Extreme Field Test: Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed LR

Browning’s legendary Speed LR lineup gets an upgrade, and the 6.8 Western caliber proves ultra-efficient in the remote mountains of southern Spain.

by Jace Bauserman

There are range tests and field tests. A range test doesn’t mean much if a field test isn’t part of the report. Naturally, Browning’s X-Bolt Speed 2 LR proved effective on the range. I’ve never triggered an X-Bolt LR model that I didn’t slug as a ½-inch MOA rifle. This one, chambered in Browning’s own 6.8 Western, followed suit.

After bore-sighting, it took me two rounds to hit the center of the bullseye at 100 yards. The following three shots produced a nickel-sized group. Hunting is about confidence, and Browning’s LR line delivers confidence in spades.

At the time of sight-in, I didn’t have a pre-cut CDS-SZL2 (SpeedSet Dial) on my Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2, so I went old school. I played. I went through 18 175-grain Browning 6.8 Western Long Range Pro Hunter rounds. Not because I had to but because I wanted to. I like to shoot, and shooting is fun when you’re achieving accuracy and experiencing light recoil.

I wanted to shoot at different ranges and familiarize myself with Browning’s new long-range big-game wrecker. The final two shots banged steel at 800 yards in a kestral-measured 6-mph crosswind.

I could spend the remainder of this article telling you about the Vari-Tech stock, redesigned action, straight rubberized overmold grip, Picatinny fore-end rail, etc. If you want to read about those things, visit Browning’s website. I aim to inform you how this rifle performed on a pair of hunts in some of the most hellish terrain I’ve ever encountered. And if you’re a hunter, the field test trumps the range test.

Across The Big Pond

The anticipation of hunting Southeastern ibex in the southern mountains of Spain was too much. I didn’t sleep a wink the night before the flight. I didn’t sleep on the flight. My eyes were tired and weary when I rested the rifle on the bench at an indoor range in Granada, Spain. Still, from 100 yards, the cold-bore shot cut the upper portion of a dime-sized bullseye.

This is only one reason I have such a love affair with Browning’s LR rifles. Everyone I have shot has always performed brilliantly. Even when tired and weary and 100 percent not on my A-game, I made an accurate 100-yard shot and impressed the outfitter.

Two Spanish men at the range assisting my hunting party were also impressed with the rifle’s accuracy. They insisted I cycle another round and shoot a 300-yard shot. The 300-yard target was connected to a computer, revealing the shot’s location seconds after impact. I squeezed after turning the SpeedSet Dial, which Leupold’s Shawn Skipper provided me with upon arrival in Spain. When the three-lever design DLX Trigger broke, the shot showed a 3 o’clock bullseye on the screen. There was a gasp, and then I heard, “Perfecto.”

Extreme Field Test: Browning X Bolt 2 Speed Lr — No, not the X-Bolt 2 LR, but a prerequisite to any hunt is sigting-in before the hunt begins. I was impressed with this indoor range in Granada.

Instantly, the men assisting us wanted to shoot the rifle. My ammunition supply was limited, but I let them sling a few rounds because they were impressed with the rifle/optic combo.

Guess what? They both shot the rifle remarkably well and asked my good friend, Rafe, where they could purchase the exact rifle in Spain.

Why The Speed LR?

I train year-round to keep myself in the best physical shape possible. I love hunting extreme terrain—the steeper, the better. It’s just how God wired me. The Sierra Nevada Mountain range, at least the part I was hunting, didn’t disappoint. It was hellish.

I have been asked several times why I prefer an LR X-Bolt model when hunting in a rugged country and covering many miles over a shorter bolt-action. Here’s the answer: I prefer the ballistic advantage the extra two inches of the fluted sporter-weight barrel provides. Unless you’re using a scabbard and riding horseback, the two inches don’t create maneuverability issues.

Do you have to slink down a little further when the rifle is slung across your shoulder or lashed to your pack, and you’re going through dark timber? Absolutely. Does the rifle weigh slightly more than a 22- or 24-inch barreled X-Bolt 2? Yes. The Plus Mag adds a little weight, especially if loaded with four rounds in the mag and one in the barrel (check state regs). The small Picatinny rail for bipod mounting on the fore-end adds some mass.

