Thinking of an XBolt hunter in 7mm-08

Discussion in 'Browning X-Bolt Rifle' started by Doc7, Dec 25, 2014.

  1. Doc7

    Doc7 Copper BB

    Would this be a good first centerfire rifle used for deer hunting in the fall and a paper puncher 100-200 yards the other 9 months of the year as well as introducing new shooters (wife and friends, children)?

    I will reload ammo.

    Wondering if you find the pencil barrel a detractor when we aren't in a purely hunting situation. I love the feel and looks of the rifle.
  2. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Welcome to the Browning Owners Forum Doc !!

    I think the X Bolt Hunter is a fine rifle for hunting and punching paper...as well as a training tool to introduce new shooters to the sport !!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7mm-08_Remington
  3. White Buffalo

    White Buffalo Copper BB

    I agree with Shooter13. The Browning X-Bolt Hunter is a nice, accurate rifle and the 7mm-08 cartridge is about perfect for new shooters, as it recoils very little and is well-known to be accurate in nearly any weapon (as is its parent, the .308 Winchester). It is also, just perhaps, the near-perfect whitetail cartridge - at least within reasonable ranges. I don't currently own a 7mm-08 but if I were looking for a rifle chambered for a short action cartridge, it would be near the top of my list.

    Your only issue with target shooting is barrel heat. Be sure to allow the barrel to cool between shots (3-shot groups) and you'll be fine. Those sporter weight barrels are not meant to be shot continuously, like a heavy target barrel.
    judgecrater likes this.
  4. judgecrater

    judgecrater Copper BB

    As mentioned above, just let it cool after 2 or 3 shots and you find it will shoot great groups. I just mounted a scope on my X-bolt 308 with a slender barrel . I was able to zero in two shots at 100 yards. With some old mil surplus, the first three shots were at 1.5 inches. With a little work up of hand loads I think sub one inch groups will not be a problem.
  5. I have a x-bolt in 7mm-08 and it is accurate and a pleasure to carry in the woods.
  6. Planetcat

    Planetcat .410

    I would consider the .308. The 7mm-08 uses the same brass necked down for 7mm bullets. You can shoot the same grain weight bullets in both calibers with a higher max weight in .308 and greater factory ammo availability. The recoil and ballistics are essentially the same in both cartridges when shooting same grain weight bullets. For example, 150 grain .308 and 150 grain 7mm-08 are essentially the same. Balistic coefficients tend to be better with 7mm bullets though. Both are great for deer.
  7. cupton

    cupton .410

    Please forgive my ignorance but what is the difference between a sporter weight and a heavy target weight barrel? My current X-Bolt is the Stainless Stalker 30-06.
  8. MZ5

    MZ5 .270 WIN

    You have a sporter-weight barrel. A target barrel tapers (in terms of diameter) much less than a sporter barrel.
    cupton likes this.
  9. cupton

