Browning xbolt2 v. Winchester model 70

[Lance11]

Browning XBolt 2 or Winchester model 70 chambered in 7prc??

looking for some help/ guidance. I have plenty of guns but shopping my first Hunting Rifle.
Looking for an Elk/ deer gun for western hunts Co, Id, Wy etc.
I’ve kinda narrowed it down between the Browning Xbolt 2 and Winchester model 70. Also open to Tikka but for whatever reason it’s not my first pick. Hoping to keep the rifle alone under 2k.
7mm PRC
22’ barrel
I want some decent long range capabilities this will be my only hunting rifle.

If you have experience with these guns please help me. Any help is appreciated and if you don’t like these guns or ammo I wanna hear about it.

Also with know optics are huge and am leaning towards the Optics- Vortex Razor HD LHT 4.5-22x50 due to discounts through vortex.

 

[elsb0048]

I love my Winchester model 70... But I wouldn't really recommend them for something long range focused unless you're really passionate about them and want to jump through hoops to customize. I don't believe they offer any stocks with more modern geometry, everything they have is a sporter stock, and there's not that many aftermarket options.
Could check out the montana 2022, the marshall with the rokstok probably has most of the model 70 benefits although well above your stated price target.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of comments about chambering and 7PRC being too much recoil so I'll leave that to others.

 

[Tmac]

All the x-bolts I’ve been around shot very well. Only one took any work to get it to do so. Little relieving of the stock bedding compound and better free floating with some washers.

No experience with the Win M70.

My Tikka’s also shoot very well. Just one shoots OK, but shoots everything Ok, very unpicky rifle.

I give the X-bolt a slight edge in accuracy and the Tikka a huge edge in aftermarket parts. If you are OK with the x-bolt as is, be hard to beat one. If you want lots of options, stocks, prefit barrels, etc, Tikka wins. Sorry I can’t help with the M70.

 

[walk2112]

I love my model 70… but It’s been a ‘one variable at a time’ refining project since 2022. Still functioned good enough to get out and hunt/kill things with in that time of course, but to get it where it wanted it took patience and a decent amount of garage gunsmithing, reloading/load dev, bedding and stock mods, etc. and the obligatory chop and thread of course.

Now it’s probably my favorite hunting rifle, it’s got a cool factor and I trust it, but you have to love the process of getting there I figure on an M70

 

[quatin]

Just got the X-Bolt 2 speed in 300 win mag. The trigger is a bit heavy, but it's the best out of the box hunting rifle I've ever owned. I put 6 different factory hunting loads through it and it shot all of them well. 3 of 5 premium hunting loads had the same windage, letting me adjust elevation to co-use. Most importantly, it shoots Walmart Federal Power-Shok well and with the same windage!

Like someone said before, if you like the stock, it's hard to beat. You need to buy aftermarket stocks for the Tikka and have it bedded, that recoil lug is too flimsy to be sitting in that cheapo plastic to hold zero when dropped. I have the T3X Superlite and it is incredibly picky on ammo.

 

[Lance11]

I love my Winchester model 70... But I wouldn't really recommend them for something long range focused unless you're really passionate about them and want to jump through hoops to customize. I don't believe they offer any stocks with more modern geometry, everything they have is a sporter stock, and there's not that many aftermarket options.
Could check out the montana 2022, the marshall with the rokstok probably has most of the model 70 benefits although well above your stated price target.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of comments about chambering and 7PRC being too much recoil so I'll leave that to others.

Thank you for the input. I don’t have the skills to do that much customization. I’m really hoping for a decent gun out of the box with a good scope that I can be accurate with. I just like the cool factor the Winchester offers.

I’m leaning heavy towards the Xbolt. Biggest debate is caliber.
7PRC or 300 winmag. Recoil factor in both but doesn’t seem to scare me away

 

[Lance11]

All the x-bolts I’ve been around shot very well. Only one took any work to get it to do so. Little relieving of the stock bedding compound and better free floating with some washers.

No experience with the Win M70.

My Tikka’s also shoot very well. Just one shoots OK, but shoots everything Ok, very unpicky rifle.

I give the X-bolt a slight edge in accuracy and the Tikka a huge edge in aftermarket parts. If you are OK with the x-bolt as is, be hard to beat one. If you want lots of options, stocks, prefit barrels, etc, Tikka wins. Sorry I can’t help with the M70.

That’s good intel thank you. I won’t be doing a whole lot of custom work or at least I don’t plan too much

 

[Lance11]

Just got the X-Bolt 2 speed in 300 win mag. The trigger is a bit heavy, but it's the best out of the box hunting rifle I've ever owned. I put 6 different factory hunting loads through it and it shot all of them well. 3 of 5 premium hunting loads had the same windage, letting me adjust elevation to co-use. Most importantly, it shoots Walmart Federal Power-Shok well and with the same windage!

Like someone said before, if you like the stock, it's hard to beat. You need to buy aftermarket stocks for the Tikka and have it bedded, that recoil lug is too flimsy to be sitting in that cheapo plastic to hold zero when dropped. I have the T3X Superlite and it is incredibly picky on ammo.
View attachment 1080889View attachment 1080888

That’s a great looking rig. What model X bolt did you go with?
I’m about 90% in on it.
Are you happy going 300 win mag? To me it’s between that and 7mmRPC. I don’t have a lot of long rifle experience but I’m not intimidated by the recoil factor. I’m 6 ft 210 of that matters at all.

 

[Tmac]

That’s good intel thank you. I won’t be doing a whole lot of custom work or at least I don’t plan too much

Recently Cabela’s/BassPro has the first X-bolt model on sale for about 1k, the Speed model with camo stock and cerakoted metal. If you don’t have to have the X-bolt 2, might be worth checking around for close out pricing.

 

[elsb0048]

Thank you for the input. I don’t have the skills to do that much customization. I’m really hoping for a decent gun out of the box with a good scope that I can be accurate with. I just like the cool factor the Winchester offers.

I’m leaning heavy towards the Xbolt. Biggest debate is caliber.
7PRC or 300 winmag. Recoil factor in both but doesn’t seem to scare me away

if it's helpful this is my model 70 that I paid to have put together with similar purpose. But I was about $3k into for smithing and parts + the $500 I bought the donor action for. Not including the scope, rings, or suppressor.
Sounds like not really the kind of thing you're looking to do.

The new kimbers at least have a more modern stock geometry to go with the CRF coolness but I'll bet they're pretty light, too light for what I'd want to be shooting a 7prc or 300win out of.

Thread 'Winchester Model 70 - My First Customized Rifle'

Nov 20, 2025

Haven't seen a lot of custom model 70 builds posted so I thought I would share mine in case anyone found it interesting.




Donor rifle/action: Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless 30-06
Stock: Pendleton Composites Hunt Tac without adjustable cheek
Forest green w/ black & tan webbing
Barrel: Pac-Nor .270 winchester, 1:10 twist, 21"
Trigger: Timney, 3# pull
Bottom Metal: PTG obendorf
Cerakote: H 219 - Gunmetal Grey
Scope: Leupold Mark 4hd 2.5-10x42 FFP TMR illum + alumina caps
Rings: Leupold Backcountry Medium
Suppressor: Banish Backcountry

Final weight is 9# 6oz with the can...

• elsb0048
• Replies: 43
• Forum: Firearms

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