Shane Hunts on the Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed

Shane Hunts posted this long‑term review in May 2026. He bought his Browning X‑Bolt 2 Speed in .308 two years ago, did an unboxing and test shoot back then, and now reports on two years of hunting it “through pretty treacherous Canadian conditions” in Alberta. He’s upfront that he’s a fan. If you want a video that talks you out of this rifle, he says “you should go find another video.”

I Think You Should Get A Browning X‑Bolt 2 Speed Watch on YouTube — Shane Hunts.

Start with his one complaint. “First things first, this gun is loud.” Every X‑Bolt 2 Speed ships with a muzzle brake, and he says his ears are “a little bit extra sensitive.” The brake is threaded, so you can take it off or run a thread protector, but he reviews the rifle the way it came to him. He calls the brake “my literal only qualm with this rifle.” His accuracy story didn’t start well either. With the first three loads he tried, he says he was “kind of disappointed,” and a lot of commenters told him “those groups are brutal.” On a second range trip he tried more ammo and says his results got much better, with Federal Premium Barnes TSX 165 grain the load he settled on. Those groups are his, with his ammo and his rifle, not a promise from us. The unlock button that lets you cycle the bolt with the safety on is “a nice to have, not a need to have” for him, since he’s used it “four or five times” in two years.

Then what he likes. After two years in “hail, sleet, snow,” he says “This thing is still brand new,” with “no dings or dents or marks” on the OVIX camo and no scratches on the fluted barrel. He says the recoil pad “does an incredible job,” and he calls the rifle “light as a feather.” He remembers Browning listing it at 6 lb 12 oz, and with his own scope and low rings it weighs 7.75 lb on his scale. He’s carried it “literally hundreds of kilometers through the Alberta back country.” On the trigger, “Every single trigger pull that you have is the exact same,” and he has “Nothing bad to say about it at all.” The comb and length of pull adjust, and with his fitted to him he says “it’s like made for me.” He says “That bolt is so smooth” and that it “only has gotten smoother.” The slim magazine sits flush and gives him four in the mag and one in the chamber. He adds a warning worth repeating: “Make sure that you check your regulations.” He also likes that the safety is quieter than the one on his Tikka T3.

His bottom line is that he “would buy this gun a million times out of a million.” Specific claims in the video are his, not ours.

Here’s our take. This is one owner’s review of one rifle he bought and hunted for two years. That’s more time in the field than most reviews get, but it’s still one rifle, one shooter and the ammo he picked. If muzzle blast bothers you, plan around the brake before you buy.

You can order the same model and caliber he shoots from us, the Browning X‑Bolt 2 Speed in .308 Win, OVIX camo with Smoked Bronze Cerakote and a muzzle brake. We can’t confirm his barrel length from the video, so we won’t call it his exact rifle. The scope in the video is his own and isn’t included. Complete firearm. Indiana FFL transfer through Wulfy’s. Ask us for current fees.