X-Bolt Upgrade: Browning's New X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR Review

Browning recently introduced a Gen 2 version of its extremely popular X-Bolt rifle. Between you, me, and the fence post, I was almost concerned. The original X-Bolt was, and is, an extraordinary rifle. My first thought was, “What on earth can they improve?” Writer liaison Shaundi Campbell put one in my hands in the shade of an ancient cottonwood in New Mexico’s desolate, sunbaked antelope country. Without even knowing any details, my brain went, “Oh! That’s why.” The rifle was sleek and compact, with a short, carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel sporting a suppressor. The action ran slick as grease on glass. And when I put a few shots on paper prior to hunting pronghorns, bullet holes clustered like amorous flies.

The Improvements

The new X-Bolt 2 action incorporates several small but significant refining elements. I’ve always considered the original X-Bolt one of the smoothest-functioning actions on the market, but the X-Bolt 2 has additional features that maximize smoothness and eliminate any binding in the bolt. Gen 2 actions also have racier styling. All bolts come with broad, spiral flutes. Ejection ports are opened and flared, and bolt shrouds are streamlined. Bolt handles feature more subtle, elegant styling, and the exterior of the octagonal action is nicely scalloped. The new Gen 2 actions maintain the safety slide located in the action tang. As with the original X-Bolt, it locks the bolt when engaged. A discreet button in the shoulder of the bolt handle unlocks the bolt and allows live rounds to be extracted from the chamber with the safety still engaged. It’s one of my favorite features of the X-Bolt design.

Up top, the action features the same strong scope-mounting system as the original X-Bolts—four screws for each scope base. That, for those wondering, is what gave the X-Bolt its name; the screws form an X shape. Functionally, spreading out the screws enables each to engage deeper in the receiver, since the screw holes drive down into the walls of the receiver rather than straight through the thin upper wall of the action. Plus, of course, there are four in each base. More screws mean more strength. Aside from the silky-smooth feel, the other major functional upgrade the Gen 2 action received is Browning’s DLX trigger. It’s a super crisp trigger that’s user adjustable and has no discernible overtravel. Browning literature suggests rifles will ship with the triggers set at 3.5 pounds. The one in our test rifle averaged exactly 3 pounds, 7 ounces on my Lyman digital trigger gauge. I hesitate to say a trigger is so crisp it feels lighter than it really is, but in this case, that’s actually true. I usually run pull weight on my personal hunting rifles at 2.5 pounds, but the X-Bolt 2’s go-switch is good enough that I don’t feel any need to change it.

Before shifting gears and talking stocks and barrels, there’s one other action-related feature that’s worth mentioning. Browning is building several different versions of the X-Bolt 2 with the new Plus Magazine System designed for high-capacity magazines. Like Tikka and several other top-shelf manufacturers, Browning chose to design its own magazines rather than use common AICS types. Now, I’ve used a ton of AICS-type magazines over the years. I like them, but I have no delusions about their weaknesses. They do have ’em. Browning’s Aaron Cummins may have said it best when he stated, “We’re not using AICS magazines—thank goodness!” Browning’s magazines feature several performance-enhancing details, such as cartridge shoulder retention to keep cartridges from slamming into the front of the magazine during recoil and potentially damaging bullet tips, centered-up cartridge feeding, and so forth. Let me be candid. The improvements in the X-Bolt 2 action are significant but subtle. Much more obvious are the different stocks and barrels available in the Gen 2 line. I requested the X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR version for review here because I believe it offers the greatest value for the broadest spectrum of hunters and shooters. Suggested retail is $1,499 to $1,549, and you’ll find them for less on dealers’ shelves. However, before diving into the awesome stock and barrel configuration on this new Speed SPR, it’s important to note a massive update to Browning barrel technology that’s not included on this particular model. Browning now offers carbon-fiber-wrapped barrels. Made by Preferred Barrels in Utah, the barrels are manufactured to extraordinary tolerances. They should shoot spectacularly well. There’s a caveat, though. The upgrade to a carbon-fiber barrel and stock is expensive. I’ll go so far as to say it’s very expensive. With a premium carbon-fiber stock (either Browning’s own Mountain Pro or McMillan’s Game Warden 2.0), the price approaches that of a custom rifle. We’re talking $3,740 to $4,070. Upgrading the “standard” X-Bolt 2 Speed to have a carbon-fiber barrel jumps cost from about $1,500 up to about $2,700. I’m not good with math, but even I can tell you that’s about a $1,200 upcharge for the carbon-fiber barrel.

