Browning SHOT Show Favorites: Part I

Published on February 21st, 2025

In typical fashion, the Browning booth was abuzz at the 2025 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. From media personnel to industry insiders to buyers, you couldn’t walk by the monstrous Browning booth without taking notice.

New for the year rifles and shotguns were on full display, and people couldn’t help but stop, pick them up , and smile. Twice, I couldn’t navigate around the booth due to the high-volume traffic, and in case you missed it, the booth is BIG! But that’s what Browning does — build quality firearms that hunters and competition shooters have come to trust. When new models hit the SHOT Show floor for the first time, they demand attention.

These were some of the crowd-pleasers.

Browning X-Bolt 2 All Purpose

When I received a pre-shot peek at this 16-1/2-inch sporter contour barrel, suppressor-ready stunner, I predicted it would be the talk of the Show.

Guess what?

Every time I walked past the Browning booth, this handy rifle with the OD Green and black composite Vari-Tech stock with adjustable LOP, comb, and interchangeable sporter and vertical grips was in someone’s hands. I heard X-Bolt 2 All Purpose comments like:

It has a smooth finish and an excellent fit and feel.

This will be a whitetail wrecker. It’s perfect for a treestand.

It’s light, manageable, and maneuverable. I’m getting it for spot-and-stalk hunting.

I want it as my ride around the ranch rifle.

It’s gonna ride so well in a scabbard.

You get the point. Browning has high hopes for this non-reflective matte-blued-finish rifle, available in calibers .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Win.

You’ll cheer the new-for-2025 Plus Magazine System, which offers extra cartridge capacity, and the patent-pending DLX Trigger comes factory set to hunting weights. The spiral fluted bolt features an extended handle and ergonomic knob for confident bolt cycling.

Browning X-Bolt 2 Hunter Composite Stainless

No, you can’t beat its racy appeal. The contrasting grey overmolded grip surfaces, black Vari-Tech stock, stainless-steel receiver, sporter contour barrel, and radial muzzle break grab the eye. Better yet, the rifle shoots better than it looks. Added bolt guidance surface ensures smooth, fast cycling; the spiral-fluted bolt shaves weight, and the stainless-steel construction makes the gun impervious to Mother Nature’s worst moods.

Available in a smattering of big-game caliber favorites, including 6.8 Western, 7mm PRC, 300 Win. Mag., and others, barrel lengths (caliber depending) range between 22 and 26 inches. The X-Lock Scope Mounting System uses four screws per base for rock solid optic-to-receiver attachment, and the short 60-degree bolt lift is fast and efficiently clears large optics. The X-Bolt 2 Hunter Composite Stainless was a no-doubt SHOT Show crowd-pleaser.

X-Bolt 2 Western Hunter LR

If you’re an LR fan, you know. If you’ve never shouldered a Browning Hunter LR model and witnessed its jaw-dropping accuracy, you should. Then, you’ll know and be part of the club. See, it’s that simple.

Arguably the most accurate platform in Browning’s X-Bolt 2 line, the X-Bolt 2 Western Hunter LR features blend-in-anywhere OVIX camo with black accents throughout.

Long-range shooting is all about confidence and know-how. Confidence comes when you shoot a rifle that fits you like a glove. Browning knows this, so the X-Bolt 2 Western Hunter LR features the fully adjustable Vari-Tech stock with black overmolded grip surfaces that ensure a positive feel in any weather.

Engineered for long-range accuracy, the lengths of the sporter contour barrels run two inches longer than standard lengths (to a maximum of 26") to increase bullet velocities. The muzzle is belled to accommodate the more extensive 5/8"-24 suppressor-ready threading. Browning provides a radial muzzle brake and thread protector cap, and an optional Browning Recoil Hawg Sporter muzzle brake for extra recoil and nose reduction is an easy addition.

The X-Bolt 2 Western Hunter LR is available in eight long-range calibers.

Browning Citori 825 Golden Clays Sporting

If your goal is to turn clay discs into puffs of dust and demand attention while doing it, Browning's Citori 825 Golden Clays Sporting is your go-to.

The next evolution in the award-winning Browning Citori line, the 825 replaces the also excellent 725, and SHOT goers gawked at the new clay buster.

The Graco adjustable comb makes it easy to dial-in bead alignment, and the Pro Balance System fine-tunes the balance point to ensure a quick, smooth mount and streamlined swing. The top rib features a HiViz Pro Comp sight and white mid-bead for rapid target acquisition in any lighting condition. A full-width hinge and tapered locking lug design give the over/under remarkable strength and shot-to-shot reliability. Good luck wearing this gun out.

The reduced height of the low-profile receiver lowers the bore line of the barrels to optimize swing and pointability. The receiver design also aligns the barrels with the shoulder to better control felt recoil and minimize muzzle jump for more accurate second shots. You’ll love the Triple Trigger System with three trigger shoes. The top and side ribs are vented, and the durable silver nitride receiver is extensively engraved and accented with gold.

Browning Maxus II Golden Clays Sporting

If you’ve yet to shoulder a Maxus II model, do yourself a favor and solve that problem. While most think of a proven waterfowl window-maker when they hear the Maxus name, for 2025, Browning adds a Maxus clay crusher to the mix. Dubbed the Maxus II Golden Clays Sporting, this tried-and-true gas-operated autoloading shotgun balances like a dream, swings with elegant grace, and looks like it should reside in a gun museum, not a safe.

The walnut stock with a close radius grip features an adjustable comb for just-right eye-to-rib alignment, and the vented top rib has a HiViz TriComp fiber optic sight with a mid-bead. The nickel-plated receiver with scroll engraving and gold accents pops, and the Pro Balance weighted magazine cap fine-tunes the balance point. This aids in that perfect shoulder and swing every shotgunner craves.

Total Barrel Dynamics optimizes pattern density. The proven Invector-Plus choke tube system allows easy choke tube swapping for tricky target presentations. The Lightning Trigger boats an ultra-rapid lock time. Comfortable and ready to help you dominate the competition, whether it be friendly or for a spot on the podium, the Maxus II Golden Clays Sporting delivers.

Stay tuned; part II of Browning's top-tier SHOT Show Dominators is coming soon.