Browning's New X-Bolt 2 Speed is Built for Speed!

Browning's great X-bolt bolt-action rifle just got even better!

December 20, 2025 By Craig Boddington

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Whether shotguns, handguns, or rifles, the Browning brand has long been associated with high quality. As such, Browning doesn’t produce as many firearms as some manufacturers. Within that context, you must give them credit for incredible variety. And for a legacy of innovation that goes back to their founder and namesake, John Moses Browning himself, who was never shy about improving his designs.

With short uplift and three-lug bolt, the Browning A-Bolt burst onto the scene in 1984. Popular and successful, the A-Bolt was offered in dozens of variations and numerous chamberings in its quarter-century run. It was replaced in 2008 by the X-Bolt, which had some similarities and a lot of differences. It used the same bolt handle and three-lug lockup, the same two-position tang safety, and good barrels that shot straight. But it had a different bolt body, receiver, detachable rotary magazine, and bolt-unlock button at the root of the bolt handle, enabling unloading with the safety engaged. One could say that the X-Bolt was sleeker and more modern in stock styling, but like its predecessor, it was offered in many variations and chamberings.

The A-Bolt took its name from the shape of the receiver, surrounding a bolt with flats that in cross-section gave a triangular, or “A,” shape. The X-Bolt takes its name from a seemingly small, important innovation. Since riflescopes came into common use, most scope bases, including nonintegral rails, are attached to the receiver by a maximum of four screws. With broader receiver rings, the X-Bolt is drilled and tapped for four screws each fore and aft, at least doubling the attachment strength. Look at the receiver from the top, and you may see each set of holes as a square, or “X.”

In 2024 the X-Bolt was updated to X-Bolt 2. One might call it a second-generation X-Bolt, and the differences are more than cosmetic. Neither bolt nor receiver is exactly the same. The receiver is beefed up, increasing bolt guidance surface for a smoother bolt throw. And X-Bolt 2 incorporates the new, easily adjustable DLX trigger.

Browning X bolt 2 rifle — The new rifle is a great looking setup with the Leupold Optics atop. (Photo provided by author.)

Remember I started by describing “variety” in Browning products? Although the X-Bolt 2 is just a couple years old, it is already offered in an astonishing 30-something variations, including nine new ones introduced in the last 12 months. These include two plainer Hunter models (one in walnut, one in synthetic), two LR (Long Range) versions with “tactical” stocks and adapted to extended magazines, SPR models with shorter barrels and belled muzzles for use with suppressors, Carbon Fiber models with carbon-fiber-wrapped barrels, a Micro with a shorter stock, and the X-Bolt 2 Speed, which is the subject of my report. The original X-Bolt Speed incorporated a camouflage synthetic stock, Cerakote metal, and fluted barrel. X-Bolt 2 Speed retains these features, plus it has the features of the new generation X-Bolt 2.

Designed for Versatility

Gun magazine writers don’t always (or often) choose their precise subjects. That’s the editor’s job. Shooting Times Editor-in-Chief Joel Hutchcroft asked if I would do an article on one of Browning’s new models. I said, “Yep, with pleasure.” I had written one of the first articles ever on the X-Bolt when it was new and have followed its progress. I got hold of Browning’s Rafe Nielsen, and he suggested an X-Bolt 2 Speed. Must be a mind-reader, because among the new models, Speed is the one I would have chosen myself.

Grips being removed form the rifle — The X-Bolt 2 Speed’s versatility is shown in the interchangeable grip inserts to give the shooter a perfect wrist position for proper trigger control. (Photo provided by author.)

I gave you a quick laundry list of new variations. There’s something for everyone. I have suppressors but can’t use them everywhere I go, so I prefer a full-length barrel. I also prefer sporter/classic to tactical, and I’m not a competitive long-ranger. On hot days on the range, I like the slower heating and longer shot strings of carbon-fiber-reinforced barrels, but for most of my purposes I can spare the extra expense. I love walnut stocks, but I was intrigued by Browning’s new Vari-Tech adjustable stock. Taken altogether, Speed suits me fine. It’s a slim, trim rifle, stocked in composite with Browning’s versatile Ovix camouflage. The metal is finished in an attractive Smoked Bronze Cerakote. The fluted barrel is slender and tipped with a radial muzzle brake (a thread protector is supplied). At the opposite end is a good, thick Inflex recoil pad.

