Coyote rifle

[Ghogsniper]

New guy here, considering purchasing a Browning X-Bolt rifle in 22-250 with a 9" twist. Are the actions on Brownings worth squaring & blueprinting ?

Is the X-Bolt accurate enough "out of the box" to slay coyotes @ 300 yards max ?

 

[mountainman56]

yes
yes

 

[drags]

I would not recommend it, I don't believe that you would see any improvement in accuracy. Why do you think the action needs blueing and squaring.
Drags

 

[Ghogsniper]

I was just curious if the X-Bolt would gain accuracy by being trued up.

 

[hunter67wa]

You need to shoot it first!

 

[dwinmeade]

With a 9" twist, it seems you could reload with heavier, high BC, bullets and make coyotes feel unsafe at 750 yards, but shoot sub 1/4"- 1/2" at 300 yards first and then smack 'em at 750 yards. Wishing you well!

 

[lewwetzel]

That Browning should be good enough for 300 yard coyotes the way it comes. I wouldn't mess with it.
My biggest concern with those faster-twist Browning .22-250s is the box magazine length. I wanted to buy that Predator model they made a few years back, but it turned out they didn't bother to make the mag long enough to allow the heavier/longer bullets that could now be stabilized to fit. I'm half-interested in that new "X-Bolt Stalker Long Range" or whatever it's called, with the 1:9 twist and 26" heavy-sporter barrel - but not if they made the same screw-up to the magazine.

 

[Ghogsniper]

Yeah I guess that I was jumping the gun a little worrying about accuracy.

lew, do you think that the 8" twist X-Bolt .223 Composite Stalker would have the same magazine problem ?

 

[lewwetzel]

I dunno. I'd like to find more info somewhere. Maybe contact Browning and ask, although they don't seem to keep their website very up-to-date; some of these new rifles I'm seeing for sale out there were not even shown on the Browning site last time I looked. One dealer - Elk County Ammo and Arms (PA) - seems to offer a lot of different Browning rifles for sale. They sell a lot online too, so maybe if a person gave them a call or sent an email they might send a salesperson back to physically measure the magazines if they thought it might result in a sale. And if those mags turn out not to be what customers want, maybe dealers will put heat on Browning when they lose potential sales.

Yeah I guess that I was jumping the gun a little worrying about accuracy.

lew, do you think that the 8" twist X-Bolt .223 Composite Stalker would have the same magazine problem ?

 

[Ghogsniper]

Thanks for the input. I will call & ask about the magazine length.

 

[Web1350]

I dunno. I'd like to find more info somewhere. Maybe contact Browning and ask, although they don't seem to keep their website very up-to-date; some of these new rifles I'm seeing for sale out there were not even shown on the Browning site last time I looked. One dealer - Elk County Ammo and Arms (PA) - seems to offer a lot of different Browning rifles for sale. They sell a lot online too, so maybe if a person gave them a call or sent an email they might send a salesperson back to physically measure the magazines if they thought it might result in a sale. And if those mags turn out not to be what customers want, maybe dealers will put heat on Browning when they lose potential sales.

I've dealt with Elk County a couple times (in person) and have been very satisfied. They were very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I agree, give them a try.

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

I had a gunsmith refashion a .243 magazine so I could load the long bullets in my 8" twist Model 70. It turned out at 2.650. Works great with the 75-80 grain bullets. The .22-250 with an 8" twist is about as good as it gets.

 

[sscoyote]

Try the 60 TMK out of it, I'm getting fantastic groups with my 223 AI 9T Hart. Head shot a dog at 475 last month with my setup.

 

[Catahoula]

I bought an X-Bolt & immediately sold it. The magazine they have is a poor design. It would not feed my reloads & even struggled with factory ammo. There are a lot of grizzlies where I hunt so the rifle needs to function.