    cupton .410

    Thanks for the info! I just checked on the Browning site and it actually lists the barrel countour for each model. I never noticed this before.
  10. You sure would notice the stouter barrel in the field after carrying a Sporter. For cold barrel shots, like in normal hunting compared to target shooting, the Sporter is almost s better choice. One great thing about the X Bolt compared to many rifles is that it is comparatively light due to several advances. One is the magazine. A Kimber achieves low weight with a pencil thin barrel. So a Sporter barrel should still have some heft to it. Even the beautiful X Bolt All Weather now discontinued for some poor reason is about as light as a Winchester Model 70Featherwieght. That X Bolt All Weather was one of the very best, toughest and attractive hunting rifles ever made. And a barrel weight perfect for a lightweight hunting rifle.
  11. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    Actually, the X-Bolt I just bought (Hells Canyon Speed in 300WSM) is almost 6 ounces lighter than my Model 70 feather weight with the same weight scopes. I checked them last night. Had I gone with the walnut stock it would probably be pretty close if not heavier. The barrel is button rifled and should take more range abuse than a cold forged barrel but as was mentioned before, let it cool between 3-5 shot groups. If you want to shoot more and at long distances, go with an AR-10 (DPMS LR .308 style) with a bull barrel or a 6.5 Creedmore bull barrel and you can shoot all day long . You still need to let those cool but not nearly as often. The downside to using something like a 300 WSM or a 30-06 at a range is that you can develop a flinch that will telegraph to all you rifles. This is where the short action 7mm-08 fits the bill for range time. The recoil hierarchy goes something like this, .308 then 7mm-08 then 6.5 creedmore then 224 Valkrie then .223/5.56 and on down. The 300WSM and the 30-06 are right on the flinch edge of recoil and with a heavy bullet can be as much as 20ft lbs at your shoulder. It's a good thing you need to stop to let them cool since that will let your shoulder recover. I use a lead sled with larger calibers at the range so it's almost zero recoil. When I'm hunting, I never seem to remember the recoil.
  12. I have looked at Hells Canyon Speed rifles very closely. The X Bolt Pro though is about twice the price of the Hells Canyon Speed Rifle. I have been looking at Hells Canyon Speed Rifles in 7 mm08 or 6.5 Creeedmore.
    Last edited: May 4, 2018
  13. Current sales in cartridges in many areas has become rather shifted from say even a decade ago. The most popular selling cartridges I see are .308 followed by 6.5 Creedmore. Of those two, I would always take 6.5 unless I was enamored with the idea of Moose hunting. The rifle caliber I use most is .243. That cartridge Like the 7mm08 is a necked down .308. It is great long distance round but 6.5 is more popular now for long distance. Personally I regard long distance with great skepticism. Our Home Farm has some really long views. As in photography I always look at it as get closer. Once you are a distance of say 500 foot, very few wild animals are going to stay put at that range if they see or sense people. And some are going to disappear if you are Half a mile away. The X Bolt is one of the single best rifles today. 7 mm 08 is an excellent choice although it popularity is sliding relative to the 6.5.
  14. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    David, I think you have to consider that the .308, 6.5 and even the 7mm-08 are all available in the AR-10 platform. My .308 is an AR-10 but I chose the 6.5 Grendel vs the 6.5 Creedmoor since it can be built off a AR-15 platform and will be inherently lighter and more suitable for hunting. While it is lighter, it's still heavier and clumsy compared to a true hunting rifle. Although still very popular for medium game, the .308 is probably not what I would want for larger game. Weatherby for example, blew right past the Creedmoor and went to 6.5-300 for their newest long range medium-large game round. I guess you could consider that a Wildcat version of the Creedmoor and my experience has been that once it starts being Wildcatted everyone starts chasing those and sales of the original round start falling off. Can you tell I'm not a big fan of the 6.5 Creedmoor? LOL
  15. As a former US Army LT. Colonel I have no interest whatsoever in a AR15 rifle. The Browning X Bolt is a far superior rifle for hunting. The AR 15 has one advantage. Superior firepower. That is it. I shot expert every time with the M16 and far preferred the Model 70 and Model 700s The Marine And Army Snipers were using. I own one of the assault rifle platform, fine for shooting off a whole box of cartridges fast, but fir handling and accuracy, I vastly prefer the bolt action.
    Another rifle I admire is the T Bolt. In terms of hunting rifles for big game, I own Winchester Model 70s, X Bolts, and two Model 700s. If I bought another brand and Model it would be a Dakota, or a Ruger Hawkeye Model 77. Anybody that is enamored with the AR 10 has not had the exposure to them I have had. The recently accepted HK AR Marine weapon is a high tech, rapid fire wonder. Lots of trick sighting on it, geared to combat. I regard the X Bolt as A superb
    Hunting rifle. The AR 10 as an urban combat piece. I know of not one deer hunter I admire who regards them as his rifle. But I do lead a rather secluded lifestyle in my old age. But 6.5 Creedmore I believe is here to stay.

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