Winchester XPR- Any Long Term Reviews?

[86indy]

Hi, I am looking to possibly buying a XPR and cant find many reviews/long term reviews. I was wondering if those who use XPR here wouldn't mind giving review on their experiences with it as well as accuracy. I know its still on the budget rifle side of the spectrum but from what I have read it will fit my bill well. Thanks in advance any insight appreciated.

 

[Summit1]

My daughter and I both have the compact in .308 and I cant say enough good about them. The trigger is great, accuracy is good, and they just shoot really nice. I'm 6'1" and the compact works great for me in the mountains. We both have Talley lightweight rings with Sightron SII scopes, it's the best budget rifle package that I have shot. My buddy has a Howa in .308 that I have shot quite a bit and I prefer the XPR. Let me know if you have any other questions. Brad

 

[86indy]

Thank you, that is reassuring to hear. I was looking at the howa 1500, ruger american and the winchester xpr for candidates.

 

[Tikka300wsm]

If you’re not the type to swap out stocks, triggers etc. then the xpr will treat you right. There’s not much for aftermarket parts for them. Which is why I sold mine.

 

[86indy]

I have a bad habit of tinkering but for now I need to become a better marksmen before anything modifications happen. That being said I just shot my first ever ragged 3 hole group, with my muzzle loader. Still being on a college budget I see this as one of my best options but just trying to confirm this, I tend to do months of reading before actually making a purchase.

 

[Tikka300wsm]

I sold my Winchester xpr and bought a Ruger American predator and never regretted it. I like light triggers so that was the biggest reason for me to sell it. No aftermarket triggers and the factory one only goes down to 3 or 3.5 pounds.

 

[86indy]

Was the trigger your biggest complaint?

 

[Tikka300wsm]

Was the trigger your biggest complaint?

Yes..it shot moa or less with factory ammo so no complaints there.

 

[EmperorMA]

I’ve had a Winchester XPR in 6.5 Creedmoor since it came out. I’m more of a Model 70 kind of guy but with a Christmas sale and rebate and free boxes of Winchester Deer Season XP ammo, I figured, WTF. Ordered online and got it in my hands with ammo for just under $300.00 with intentions of using the factory ammo and rifle as a backup or for those new to hunting.

After mounting a Zeiss HD5 in Talley Lightweights, I took her to the range figuring I’d run one box through to get it dialed in well enough for minute of deer and keep the other box for the rare occasion when I might need to use/lend the rifle. Much to my amazement, the first three shots through it printed at 3/4” at 100 yards with that factory ammo. After getting the scope set up to hit where I wanted, I was able to do a wee bit better than that with those 125gr bullets.

I went out and bought a few more boxes of various factory ammo and all shot well, with a few bragging rights groups that I have never bettered with expensive custom rifles and pet handloads. It is almost boringly accurate.

Without ever even looking at it let alone touching it, the trigger breaks like glass at 3.2-3.4 lbs. No creep. No over travel. No worries.

I’ve used it on a few hunts and it has performed as expected. Easy one-shot success with a few different bullets, all factory loads from Winchester (one wearing the Browning label). The 125gr Winchester Deer Season XP, 129gr Browning BXR and 142gr ABLR Winchester Expedition Big Game all shoot sub-MOA and have knocked the crap out of everything hit with them out of this rifle.

It actually like the 143gr Hornady ELD-X and 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip every bit as well as any of the above, too. And the 127gr Barnes LRX is fantastic in it, printing stupid-small groups.

It’s a great rifle. You may not find much love on a forum of tinkerers, hand-loaders and old-school hunters, but the XPR shoots lights-out and is pretty much unbeatable for the money as a straight-outta-the-box shooter. Buy with complete confidence.

 

[86indy]

By nature I tinker but for this long gun I sworn Id keep my hand out of it and just shoot it, so this is comforting to hear. I plan to get it in camo (since I've never had one) so that drives the price point to 500ish new, would you still say that you'd make the purchase at that price point?

 

[EmperorMA]

By nature I tinker but for this long gun I sworn Id keep my hand out of it and just shoot it, so this is comforting to hear. I plan to get it in camo (since I've never had one) so that drives the price point to 500ish new, would you still say that you'd make the purchase at that price point?

That is difficult to say. Knowing myself rather well, at that point I’d probably just scratch up another $350 (even if it took a few months or I had to sell something I didn’t use much) and get a new Model 70 Featherweight.

I do know there isn’t much else at $500 I’d rather have, though. I like the stiffness and design of the XPR stock MUCH better than I do the Ruger American or the clunky Howa or the cheaper Savages. I also prefer the Winchester MOA trigger to all those others for its “feel.” All of these items are subjective, of course, and YMMV.