The X-Bolt 2 Speed is offered in 13 eclectic chamberings, and barrel length depends on the cartridge: .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, and .30-06 have 22-inch barrels. 6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western, 7 PRC, and .280 Ackley Improved are 24 inches. 7mm Remington Magnum, 28 Nosler, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .300 PRC have 26-inch barrels. Weights vary depending on barrel length and caliber, but generally run from 6 pounds, 10 ounces to 7 pounds, 2 ounces. That makes the X-Bolt 2 Speed a light rifle, but not super-light. It’s a good compromise for carryability and shootability. My rifle is in .308 Win., so it has a 22-inch barrel. That’s versatile.

Browning X Bolt 2 receiver — Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Speed is the second generation of X-Bolts and has many improved features, but it retains the X-pattern scope mounting setup that gives it its name. ( Photo provided by author.)

The finished weight, of course, depends on what you hang on it. X-Bolt and X-Bolt 2 mounts are compatible. I thought the Smoked Bronze metal looked cool, so I went to the Browning website and ordered matching mounts in 30mm medium height. When they arrived, I installed a Leupold VX6 3-18X 44mm scope. For my purposes, that’s more scope than I need on a .308 rifle, but it made shooting groups easier, and it was my most likely candidate without switching a scope from another rifle. With mounts and full-size scope, complete weight came up to almost 8.5 pounds. No longer a lightweight, but still a good weight to shoot and carry.

These days, big (even bigger) riflescopes are popular, not only adding weight and bulk, but also requiring higher mounting. This changes comb height to get a proper cheekweld. Often, I use a strap-on cheekpiece. It looks like hell, but it works. Stocks with adjustable combs are increasingly common and effective, but to my eye they often seem clunky, rarely associated with a streamlined sporter stock. Browning’s new Vari-Tech stock is different. It’s not the simplest to adjust, but it’s the best-looking adjustable stock I’ve seen.

The stock comb is capped with an unobtrusive ambidextrous cheekpiece, adjustable to six different height positions, with the uppermost offering a full inch of additional comb height. To adjust it, you go in through a small hole at the top of the recoil pad, using a long (supplied) 2.5mm hex wrench. Find the matching screw and unscrew it a whole bunch of revolutions (20 to 25) to loosen the cheekpiece, then adjust to the desired position and retighten. (It’s a good idea to do the unmanly thing and read the owner’s manual.) My Leupold 3-18X scope doesn’t qualify as a “big scope” these days, but I brought the cheekpiece up one notch for a perfect fit.

Unusually, the Vari-Tech pistol grip has interchangeable inserts, allowing a more vertical modern grip if desired. To exchange inserts, undo the action screws with a 4mm (5/32) hex wrench, remove the barreled action, and unscrew a Phillips-head bolt at the rear of the action inletting, then pop an insert into place and retighten. With the barreled action removed, I checked the bedding, and the barrel was fully free-floated, and the action is bedded to the recoil lug.

The length of pull is adjusted in a conventional manner. Just remove the recoil pad with a No. 2 Phillips screwdriver and add or remove supplied spacers as desired. At 5 feet, 9 inches, I’m Joe Average, and most factory stocks with standard 13-inch length of pull fit me perfectly, as did this stock.

Adjusting trigger with allen wrench — An adjustable trigger is a great addition to the X Bolt 2 Speed. Crisp and light is achievable with the new trigger. (Photo provided by author.)

Browning’s new DLX trigger is crisp, clean, and easily adjustable. Out of the box it was a bit heavy for my taste, so I went to the owner’s manual and learned how to adjust it. I quickly set it more to my liking.

To access the trigger adjustment, you must either remove the bottom metal or take the barreled action out of the stock. The trigger-adjustment screw is just ahead of the trigger, and it is adjusted with a 2mm (5/64) hex wrench. Rotate it clockwise to increase trigger pull weight, counterclockwise to reduce. I reduced the pull weight just a bit, to a nice 2 pounds, 10 ounces, and I was ready to head for the range.

At the Range and in the Field

The X-Bolt 2’s bolt is different from its predecessor. Like I said earlier, it has the same three-lug lockup with short 60-degree uplift, but the X-Bolt 2 bolt has spiral fluting and a different bolt-handle shape. I don’t have enough experience with the X-Bolt to confirm the X-Bolt 2 is smoother, but I can say that this rifle, in short-action .308 Win., was smooth and positive. I’m not crazy about detachable magazines on bolt actions (just one more thing to lose), but I like the X-Bolt 2’s lightweight, compact, polymer rotary magazine. It seats flush, and it locks and detaches positively. In standard cartridges, the capacity is a generous four rounds (three for magnums, belted or unbelted).

