Browning booger

[pecker_wood]

Seems I recall they are, it's the long action CIP that give me the headache.

FTR, I was talking about buying just the bottom metal, not both.

Yal have lost me on the 6.8W magazine pattern in the action vs the bottom metal pattern in the stock. Can someone clarify?? Specifically for my 2023 xbolt 6.8W stalker

 

[Montana'eer]

Funny how we all have our own tastes.

I actually like the flush fitting mag on a bolt action rifle and the X-bolt rotary magazine works great for me even when feeding rounds that aren't exactly known for smooth feeding like the short fat steep shouldered ones.

Yeah I find no fault with the factory mag. I've not had an issue. I have spare, just keep it loaded and in my walking pack.

 

[Darryle]

Darryle I emailed Jard and they stated that the model that is in the link does have the bolt lock feature incorporated into it. I also believe the trigger shoe on the newer model has less of a curve than the model without the bolt lock.
Hope that helps.

Well, I need to order one to verify, then sell a kidney or two for the rest

 

[Darryle]

Yal have lost me on the 6.8W magazine cut in the action vs the bottom metal cut in the stock. Can someone clarify?? Specifically for my 2023 xbolt 6.8W stalker...

Browning X-Bolt rifles are center feed by nature, so they should work with a AICS pattern magazine. Are they, don't know and honestly don't care. I like a flush magazine and the Browning functions in spades while being aesthetically designed to flow with the rest of the rifle.

You went from boogers to danglys, you should have bought the Bergara or some more Elmer's

 

[Philward]

seems like mickey mouse engineering to me. i guess they did it to save weight or was an afterthought to get the bolt to ride smoother or keep it from weeble wobbling. If i had know that xbolts ride on drop of glue at the tip of a screw I wouldnt have bought it

I'll buy it from you for half price since you're so unhappy

 

[Philward]

Heck....I'll buy it from you for $500. That will solve the issue and allow you to buy another brand.

You beat me to it...

 

[Mike D Texas]

Brownings ain't what they used to be. I like the Ab1 and AB2. Then I did some work on the plastic trigger and screw on the AB3 and that was enough. To be fair though the Xbolt is certainly a better rifle than the AB3. But that doesn't mean I'll be buying one.

That sounds good but is in reality cliche'. Rifles built today have much better tolerances and concentricity than in the past. Machining methods, steel and pretty much everything is better today.

Accuracy standard for hunting "back in the day" was minute of pie plate. Now it's easy to buy a 1/2 MOA rifle off the shelf. Even some "cheap" rifles can do it consistently.

 

[Turpentine21]

That sounds good but is in reality cliche'. Rifles built today have much better tolerances and concentricity than in the past. Machining methods, steel and pretty much everything is better today.

Accuracy standard for hunting "back in the day" was minute of pie plate. Now it's easy to buy a 1/2 MOA rifle off the shelf. Even some "cheap" rifles can do it consistently.

While the machining and processes today may be better I feel like the workmanship in the older rifles was better. I'm talking standard standard grade out of the box rifles. A lot of the stuff today just screams "cheap" and it is. But yes some of it shoots well. Browning does offer some nice combinations in the x bolt along with some nice upgrades. I've shot several of the x bolts and some will shoot very well. I'm just not a fan of the design. That's just a personal choice. I've shot a lot of older rifles and a lot of the newer rifles. In all brands. That's part of my job is to mount scopes, zero rifles, and in some cases work up loads for my customers. I had an FFL for a while and sold rifles. I can say without hesitation that I've shot very few older name brand rifles that I couldn't get to do far better than minute of pie plate. The hunters I knew back then required and expected better than minute of pie plate. Much better. I have seen some new rifles today that would barely stay on the pie plate. There were some lemons back in the day, just as there are today.