I will say that I would not regret the purchase at all at $500. I got a solid, durable, reliable, trouble-free rifle that eats anything you feed it and shoots everything well and quite a few loads VERY well. You can spend three times that much and not get all of that...or even most of that.

On a side note, but something I very much like about the rifle, is the fact that it shoots all bullet weights well. It goes sub-MOA with at least one bullet at every common size from 120gr through 147gr. I’m sure this has something to do with the Creedmoor being inherently accurate as well as the fast twist in the barrel but even so many rifles seem to show a distinct preference for either a light or heavy bullet and this XPR just doesn’t seem to care.

 

[86indy]

Thank you for the input! If it werent for my college budget Id probably be putting more into a rifle but I have been known to go over the top, like unjustifiably over the top.. So I think this will be a good middle of the road for me. Thank you again guys!

 

[deerkiller]

I sold my Winchester xpr and bought a Ruger American predator and never regretted it. I like light triggers so that was the biggest reason for me to sell it. No aftermarket triggers and the factory one only goes down to 3 or 3.5 pounds.

for most 3.5 and thereabouts is plenty good for a HUNTING rifle - I hunted for years with an ex competitive shooter who insisted on a trigger set in the ounces, he never beat me to the draw and never made any better shots on game than I did - the XPR trigger is Winchester's MOA trigger just like the model 70, never have heard any complaints about THAT trigger ?

 

[deerkiller]

I’ve had a Winchester XPR in 6.5 Creedmoor since it came out. I’m more of a Model 70 kind of guy but with a Christmas sale and rebate and free boxes of Winchester Deer Season XP ammo, I figured, WTF. Ordered online and got it in my hands with ammo for just under $300.00 with intentions of using the factory ammo and rifle as a backup or for those new to hunting.

After mounting a Zeiss HD5 in Talley Lightweights, I took her to the range figuring I’d run one box through to get it dialed in well enough for minute of deer and keep the other box for the rare occasion when I might need to use/lend the rifle. Much to my amazement, the first three shots through it printed at 3/4” at 100 yards with that factory ammo. After getting the scope set up to hit where I wanted, I was able to do a wee bit better than that with those 125gr bullets.

I went out and bought a few more boxes of various factory ammo and all shot well, with a few bragging rights groups that I have never bettered with expensive custom rifles and pet handloads. It is almost boringly accurate.

Without ever even looking at it let alone touching it, the trigger breaks like glass at 3.2-3.4 lbs. No creep. No over travel. No worries.

I’ve used it on a few hunts and it has performed as expected. Easy one-shot success with a few different bullets, all factory loads from Winchester (one wearing the Browning label). The 125gr Winchester Deer Season XP, 129gr Browning BXR and 142gr ABLR Winchester Expedition Big Game all shoot sub-MOA and have knocked the crap out of everything hit with them out of this rifle.

It actually like the 143gr Hornady ELD-X and 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip every bit as well as any of the above, too. And the 127gr Barnes LRX is fantastic in it, printing stupid-small groups.

It’s a great rifle. You may not find much love on a forum of tinkerers, hand-loaders and old-school hunters, but the XPR shoots lights-out and is pretty much unbeatable for the money as a straight-outta-the-box shooter. Buy with complete confidence.

VERY well said …..

 

[86indy]

Well guys an XPR is on the way along with a Leupold vx-3i.

 

[EmperorMA]

The rifle was a great decision in that price range.

 

[EmperorMA]

Well guys an XPR is on the way along with a Leupold vx-3i.

Chambering?

 

[1000yrds]

While I do not own the current production Winchester XPR, it looks like an interesting rifle. I do really like Winchester bolt action rifles and have way too many of them. Nearly all of them came off the used gun racks in the various gun shops that i visit. The current production Winchester XPR has an MSRP of $549.00 and if you really like then by all means get it. However, there are many used Winchester Model 70 bolt action rifles in excellent condition for a lot less money. I prefer the older Winchester bolt action rifles and lower prices, but that is just a personal preference. So it depends. All the best.

 

[86indy]

Chambering?

.270 Winchester was my final choice. I digressed from 300 Win Mag with the consideration of whitetails and currently living in the Midwest.

 

[86indy]

While I do not own the current production Winchester XPR, it looks like an interesting rifle. I do really like Winchester bolt action rifles and have way too many of them. Nearly all of them came off the used gun racks in the various gun shops that i visit. The current production Winchester XPR has an MSRP of $549.00 and if you really like then by all means get it. However, there are many used Winchester Model 70 bolt action rifles in excellent condition for a lot less money. I prefer the older Winchester bolt action rifles and lower prices, but that is just a personal preference. So it depends. All the best.

I weighed those options as well. I paid well below $549 so I have no hard feelings about choosing this over a used option. When or if I step up in caliber Id like to buy used and buy something of higher "quality" or older in age. So eventually I plan on going that route.