I didn’t have enough factory ammo for any test protocol, but I had a variety of propellants and bullets and plenty of brass, so I loaded up some handloads. Let me be honest: I didn’t work up loads specifically for this rifle. I’d been doing some .308 loading with unleaded bullets for use on California hogs and with lead-core bullets for a couple of .308 rifles that live on my Kansas farm. They are just plain vanilla handloads, below maximum charges, with standard COL at just below 2.810 inches. Thus, they’re loads that I can (and do) shoot in several different .308 rifles, with accuracy varying as it does.

Author shooting rifle — Craig fired five-shot groups and three-shot groups for accuracy at 100 yards. As expected, the thin-barreled rifle produced much better accuracy with the three-shot strings. (Photo provided by author.)

My preference is to follow a test protocol of five, five-shot groups. It is more difficult to hold five-shot groups than three-shot groups, and the .308 Win. is not a pipsqueak cartridge. However, with a big scope, adequate gun weight, and a good muzzle brake and recoil pad, recoil is not a huge problem. I did the shooting for this article on the California Central Coast, when the temperature was 50 degrees, so I wouldn’t have to wait ages between groups for the rifle’s barrel to cool.

Even so, this rifle has a slender barrel, and as with many slim barrels, asking it to hold tight five-shot groups proved a big ask. I started with 41.5 grains of IMR 3031 with Hornady’s 165-grain InterLock bullet (it’s a favorite whitetail load). As the accompanying chart shows, this rifle didn’t particularly like it. Two or three shots would group together, then the strings would spread badly. The rifle did better with the same powder charge behind the Barnes 165-grain TSX (my California hog load) and better still with IMR 4320 and Hornady’s 168-grain SST. Unfortunately, I got through the whole 15-group (five, five-shot groups with each load) protocol without a single sub-MOA group.

When I was young it was an article of faith that we could load better ammo than we could buy. Lately, factory ammo has gotten so good that I’m no longer so sure. I had just enough Federal 168-grain Gold Medal Match and Hornady Precision Hunter 178-grain ELD-X factory loads for a couple groups with each. They did significantly better. So much for my handloads. (Note: I did not include the results in the chart because I didn’t have enough ammo to shoot three, five-shot groups with it.)

I went home, I found a pound of Hodgdon Benchmark powder at a local gunshop, went back to the loading bench, and started over, mating the Benchmark powder with Berger’s 168-grain Target boattail hollowpoints. Back at the range with that handload, and starting over with three-shot groups with the other three loads, the rifle produced much better accuracy.

Rifles accuracy data — (Data provided by author.)

Firing three-shot strings, all loads produced sub-MOA groups. Three of the four averaged just a fraction over one MOA. The best three-shot average came with the Barnes TSX bullet—0.825 inch for five, three-shot groups. Some rifles love homogeneous-alloy bullets, some don’t, and others are neutral. You never know until you try.

And that’s just fine with me, because it was spring on the Central Coast, barley coming up. Pigs love barley, and in California all hunting must be done with unleaded projectiles. I had the rifle and the load, and I had a date for hunting hogs out at friend Tony Lombardo’s ranch north of town. Except, before it came up I needed to swap scopes (don’t ask why), so I switched it out for a VX5 3-15X 44mm. I had to rezero, so by the time the X-Bolt 2 Speed and I went hog hunting, I’d shot it a lot. I was extremely familiar with it by then, and it came up on target like an old friend.

When barley is ripening our hogs are seriously addicted. Even so, you never know. Sometimes we catch them at last light. Other times at first light, often not at all. This time, Tony driving the Jeep, Clint Wiebe in the back, and me riding shotgun, we spotted a small sounder feeding on a ridge in gorgeous afternoon sunlight.

We got around the wind, and Clint and I made a long uphill stalk and closed to about 150 yards. I got the rifle on sticks, steadied down, and the trigger broke like it should. I hammered a big sow on the right. I’d like to call it a good shot, but I can’t. As soon as I fired, Clint went into action and dropped a second hog with his .308 rifle, offhand, moving. Two nice hogs were down in beautiful afternoon light. We had lots of good pork, and we wouldn’t need to get up early to try again. That doesn’t happen very often!