Browning X-Bolt

About the Browning X-Bolt

The Browning X-Bolt is a modern push-feed bolt-action hunting rifle introduced in 2008 as the successor to the long-running A-Bolt II. Designed by Browning and manufactured by Miroku Corporation in Kochi, Japan, the X-Bolt features a 60-degree short-throw bolt action with three locking lugs that engage a barrel extension, a rotary detachable polymer magazine that sits flush with the stock, and the proprietary X-Lock scope mounting system that anchors each base with four screws rather than the conventional two for greater rigidity. The Feather Trigger is a three-lever design with no take-up, minimal overtravel, a clean break, and adjustable pull weight from approximately 3 to 5 pounds. Every X-Bolt receiver is glass-bedded into the stock at the front and rear action screws and recoil lug to provide a true free-floating barrel without aftermarket gunsmithing. Available in nearly every popular North American big-game cartridge from .243 Winchester through .300 PRC, the X-Bolt has become one of the most popular hunting bolt-actions of the modern era and was succeeded by the X-Bolt 2 in 2024 with further refinements to the trigger, stock and magazine.

Browning gave the X-Bolt its name from its proprietary X-Lock scope mounting system, which uses four screws per base instead of the industry-standard two. The seemingly minor change drew an outsized response from precision shooters: by anchoring the optic far more rigidly than competitors, the X-Bolt could shoot tight groups out of the box that previously required a custom gunsmith bedding job to achieve.

Browning X-Bolt specifications

Sporting weight typically 6 lb 11 oz to 7 lb depending on caliber and stock. Barrel lengths range from 22 inches for short-action calibers to 26 inches for magnum chamberings. The X-Lock scope mounting system uses four screws per base. The X-Bolt 2 generation, introduced in 2024, replaces the original platform with refinements to the trigger, magazine and ergonomics but retains the same basic action geometry.