A good buddy asked me two years back why I thought Browning hadn’t come out with a new rifle lineup in a few years. Before I could answer, he followed his own question: “I mean, ya, they keep adding different X-Bolt builds, but it’s been a while since they have come out with a newly branded line. That's what I mean.”

We sat high atop a canyon, the early September sun baking us. I was about to answer, but something tickled my ears. It sounded like a bugle. Snapping my Leupold's to my eyes, I spied a bull trolling behind a cow at the canyon’s bottom.

The bull was over 700 yards away and on the move. My buddy, though, is a shooter. With his X-Bolt Speed LR chambered in 28 Nosler nestled into his pack, the trigger broke. The bull humped up instantly. “Hit” was my call. The second round did the trick. The bull took two more steps and toppled over.

My buddy was delighted, and while my timing may have been wrong, I looked at him and said, “Ya, too bad Browning doesn’t add a newly branded rifle lineup each year. It must stink having to rely on that tried-and-true rifle.” 

He laughed, and when we walked up on the bull, the pair of 700-yard bullets were centered in the lungs, about two inches apart.

I’m thrilled you can visit Browning's website to learn about or go to your local dealer and still purchase multiple X-Bolt models. I’m also thrilled that Browning did add a new rifle line for 2024. However, because the X-Bolt is forever rooted in bolt-action rifle lore and because Browning knows what a remarkable rifle it is, they simply branded the new lineup the X-Bolt 2. I love it!

However, just because the new line features the same first name, don’t think Browning rested on its laurels for a second. The X-Bolt 2 lineup is teaming with all-new features. For this article, though, we will focus on the redesigned receiver, bolt, and DLX Trigger.

I recently returned from a fantastic trip to the Dark Continent. I took Browning's X-Bolt 2 Pro McMillan SPR Carbon Fiber chambered in .300 Win. Mag. Over eight hunting days, I harvested 10 big-game animals. I’d call that a successful field test.

If you’ve ever operated an X-Bolt, you know how smooth the bolt is. After spending time behind these new X-Bolt 2 makes, I can testify that the new receiver with added bolt guidance surface area makes the process even smoother. There is zero binding; the bolt glides effortlessly and requires very little force to work.

As with the X-Bolt, rounds are fed from the center of the magazine directly into the chamber to minimize the damage to the tip of the projectile.

I love a rifle that reduces recoil, allowing me to stay in my optic, and a bolt that cycles quickly and fluidly to make a rapid follow-up shot if necessary. That's why, years ago, I started shooting an X-Bolt — for the short 60-degree bolt lift. Naturally, I got a bit paranoid when I heard that a new X-Bolt was in the works because I didn't want to lose this feature.

Fortunately, the only thing that changed on the bolt of the new rifles are the bolt knobs. The new designs are more ergonomic and comfortable in the hand.

In addition to faster operation, the short 60-degree bolt lift makes scope-mounting effortless. The worry of the bolt handle or my hand contacting the scope body is all but eliminated. I topped my X-Bolt 2 Pro McMillian SPR with Leupold’s VX-6HD 3-18x44 for my Africa adventure. This is a large optic but mounting and bolt clearance weren’t issues.

As with the previous generation, the bolt is machined from a chunk of solid steel bar stock and a trio of locking lugs maximize strength and boost precision. The new bolt knob on the X-Bolt 2 Pro McMillan SPR Carbon Fiber is more ergonomic than ever. I love the machining that reduces weight and provides a positive grip when worked.

I should note that, while in Africa, I harvested a gemsbok from 327 yards with Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR chambered in 6.8 Western. Like the Pro McMillian SPR Carbon Fiber, the X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR features the redesigned receiver but has a slightly different bolt handle and knob than the Pro McMillan SPR Carbon Fiber. While still ultra-ergonomic, the Speed SPR bolt knob lacks lacks the machining. Instead, it has a rounded, triangular shape that feels great in hand and promotes sure cycling.

On the final evening of my African adventure, I glassed five red hartebeest bulls grazing along the bottom of a rocky canyon. My PH (Professional Hunter), Charl, and I were atop the canyon, and the terrain, mixed with the fading light, meant there was no time to get any closer.

From a prone position, my first shot rocked one of the giant bulls. The bull stumbled backward, then turned and faced me head-on. Before Charl could tell me to hit the bull again, I’d cycled another round and put a 195-grain bullet square in the middle of the bull’s chest from 500-plus yards. When you can stay locked in your scope while you smoothly chamber another round, grab a breath, and put another bullet on the mark, shooting confidence pumps through your veins, and you know you’re shooting a truly superior rifle.

Another X-Bolt 2 feature that proved its salt and trumps the previous three-lever Feather Trigger, is the all-new, adjustable DLX Trigger. All X-Bolt 2 rifles come standard with the DLX Trigger. Wide and sporting perfect curvature, the trigger piece perfectly falls into the index finger’s first knuckle. The trigger ensures zero creep, zero take-up, and zero overtravel. Browning ships all X-Bolt 2 hunting models with the trigger set at approximately 3-1/2-pounds. However, the trigger can be adjusted as light as 3 pounds. This multiple-lever trigger design ensures sear weight and trigger movement mirror one another for consistent, clean trigger breaks every time.

This is the type of trigger you need to shoot to fully appreciate, and the trigger, along with the redesigned receiver and bolt, are but a few of the features that make Browning's X-Bolt 2 a must-have bolt-action rifle that will fill the freezer and make hunting dreams a reality.