Is it worth it? Time will tell. The market now demands carbon fiber more than ever before, and as mentioned, the Preferred barrels will shoot wonderfully. Whether they’ll shoot $1,200 more wonderfully than Browning’s own all-steel counterparts remains to be seen. Spoiler alert: It would be hard to top the accuracy of the standard X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR tested here. Although there’s nothing groundbreaking about the all-steel barrel on the Speed SPR, it is unique in the fact that it’s engineered for use with a suppressor—something you didn’t see even just five years ago. This one’s chambered in 6.8 Western and is 20 inches long. It’s Browning’s standard profile, but it flares gently near the muzzle to provide a broad shoulder for the suppressor to square up against, ensuring concentricity and alignment. Understated flutes give it a distinctive appearance and help with cooling. The barrel and action are finished in Smoked Bronze color Cerakote. For those unfamiliar with Cerakote, it’s a ceramic-based, baked-on finished that has emerged as the industry’s leading protectant against corrosion and abrasion.

Now, let’s take a look at the fantastic new Vari-Tech stock on the X-Bolt 2 Speed. Why fantastic? Because it’s completely but discreetly configurable for length of pull (LOP) and cheekrest height. Most stocks with LOP spacers look like, well, stocks with spacers. The spacers interrupt the elegant lines of the stock. While that’s okay, Browning engineers never designed anything to be just “okay.” The Vari-Tech stock features an internal spacer system that’s not visible at all. LOP can be finessed to your personal preference from 13.125 to 14.125 inches from trigger to buttpad. You have to remove the buttpad to make the adjustment, but unless you’re a kid growing like Jack’s giant’s beanstalk or the rifle is regularly shared between a long-legged husband and a petite wife, you’ll probably only ever make a stock adjustment once to fit yourself.

Even more crucial than stock LOP—in my opinion—is the ability to adjust the cheekrest height to provide exactly the right cheekweld. This positions your eye in perfect alignment with your scope and greatly increases shot consistency. Whether you’re lying for hours on end looking through the scope while you wait for a big alpine-country mule deer to get up and offer a shot, or you’re whipping the rifle to your shoulder for a snap shot at a deer you’ve just jumped at close range, a cheekrest of perfect height will instantly align your eye with those crosshairs and help you make a clean, accurate shot. There’s no obvious way to loosen the cheekrest to adjust it. As I mentioned earlier, the entire system is svelte and discreet. Insert the included hexhead wrench into the tiny hole in the heel of the recoil pad. Spin out the internal locking screw about 10 or 12 turns. Pull the cheekrest rearward a quarter-inch or so until it moves freely and slide it up or down as needed. Spin the locking screw back in, and you’re good to go. There’s more. The grip has interchangeable modules, and each rifle comes with two: one traditional contour with a relatively open profile; the other with a near-vertical profile optimized for precision shooting. I swapped the traditional one that came on the rifle for the more vertical version just to try the process (it’s super easy) and to get a feel for it. Initially, it was a bit foreign-feeling, since I’m so used to the traditional feel of the X-Bolt Speed stock, but I fired a terrific series of groups while using it, so clearly it helps shooters execute consistently. Again, the switcharoo process is discreet; you must take the barreled action out of the stock to switch the grip modules. Loosen the little locking screw, pop the existing module out, click in the other, and snug up the locking screw. Done. In addition, the Vari-Tech stock is built to cater to precision shooters who want to mount rails to the fore-end. There are reinforced hole positions inside the fore-end. To add a section of Picatinny or ARCA/Swiss rail, simply drill out the appropriate holes, add a knurled nut inside for each screw position, and bolt on your rail.

