Browning X-bolt 30-06

[Springer]

Ok I need some of you gun Nutz to give me your Honest opinion on the Browning x-Bolt in 30-06 with composite stock and rotary magazine.

I want to buy a Rifle for my sons 27th Birthday coming up at the end of the Month and he is also going on his first deer hunt with me this year.
I was trying to decide on the 270WSM,280,308 ,30-06 and 300 WSM in a Tikka t3.
So with advice from most people i asked ,the 30-06 kept coming up with the range of loads it will take.

Any advice on an all round starter rifle would sure help. I will buy something by next weekend just have to decide which one.

I found this 30-06 new in the box for $ 905. For the scope we were looking at the Bushnell elite 3200 in 3x9x40.

[209x50]

I have an X-Bolt in 270 short mag and the cartridge has become my favorite. 150 grain bullets at 3150fps and 110 Barnes TTSX at 3650 fps. I also have it in an A-7 and both rifles shoot the lights out. Me, I'd recommend the X-Bolt in 270 short mag as a great first gun

[ACKLEY ABE]

Well..you asked for oppinions so ...... One rifle ....new shooter....280 rem. Versatile all rd. Not serious recoil..... It's basically a 7 rem mag with a 15 yard point blank disadvantage on a 10" target.....on a whole bunch less recoil than the mag. Great cartridge and becoming more and more popular every year..... and out of all of my rifles........none is a Browning. So I guess you know where I stand there..... I havn't used an X-bolt but......

Scope: OK...for the money they are hard to beat...in fact they are probably better than a lot of higher priced scopes. Warrenty is done in Canada and done "Quickly" and without fuss. Thats if you ever need it fixed....I have had a cpl done, but one was abuse...can't blame that on Bushnell (by the way they fixed it anyway).

Whatever you get him, it will be great. Good for you and congratulations to him...he's got a pretty good dad.

[Whiskey Wish]

I am in agreement with A-Abe here. You could chose a lot of different calibers but a 280 or 270 would excellent places to start. Not knowing the age, ability and size of your son..... a 30-06 could be too much recoil for him although it could be tamed with a brake and a high quality recoil pad. I agree that the 30-06 is arguably the best caliber choice around but I have also seen grown men put their rifles down after one box of shells and chose to be spectators.
Abe and I go seperate directions on Browning weapons....I like them.
My two cents worth.

Keep Your Powder Dry,
Dave.

[dsp]

I just picked up a X-bolt in 25-06. I have shot it abit and am very happy with it. I have always enjoyed this calibre because it is fairly flat shooting and a good deer gun. The 30-06 is also a good choice as ammo is pretty much everywhere you go and has been around for along time. The range of bullet weights is also good for various hunts one can get into. But it still comes down to shot placement.

As for a scope I have always been fond of Leupold and if something goes wrong send it in as the repair is located in Okotoks, and the turn around time is fairly fast. However it is one's personal choice. Bushnell puts a good line, however I had a couple of issues with them but then again not alot. Another descent scope is Vortex and should be looked at as they offer a very good warranty and price as well.

As for price, well you have to shop around and if you find someone that has it well there you go. Buy it and enjoy. I had looked around at a few stores WSS $819.00, ( I had ordered it this past March and still haven't heard from them, Also about 2 months ago while in WSS, I had staff member check for me and located a 25-06 in Saskatoon, well they were having it shipped to Edmonton and yup I still haven't heard from them ), Bass Pro can not remember how much there but had a 30-06 in stock. I ended up buying from a small dealer as he had it in stock and the price was only a few dollars more like 10-20 bucks than WSS, but like with anything the service is what means alot.

Also a nice feature on this rifle as you stated your son is going on his first deer hunt, is the fact that while the bolt is closed and the safety on, it can be unloaded by pushing the button on top of the bolt. This is a good safety feature no matter how much experience one has with firearms.

Good Luck and Enjoy

[Jeromeo]

X-bolt has eight mounting lugs in comparison to regular rifles with 4 in total. So in essence you have more screws holding down you mounts or rings. You have the option of going with the browning rings that mount directly onto the rifle or the weaver or leupold bases. The x-bolt from what I've read seems to be a great shooter. The detachable clip is a plus. I also really like the duratouch stock. Not only does it look nice, it feels amazing and provides that extra bit of grip. As previously mentioned before you can unload and remove the bolt with the safety on. The action is also really nice. Although it is not quite as smooth as the tikkas and Sakos it is definitely respectable. I am going to be ordering this rifle in late November and can't wait to shoot it. I say go ahead and buy it for your son. The x-bolt in 30-06 is going to be quite easy to find. WSS has them for about 820 bucks for the black synthetic stock with blued barrel.

[tbosch]

A buddy of mine shoots the x in 30-06 and loves it. Says he'll never buy another hunting rifle.