in 6.5 prc and it was doing similar stuff, not necessarily walking but just poor accuracy. I pulled the factory brake off and it’s sub moa now. Very weird since I have other Brownings with the pointless factory radial brake on and they are all very accurate. I don’t think I can tell a recoil difference without the brake now.

 

[ElPollo]

Looks like the brake is your issue. Lucky you, that's way cheaper than a new barrel.

 

[wrightjr]

I have had simular gouping issues with a few other rifles fitted with brakes as well, kinda turned me off on brakes. I too had an X - Bolt hells canyon speed in 6.5 Creed that frustrated me until I got it sorted. I ended up removing brake as well. On the other hand I had an A - Bolt with the BOSS in 300 WSM that would shoot tiny groups with any ammo.

 

[wrightjr]

Happy to hear that you have it sorted.

 

[USMC-40]

It has more to do with barrel harmonics than heat. Barrels resonate as the bullet travels through the barrel - the brake obviously affected harmonics.

 

[JohnyRingo]

Are you guys that are removing the brake shooting with a thread protector then? I'd like to take my brake off and shoot it but I don't have a thread protector. Without a thread protector, my muzzle doesn't have a crown.

 

[Spoonman]

Are you guys that are removing the brake shooting with a thread protector then? I'd like to take my brake off and shoot it but I don't have a thread protector. Without a thread protector, my muzzle doesn't have a crown.

Yes I use the thread protector. Also the thread protector has nothing to do with the crown, it’s simply a thread protector.

 

[Sandstrom]

I shot mine without a thread protector. The thread protector is basically what the name implies, just there to keep the threads safe. As for yours not having a crown, I am sure it does, just not a very big one. It is just the face area between the bore and the threads.

Ryan

 

[OXN939]

Yes I use the thread protector. Also the thread protector has nothing to do with the crown, it’s simply a thread protector.

Did your X bolt come with a thread protector? Don't seem to remember seeing one with mine...

 

[Spoonman]

Did your X bolt come with a thread protector? Don't seem to remember seeing one with mine...

Yes it did, I own 3 of them and they all came with the thread protector.

 

[BCD]

This is very interesting. I have a 300WSM HC Speed that seems pretty moody and I have been wondering if something was wrong with it. It just seems inconsistent. Some of that is for sure the operator but not all of it. I'm going to pull the brake off and see what happens if I can ever find ammo for under $3/round. Has anyone had good outcomes with replacing the brake with a better one?

Thanks!

 

[Spoonman]

This is very interesting. I have a 300WSM HC Speed that seems pretty moody and I have been wondering if something was wrong with it. It just seems inconsistent. Some of that is for sure the operator but not all of it. I'm going to pull the brake off and see what happens if I can ever find ammo for under $3/round. Has anyone had good outcomes with replacing the brake with a better one?

Thanks!

I have a pro long range that I put a 4 port brake with top ports as well from muzzle brakes and more and it’s a 1/2 moa rifle. It did tighten up the groups slightly I think with this brake but I also switched up ammo at the same time so who know could of been that .