Vari-Tech stocks are injection molded. Fore-ends are free-floated around the barrels. The primary issue with injection-molded stocks is that they flex very easily and can contact the barrel and cause a shot to go astray. However, Browning fore-ends have always seemed to be considerably stiffer than the competition—probably thanks to the unique engineering and the stiffening ribs incorporated inside the fore-end channel. I’ll always prefer a good carbon-fiber stock if I can afford it, but I don’t worry about the X-Bolt Speed (and now the X-Bolt 2 Speed Vari-Tech) stocks like I do other plastic stocks. I’ve never had a bipod torque the fore-end of one of these rifles enough to contact the barrel and cause accuracy issues. While photographing the new X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR, I pulled the stock off. Impressively, the action seat is nicely bedded—by far the best and most thorough bedding work I’ve seen on any production-class rifle. That certainly contributes to a rigid action-to-stock relationship as well. Vari-Tech stocks also feature a thicker 1.25-inch-thick Inflex recoil pad, which really softens and spreads out felt recoil. Inside, the Inflex pad has directional ribs that cause the stock to flex down and away from the cheek as the pad loads during recoil, in effect reducing the smack of the stock against your face. Rubber overmolding on the grip and underside of the fore-end provide a sure grasp through mud, blood, or sweat. Aside from the black of those areas and the cheekrest, the Vari-Tech stock is finished in Browning’s cutting-edge Ovix camouflage. I’ve used Ovix from Alaska to Africa, taking everything from big bull moose to old Cape buffaloes while wearing it, and the pattern is awesome in its versatility.

The Shooting Results

Enough pontificating about the technical characteristics of the new X-Bolt 2 Speed. How does it shoot? To find out, I managed to dig up five different 6.8 Western factory loads (four from Winchester and one from Browning). After installing a fine Leupold scope, I took to the shooting range. This particular Speed SPR model is advertised as suppressor-ready, so I spun off the factory-mounted muzzle brake and installed an 8-ounce, 6-inch titanium Banish Backcountry can by Silencer Central. It was a fine February afternoon, cool but not cold. I selected Browning’s 175-grain Long Range Pro ammo to start with. To my surprise, after taking one shot to confirm and refine bore-sighting, my first three bullets landed all touching. The 100-yard group measured 0.53 inch. A fluke? I wondered. The next two groups measured 0.49 and 0.57 inch. Not a fluke. This new X-Bolt 2 is a shooter!

Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR Specs

• Type: Bolt-action, repeater
• Caliber: 6.8 Western
• Capacity: 3 rds. 
• Barrel: 20 in. 
• Overall Length: 40 in. 
• Weight: 6.38 lbs. 
• Stock: Vari-Tech composite
• Length of Pull: 13.125 to 14.125 in. 
• Finish: Smoked Bronze Cerakote barrel and action, Ovix camo stock
• Sights: None, drilled and tapped for scope bases
• Trigger: 3.48-lb. pull (as tested)
• Safety: Sliding two-position on tang
• MSRP: $1,559.99
• Manufacturer: Browning

Next, I tested Winchester’s 162-grain Copper Impact load. It features a monometal bullet that’s ideal for use on elk and other big, tough game. It, too, shot beautifully out of the X-Bolt 2, averaging 0.68 inch for three consecutive three-shot groups. Complete results with all five loads tested can be seen in the accompanying chart.  It’s worth noting that the Speed SPR suppressor-ready version of the X-Bolt 2 has a shorter-than-standard barrel. The length on the 6.8 Western is 20 inches. It makes the rifle handle wonderfully even when a suppressor is installed, particularly when it’s a compact, light suppressor like the one I used. Inevitably, though, there’s a velocity loss due to the short barrel. The Speed SPR produced about 150 fps less than the advertised speeds on the ammo boxes. And that’s just fine—it’s an expected and worthy trade-off for the lovely handleability when hunting with a silencer on board. I thought Browning got it right with the Gen 1 X-Bolt. And I still do. However, this Gen 2 version just may be the most advanced, most capable production-grade rifle on the market. 

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