Deer season is upon us in many parts of the country, and plenty of hunters are thinking about putting a new rifle in their gun rack to help them put venison in the freezer and (hopefully) a nice trophy on the wall.

But with so many rifles to choose from, which is the best?

The demanding and insightful editors at Scoutlookweather just conducted an exhaustive and highly objective live fire test of 10 of today’s most popular bolt action deer rifles and as a result they have a strong recommendation for you. It’s the Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed.

The test was as objective as the Scoutlookweather editors could make it.

These were the criteria:

• Ask 10 manufacturers to submit examples of what they consider their best bolt-action deer rifle. Among the rifles tested by Scoutlookweather was the Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed. The other rifles tested were a Weatherby Vanguard Back Country, Winchester XPR, Mossberg Patriot, Nosler Model 48 Liberty, Savage Model 11/111 Lightweight Hunter, Tikka T3X Hunter, Ruger American All-Weather, Thompson/Center Compass and the Remington 783
• Make sure the sample rifle is chambered in 30-06 Springfield, the most versatile and capable cartridge for North American big game. 
• Do the test using the same lot numbers of factory hunting ammo loaded with 165 grain bullets from three different major manufacturers – Nosler, Winchester and Federal.
• Fire three 3-shot groups with each type of ammo from each rifle at 100 yards.
• Run the entire test using one scope from Nikon and move it from rifle to rifle as the test progresses to eliminate any variables in the optics. Laser bore sight each rifle prior to each test.
• Use a standard cleaning technique for each rifle and fire the entire test from the bench using a Caldwell Lead Sled to eliminate as much as possible operator error or shooter-input variations from shot to shot.
• Then score each of the 10 sample rifles on a scale from one to 10 on seven important criteria:  Handling, Accuracy, Ergonomics, Construction and Finish, Durability, Reliability and Value, thus making the maximum possible score a 70.
• Sooooo…let’s cut to the chase.

The Scoutlookweather editors gave the Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed a 65 out of a possible 70 points and had nothing but praise for the rifle. Remember, the Browning X-Bolt has been around for a while and is a rugged, well-proven design, or in the editor’s own words, “…ready to go to hell and back.”

Among the things the Scoutlookweather editors specifically cited were the X-Bolt Speed’s high-performance look and feel that starts with the bronze Cerekote finish on the receiver and fluted barrel, complete with a factory ported muzzle brake. The synthetic stock is dipped in versatile A-TACS camo and has a Dura-Touch coating for a no-slip grip in all conditions. They described the fast 60-degree bolt lift as “…silky” and the adjustable Feather Trigger as giving a “…perfectly clean and controlled break every time.”

And how does it shoot? How about .96” with factoryammo. (That’s under a minute of angle in anyone’s data book.)

Perhaps the highest praise is their conclusion that the Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed is a rifle that you’ll be proud to own and show off at deer camp, and pass along to the next generation.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

You can see the entire line of Browning X-Bolts here on browning.com or visit your local Browning retailer.

Firing his Wildcat’s half-dozen Browning .50 caliber machine guns, Captain Joe Foss scores his first enemy Zero over Guadalcanal.

ScoutLook website:  https://www.scoutlookweather.com/hunting/scoutdoors/posts/5738/ultimate-deer-rifle-field-test-winners

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