Browning 4 + 1 280 Remington XBolt Hunter w/22" Barrel/Satin - 22" Barrel, Wood Stock

I found this X-Bolt Hunter, in 280 Rem., here on Bud's website. I have owned a Browning A-Bolt Medallion in 300 Win Mag before, and I loved that rifle. It was one of the best hunting rifles I have ever used. The new X-Bolt rifles from Browning were not as attractive to me because of their new design, but they had new features I was certainly interested in, i.e. the recoil pad taken from one of Brownings shotgun designs, and the ability to open the bolt with the safety on. I got the opportunity to handle one of these new X-Bolts at a local store, and discovered why the new stock design was chosen over more conventional designs: The new stock lets you naturally pull the rifle into your shoulder without thinking about it. The ergonomics are great! I went with the satin finished walnut stock over a synthetic because I like the warmth the walnut. This rifle is well balanced, lightweight and handles like a dream. The Inflex Technology recoil pad is soft, yet firm, and under recoil; it moves the rifle's stock down away from the shooter's face. This reduces felt recoil better than any other recoil pad I've tried, including the Pachmyer Decelerator and the Limbsaver offerings; both excellent recoil pads in their own right. The bolt lift is Browning's standard 60 degrees, and feels slick and positive. The barrel is fully floated and has a nice target crown cut into the muzzle. The accuracy is very good. My X-Bolt routinely shoots 1" to 1 1/4" groups with all of the factory loads I have found. Being chambered for the 280 Rem. cartridge, factory ammo is limited but I have found Remington Cor-loks, Hornady and Federal loads in 150 grain, 154 grain, and 160 grain loads using each manufactures standard hunting bullets; with the Federal using Nosler Partitions, which was the least accurate but still inside 1 1/4" groups: All of these were shot at 100 yards, with the groups measured from center to center. However, I am positive that I can work-up several different handloads that will shoot into less than a MOA. The X-Bolt's X-Lock optic mounts use 4 screws in an "X" pattern that Browning says is much more stable than the standard 2 screw mounts on most rifles. I don't know if they are more stable; I have never had any problems with the old 2 screw mounts. I do know that the X-Lock mounts are more difficult to find, but using the internet, I have found several mounts made for this setup. The trigger is Browning's excellent Feather Trigger. There is very little pre-travel, no stacking, no grit and a very crisp break that feels much lighter than advertised. The X-Bolt uses a flush mount, detachable, polymer magazine that is easy to load and feeds straight out of the center of the magazine. The magazines on this 280 Rem. rifle hold 4 rounds, and are the same standard, long action magazines that the X-Bolt uses for 270 Win., 30-06 Spgfld, and other cartridges that are based on the 30-06 case. The feeding is smooth and positive; and the magazines were designed to be removed and re-inserted with one hand. I didn't think I'd like this at first, being I am accustomed to the old stamped steel box magazines, that snap into the hinged floor plate; like the one's found on the A-Bolt. After just familiarizing myself with the way the X-Bolt's magazine works, I find that I like this much better than the older configuration. The X-Bolt's magazine fits into the bottom of the receiver so well, it makes the rifle feel thinner and lighter than most rifles with detachable magazines. This rifle shoots and handles better than any other I have used, and I wholeheartedly recommend the X-Bolt to anyone that likes a fine, sleek hunting rifle. Now that I have spent some quality time with my new X-Bolt, I like it better than my old A-Bolt Medallion: And that is saying a lot, because I loved my A-Bolt Medallion! I would love to acquire more Browning X-Bolts in the hunting cartridges I love most: 243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., 308 Win., 7X57mm Mauser, 270 Win., 257 Roberts, 6mm Rem., 30-06 Spgfld., 8X57mm Mauser, 7mm Rem Mag., 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win Mag., 338 Win Mag., 22-250 Rem., 25-06 Rem., and 375 H&H Mag. I know the X-Bolt is not chambered for all of these cartridges, but I can dream... This Browning X-Bolt Hunter is a rifle that I can recommend without hesitation. It's that good.