Unless I'm on a back-pack hunt I do bring a second rifle. Because I generally like to hunt with wood stock and blued metal rifles the back up serves two purposes, in case of malfunction or if the weather gets seriously rainy. The back-up rifle I always bring is my only stainless synthetic, a CRF Winchester 70 in 7mm STW. My primary rifle could be anything.
'back up' rifle when hunting
- Thread starter vpsalin
- Start date
well, that's good to know! I have a brand new one in 7mm-08 that I bought last Dec and haven't even scoped it nor fired it, yet! My buddy in Van has a 308 that he is working up loads for and has an X-bolt 30-06 on order.
why? Please explain what is not so good about the X-bolt! How will I be disappointed with mine? It's still new, unfired, and unscoped at this time. Should I sell it as new in box? I really really like the A-bolts. I also have a hankering for a Shortrax short action, is that a bad choice, too?
Chucker243
Member
- Location
- quinte west area
Really, whether it is an Axis or a Cooper, a bad bump onto the muzzle or scope, the rifle is affected. If possible or practical , yes take a back-up. An old '94 is better than nothing. My main is a S85 - .30.06 and my back-up is a T3-.243 or a T3-.270 depending on deer or moose. I have needed to depend upon a back-up rifle because of a mount issue.
Cheep insurance.
CC
Cheep insurance.
CC
The x-bolt may not be a spoon handle, but out of all the rifles I own, or have owned, it's my go-to gun for just about everything. I have never been a browning fan, hate the a-bolts, but browning did an excellent job with the x-bolt, especially the synthetic models! Feel good, shoot good, fit good, smooth and reliable. The worst part about them is the ugly mag well.... but that's my only complaint.
Same here. I have a scoped .308 Savage and I bring a Marlin 336C for anyone to use should they have problems with their rifle. No one has had a problem but it doesn't hurt to have an extra rifle.
Excellent, so I'm confident with my decision to put an x-bolt .270win as my next rifle. I already have the rifle after that figured out too, a marlin 336 in 30-30 which will be my back-up. I've been borrowing a buddies .308 and will replace it with the .270 and the 30-30. Can't wait till the funds are saved up to go shopping 
I never posted that it wasn't a decent rifle, but rather, contrary to what was posted previously, it isn't in the same class as many higher end rifles. After owning several different Coopers, a few Sakos, an older pre plastic Tikka, a CZ, and a couple of Anschutz rifles, as well as having fired rifles by H.S Precision,McMillan, Mauser and Heym, and several others, the X- Bolt falls short. The most noticeable differences, are the trigger, the stock, the design, the fit and finish, and the lack of plastic parts.
Some are made by Bell and Carlson, others are made by another supplier, reportedly H-S Precision. You can tell the stocks apart when you handle both. No Cooper comes with a molded plastic stock, which the X-Bolt, and even some Sako rifles come with.
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Thanks, I thought that was the case.
I actually prefer the older B&C version, to the newer version, as the new supplier changed some dimensions slightly. However, in both cases, the stocks are very rigid, come with Decellerators, and are glass bedded. Other than the fact, that they could be a touch lighter, I see no issues with them.
I'm sure you don't
I have 2 xbolts but I must say my main reason for looking at them was I could get damn near any cal I wanted in a lefthand action. Tang safety, rotary mag, bedded, floated, SOLID scope mounts, stock recoil, cycles with the safety locked on...hand reamed chamber and some hinted at match barrels. I have to say after shooting my 308 and seeing what it can do at 200m I am REALLY looking forward to running some loads thru my 30-06. I have a couple of CZs and I would put the fit and finish against them or a Tikka any day. Miroku does some excellent work. Anything better than minute of pieplate at 300yds is fine for the hunting I do. Watching the dealers test them when they first came out the dealers that shot them didnt want to give them back. I got the wood/blued version and I dont see any ugly. THe mag flushes nicely and its rotary so no tip deformation from side feeding-every round feeds right in front of the chamber. I have to say I like the lines and it shoots better than the rifles I replaced them with. What else can I say except the price was pretty easy to deal with. I got 2 rifles for what I would pay for a Sako and they are accurate. Time will tell of course but I have been shooting the leftie Micro Hunter 308 since spring and its a delight to shoot. I expect no less in the bush. My backup to the Hunter 30-06 will be my Micro Hunter 308. I am confident I will be able to use either without problem. Get lots of fondlers at the range too. Oops forgot about that fabulous trigger. Tinkerers will hate this rifle. Not much left to do but shoot and clean.
Hand reamed? Where did you did information telling you that the chambers are hand reamed, rather than chambered in a powered lathe, like everyone else? Whose match barrels are they supposedly using. The rifles are decent. but let's not get carried away.
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
For deer my main is remington 7400 30-06 with laminate stocks, and secondary the cheap axis in 243. Never had to go to the back up yet(knock on wood).
Stubblejumper perhaps you should go and look at all the Youtube stuff I did before I bought my first Xbolt. There is a lot of it. Reread my post where I said they "hint" at match barrel. Anyone can make a match barrel as long as they follow the necessary steps. Pick pick pick...
I have a target that has 3 165gr Speer boattails touching at 200m and the flyer is 1/4in from them with my own handloads. I dont care if its actually a match barrel. In this case it shoots like one and Im happy with that. Extremely happy...
I have a target that has 3 165gr Speer boattails touching at 200m and the flyer is 1/4in from them with my own handloads. I dont care if its actually a match barrel. In this case it shoots like one and Im happy with that. Extremely happy...
Stubblejumper perhaps you should go and look at all the Youtube stuff I did before I bought my first Xbolt. There is a lot of it. Reread my post where I said they "hint" at match barrel. Anyone can make a match barrel as long as they follow the necessary steps. Pick pick pick...
I have a target that has 3 165gr Speer boattails touching at 200m and the flyer is 1/4in from them with my own handloads. I dont care if its actually a match barrel. In this case it shoots like one and Im happy with that. Extremely happy...
I suspect you mean hand polished chamber? Which I have my doubts on that as well. I have two friends with x-bolts, one loves his. The other bought one here and took it home to New Zealand. Found out there that the chamber was cut slightly off axis to the bore and the rifle shot like #### because of it. Ended up selling it cheap with full disclosure.