 

[Montana'eer]

While the machining and processes today may be better I feel like the workmanship in the older rifles was better. I'm talking standard standard grade out of the box rifles. A lot of the stuff today just screams "cheap" and it is. But yes some of it shoots well. Browning does offer some nice combinations in the x bolt along with some nice upgrades. I've shot several of the x bolts and some will shoot very well. I'm just not a fan of the design. That's just a personal choice. I've shot a lot of older rifles and a lot of the newer rifles. In all brands. That's part of my job is to mount scopes, zero rifles, and in some cases work up loads for my customers. I had an FFL for a while and sold rifles. I can say without hesitation that I've shot very few older name brand rifles that I couldn't get to do far better than minute of pie plate. The hunters I knew back then required and expected better than minute of pie plate. Much better. I have seen some new rifles today that would barely stay on the pie plate. There were some lemons back in the day, just as there are today.

To get old world quality those 'shelf' rifles would cost a pretty penny. I'm a sucker for decent quality too. I have a Browning Citori 20//28ga feather lightning set that I was willing to pay a decent amount for, and it's really nice. As nice as the superimposed of years ago? No. I can't imagine the cost to build one today. In the league of custom European guns for sure.

 

[Turpentine21]

Deleted

 

[Turpentine21]

To get old world quality those 'shelf' rifles would cost a pretty penny. I'm a sucker for decent quality too. I have a Browning Citori 20//28ga feather lightning set that I was willing to pay a decent amount for, and it's really nice. As nice as the superimposed of years ago? No. I can't imagine the cost to build one today. In the league of custom European guns for sure.

I shoot a Browning Citori CX for sporting Clays. It's a shot show special with some fairly nice wood. Amazing gun. Not expensive in the O/U world. Well over 100,000 rounds through it. It's been rebuilt twice. I shoot it better than any other gun I've ever put my hands on.
One other older inexpensive rifles that has always surprised me is the Remington 700 30-06's from the 70's and early 80's. For some reason I have shot a high number of those that would drive tacks. I wish I could say that for the new ones I've shot.

 

[Mike D Texas]

While the machining and processes today may be better I feel like the workmanship in the older rifles was better. I'm talking standard standard grade out of the box rifles. A lot of the stuff today just screams "cheap" and it is. But yes some of it shoots well. Browning does offer some nice combinations in the x bolt along with some nice upgrades. I've shot several of the x bolts and some will shoot very well. I'm just not a fan of the design. That's just a personal choice. I've shot a lot of older rifles and a lot of the newer rifles. In all brands. That's part of my job is to mount scopes, zero rifles, and in some cases work up loads for my customers. I had an FFL for a while and sold rifles. I can say without hesitation that I've shot very few older name brand rifles that I couldn't get to do far better than minute of pie plate. The hunters I knew back then required and expected better than minute of pie plate. Much better. I have seen some new rifles today that would barely stay on the pie plate. There were some lemons back in the day, just as there are today.

If the tolerances are more exact, the assembler is less of an issue.

 

[Turpentine21]

If the tolerances are more exact, the assembler is less of an issue.

"If". But there has to be a quality control factor in there as well. Are they using that technology to build a better product or to using it to push a mediocre product out the door as fast as possible. I'm not talking about the x bolt here but some of these companies are turning out pure junk these days.

 

[manitou]

"If". But there has to be a quality control factor in there as well. Are they using that technology to build a better product or to using it to push a mediocre product out the door as fast as possible. I'm not talking about the x bolt here but some of these companies are turning out pure junk these days.

Oh come on... anybody that spends more than a couple hours a year shooting can testify that the quality and accuracy of factory firearms are light years ahead of those from forty years ago.

The realization of a "sub-MOA" rifle was the (nirvana) gold standard fifty years ago... and less. Today, even many inexpensive factory rifles are less than 1/2" shooters.

The idea that: "they don't make guns like they used to" goes right along with the mentality that "they don't make cars like they used to"... whereas a car in the 1970s with 80,000 miles was spent and ready for selling off or the junkyard.
This mentality is best affirmed by (mentally) old guys rocking in chairs on the front porch.

Do some importers put out junk? Yes they do. We also have a LOT more choices of firearms and optics than existed decades ago.