Too often in the outdoor world, manufacturers release a new product to release a new product. They begin to feel the squeeze to trump a previous model, and things get rushed. Often, the product has a fancy new name but significantly few purposeful changes or innovative technologies. That’s a swing and a miss.

In 2008, Browning revolutionized the rifle industry by introducing the X-Bolt. This rifle offered many innovative new ideas and kept performance-enhancing features from the A-Bolt like the unique 60-degree bolt lift that provided hunters with ultra-fast cycling and ensured that bolt operation didn’t interfere with larger optics.

Of course, the quick bolt throw wasn’t the only feature that made the X-Bolt unique. Other things like the three-lever Feather Trigger, Inflex Recoil Pad, and detachable rotary magazine were coveted by the rifle masses.

For 16 years, Browning has continuously enhanced its X-Bolt line by adding new members to the family each year. From the Speed to the Composite Hunter to the Pro McMillan Long Range SPR, Browning has consistently created an X-Bolt for every hunter and every hunting situation.

The X-Bolt is forever rooted in legendary rifle lore. Browning knew if they were to develop an X-Bolt 2.0 model, it would have to be better than the original. Browning couldn’t simply give the rifle a new name, shave an ounce here or there, and call the new gun a massive leap forward in shooting performance.

That’s why Browning took their time — repeatedly going to the drawing board and lab. That’s why Browning developed the new-for-2024 X-Bolt 2 series of rifles piece by piece, part by part. The result is a rifle series that offers more advantages over the original. Loaded with features, including the customizable Vari-Tech composite stock, Browning’s new X-Bolt 2 is a winner.

X-Bolt 2 rifles have many purposeful features. Rather than cramming too much intel into a single article, we will dive into various technologies and features that make the new X-Bolt a must-have over several articles to provide you with more information on why we did what we did.

Enter the Vari-Tech Composite Stock.

“When we sat down and started looking at creating a new rifle, we wanted the stock to offer multiple adjustments so shooters could make changes and increase their accuracy and shooting comfort,” said Browning Design & Analysis Engineer Robert Maughan.

“One of my big concerns was I didn’t want to add things that would make our classic bolt-action look — a look hunters love — too tactical. I wanted to keep the clean, sleek look X-Bolt rifles are known for,” Maughan continued.

Not wanting to have buttons, levers, or knobs sticking out of the stock, Maughan and the team gave the rifle an adjustable comb that puts the working parts inside the stock.

“We knew the design wouldn’t be as quick to operate as some others out there, but we listened to our customer base and figured the inside-the-stock design would be best,” Maughan said.

“There is a bit of a misconception about making comb height adjustments concerning the Vari-Tech. You don’t have to remove the recoil pad. The recoil pad has three holes in it. The small hole accepts a 2.5mm Allen wrench, and when inserted, the wrench reaches the screw to adjust the comb. You will need about 20 rotations to start making up/down adjustments, but when the comb height is set to your liking, insert the wrench and lock everything down. We wanted to develop a simple but effective system with fewer working parts and be able to deliver it to our customers at a reasonable price.”

The length of pull determines if a firearm will fit you correctly. LOP (Length of Pull) is the distance from the trigger to the end of the recoil or butt pad. Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Speed ships with a 13-5/8-inch LOP, and that LOP allows for 1/2-inch adjustments up or down from 13-5/8.

“You will need to remove the recoil pad when adjusting the length of pull,” Maughan added. “Take off the recoil pad and the butt-plate, and you can remove all the spacers or add all four. Like all the adjustments, making LOP changes is very easy. Each spacer measures 1/4-inch thick.”

Most X-Bolt 2 rifles ship with two grip options — sporter and vertical — another shining example of Browning’s desire to give shooters more personal customization options. Both grips have a rubber over mold that feels great in hand. The rubber over mold increases control when wet, and swapping out grips isn’t too tricky.

“I think lots of people get intimidated about swapping grips in and out,” Maughan said. “I think it’s because the action has to come out to swap grips, but the process is simple and not something anyone should shy away from.”

“There is no screw that is visible to swap the grips out. Again, we wanted a clean and sleek look. The screw is under the tang of the safety. Remove the two screws from the action, pull it out, take the grip screw out, swap grips, and put the action back in. The process is very elementary.”

Thin and tapered to perfection, the X-Bolt 2 fore-end showcases rubber over mold to boost grip in the hand and in the shooting sticks. However, there’s more to this fore-end in terms of personal customization than meets the eye.

“Inside the fore-end are actually three holes,” Maughan said. “One of the holes is pre-drilled and holds a sling swivel. If the shooter wanted, the other two could be drilled out to add a Picatinny rail or Arca-Swiss rail.”

“We tried to think of everything when creating the Vari-Tech stock. We added 1/4-inch to the recoil pad over the standard X-Bolt for increased recoil reduction and so much more. A comfortable stock with this many purposeful features boosts shooting accuracy and overall confidence.”

That’s the 411 on Browning’s new Vari-Tech stock. If you haven’t sent lead downrange with one of Browning’s X-Bolt 2 makes, do it soon. Like their predecessors, this fine lineup of rifles will be an instant classic.