The trade-off, though, is jaw-dropping accuracy. I’m not saying a standard X-Bolt 2 isn’t ultra-accurate. Every Browning rifle I’ve ever shoulder has shot remarkably well. I appreciate that the rifle is specifically engineered to increase long-range accuracy. Those who opt for a Speed LR model have an out-of-the-box platform to set up how they want. You can add the optic and bipod of your choice and have a rifle that will perform exceptionally well.

Bullet speed is maximized whether you’re shooting hand loads or factory loads. The longer, heavier barrel adds stability, whether prone using a bipod or set in shooting sticks. The Vari-Tech stock is ultra-adjustable to ensure precise eye-to-optic alignment. When I tote a Speed LR model into the woods, I don’t hope I will pack horns and meat off the mountain if I earn an opportunity; I know I will. You can’t put a price tag on that type of confidence.

Ibex Hell

The descent was gnarly. Several times, the chalky-white dirt broke loose, causing me to slip and slide. The rifle/optic combo took the brunt of those slight tumbles.

Plus, the terrain was so steep that we often had to inch along on our butts. The rifle/optic combo was pressed against the ground with each butt-scoot.

The final stages of the stalk required crawling through jagged rocks and brushy terrain. The scope and rifle took a literal beating. Still, I never felt the longer-barreled X-Bolt 2 Speed LR was cumbersome or caused maneuverability issues.

The stalk was long, but the moment of truth came quickly. We knew at least one ibex in the bottomless canyon below, but knowing exactly where, when, or how many animals would materialize was impossible. I thought we would have plenty of time, but the second we got into position, an ancient ibex appeared 360 yards across the canyon. I deployed the legs of my bipod and crouched, trying to use the sharp-edged boulder to steady my body. Getting prone wasn’t possible. The ibex was moving and, in another 20 yards, would disappear into a deep crack in the steep-angled canyon wall.

I could have passed the ibex. However, the terrain was so vast and challenging. There was no guarantee another opportunity would materialize on the hunt. I’m confident we would have glassed up more ibex, but glassing them and getting to them in this landscape are two very different things.

Despite my tangled shooting position, I had maximum confidence in my Speed LR. When the trigger broke, I heard the bullet’s impact, and because the recoil of the heavy-for-caliber 6.8 Sierra Tipped GameKing round is so minimal, I saw the Southeastern ibex’s butt hit the ground and faceplant before rolling off a cliff.

The 6.8 Western caliber has the “it” factor. It’s a flat, fast-shooting, low-recoil caliber that hits with an insane wallop. The bullet’s ballistics combine with the X-Bolt 2 Speed LR to create insane accuracy. The radial muzzle brake and all-new 1-1/4-inch Inflex Recoil Pad soak up felt recoil, allowing you to stay in the scope and make a rapid follow-up shot.

Everyone Wins!

I didn’t travel to Spain alone. I went with a group of extremely dedicated hunters whom I blessed to call friends. While hunting ibex, we discovered that my friend’s rifle had experienced an optic malfunction. This is a story for another time, but it was neither the optic nor the rifle’s fault. The problem was a loose dial turret that hadn’t been properly tightened before installation. It was an easy fix, but you can’t sight-in a rifle anywhere in Spain. We weren’t allowed to shoot in the area we were hunting ibex unless the shot was at an ibex.

The easiest solution to the problem was for my friend to shoot my X-Bolt 2 Speed LR. Again, normally, we would’ve re-sighted in his rifle or had him shoot mine a few times to ensure he was comfortable and everything was right. Neither was possible.

A day later another ibex opportunity materialized. The group of males moved from left to right across a steep hillside. Using a tall rock, my friend lengthened the legs of the bipod, settled in, and made a perfect one-shot kill from a standing position.

This situation speaks volumes about the X-Bolt 2 Speed LR. Of course, it’s an excellent rifle, one of the best in Browning’s lineup, but like the 6.8 Western caliber, the X-Bolt Speed LR has the “it” factor.

Why was Michael Jordan just a little better than everyone else? He had what many basketball analysts call the “it” factor. Whether you’re looking to shoot long-range matches, bang steel at extended distances, or hunt big game, this rifle helps you win. The rifle’s shootability factor is off the charts. Case in point: My buddy, who had never touched the rifle before, made a perfect shot on a once-in-a-lifetime animal

Browning’s X-Bolt 2 LR comes in an array of big-game calibers, including: