Browning X-Bolt Eclipse in 243 Win

Browning is not a company to rest on their laurels as their latest bolt-action rifle the X-Bolt attests to. I believe it was in 2008 they launched this alternative to their somewhat quirky A-Bolt, I got the chance to go to Poland and shoot boar and deer with the Hunter version in 270 WSM that year. Problems with over enthusiastic customs officers at Krakow airport aside, it was a great trip and soon after I had added this model and calibre to my collection.

There is a massive range of choices on the X-Bolt and the last one I tested was the GRS-stocked version. This not only offered the superb Norwegian designed adjustable laminate stock but also a heavy fluted barrel. Chambered in 243 Win it was a nice gun, though let down a bit by its heavy trigger. This did seem at odds with the guns precision bias. In keeping with Browning’s apparent drive to keep expanding the choice I have here the rifle I saw at the IWA this year.

ECLIPSE

The X-Bolt Eclipse is probably best described as a lightweight, thumbhole (TH) hunter. I do like TH stocks as the extra control offered by their thumb-through design also offers a large and near upright pistol grip and a higher comb that promotes good stock-weld and eye/scope alignment.

The furniture on the Eclipse does not disappoint, made of black/grey laminate length of pull (LOP) is 14” including the thick, Inflex-style recoil pad. The roll over comb shows a significant cheek piece and gives a solid and comfortable head position. The grip is slim-medium with a right hand bias and shows no chequering.

The furniture moves on with a substantial amount of laminate around the action that tapers slightly to the forend tip. It’s quite round in section so fills the supporting hand nicely with a long panel of chequering from 4 to 8 o’clock for near the full length of the forearm. QD sling studs are fitted as standard.

Taking the action out of the stock shows a substantial and professional looking bedding job. Browning have for many years offered factory-bedded actions, which originally were acceptable but a bit light on compound; not something you can say about the Eclipse.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

The X-Bolt is hardly a new design anymore but Browning is to be congratulated on taking the best bits of the A-Bolt then adding new touches. The most obvious being a proper, detachable box magazine system and much preferable to the A-Bolt’s weird drop-down floor plate that held a removable box mag. The curiously twisted yet ergonomic bolt handle with flat knob remains as does the tang-mounted safety, this is a real boon as it gives easy operation with little disturbance to the shooting hand. It pushes forward to FIRE (red dot exposed) and reverse for SAFE, here the bolt is locked.

However at the base of the bolt lever is an unlocking button, so even with the gun on SAFE you can open the bolt if required. From the box the X-Bolt has always come with their 4-screw X-Lock bases. The Eclipse goes one better as it is fitted with a full set of X-Lock, Talley 30mm rings. The bolt locks by three large lugs that give a low 60° lift angle of the cock-on-opening mechanism, a cocked action indicator tab protrudes from under the shroud. The bolt face is fully enclosed and shows a sprung plunger ejector so kicking out the empties is not an issue!

The magazine is all polymer and shows an integral release catch at the front. It’s a rotary design and in standard calibres offers a capacity of 4+1, or three in wide-bodied numbers like the WSMs. The tester came in 243 Win, which will give me the chance to check out their new, 58-grain Varmint X ammo. Another new feature, which will now be standard on all new X-Bolts is the Super Feather Trigger.

LIGHTER, CRISPER & BETTER!

There’s absolutely no substitute for a good, predictable trigger and the new Super Feather unit is excellent for a factory offering, certainly solving the horrible pull on the X-Bolt GRS. It comes pre-set at 2.6 lbs and offers a crisp and short release with no take up or slack. By comparison it’s also better than the original Feather mechanism on my old X-Bolt Hunter. The gold-plated blade is smooth and wide and set in a very large guard, so operation with gloves on is not a problem.

In 243 the Eclipse shows standard sporting profile barrel that’s lightly freefloated into the forend, I would have liked to have seen a bit more clearance around the tube as there’s no reason not to! The 22” button rifled tube comes threaded as standard 14x1mm (no spigot) with a 1-10” rifling twist and target crown. Metal finish is matte black and it weighs 6.7 lbs (unscoped).

The Hunter model is available in the following calibres and barrel lengths: 25-06/24”, 270 Win/22”, 270 WSM/23”, 30-06/22”, 300 Win Mag/26”, 300 WSM/23”, 308 Wmn/22”, 7mm Rem Mag/26” and 7mm-08/22”. The heaviest guns are the Win Mag and Rem Mag at 7 lbs 8oz.

22” is a good bet for the 243/308 Win and 7mm-08 Rem but I don’t think that it suits the 270 or 30-06 that well and I would have also liked to have seen at least a 24” on the 270 and 300 WSMs. That aside this 243 version feels nice and handles very well and the grey/black furniture blends well with the matte black barrel/action.

SETTING UP

I have been using the new Javelin Super Lite bipod from Spartan Precision Products a lot since I tested one last month, so I put it on the Eclipse with the flat RAP (rifle adaptor plate). So keeping the rifle as light as possible unless needed. The scope was a first too as it’s the new Minox ZE 5i 2-10x50 with illumination on a 30mm body tube, this brand is now being distributed by Garlands. Ammo went to four different brands of Winchester – Super X 80-grain soft tip, 100-grain Power Max protected hollow point (PHP) that old standby 95-grain Ballistic Silver Tip (BST) and the new 243 Varmint X load with its 58-grain BT. A moderator seemed like a good idea so on went an aimZonic Cyclone reflex from Alan Rhone.

The magazine loads easily enough though the single, central feed means rounds are pushed in base-first from the front, no big deal! The ejection port is not massive but certainly bigger than the slim slot of a Sauer 202, so enough room for single loading or dragging an errant round or case out.

SMOOTH OPERATOR

Feed and function were good with smooth cycling and positive ejection throughout. Plus the Inflex recoil pad (as it does on my 270WSM Hunter) really soaks up the kick. I’m not saying the 243 is heavy in that department, but in a light rifle with a slim pad it can be noticeable. This of course also promotes better gun control and maintaining the target.

I have always found 243 Win to be very barrel length sensitive and consider 22” as the absolute minimum length. Go much lower and even the 95 and 100-grain loads can slip into sub-1700 ft/lbs country making them not even legal for roe deer in England and Wales. As can be seen accuracy was acceptable to good, with the lighter Varmint X proving most capable, not surprising as the calibre does seem to do better with this sort of fodder in general.

For deer my choice would be the 95-grain Ballistic Silver Tip, though many 243 users favour something around the 75-80-grain weight. I think the Super X SP might prove a bit destructive on body shots. The Varmint X is purely for fox or head neck shots on muntjac or CWD and I will be giving this one a full test soon.

Overall a good rifle, with a number of useful features and really nice stock! I am not sure how well the X-Bolt does in the UK, but they seem keenly priced and certainly work and I would say if looking for a new bolt-action centrefire they are well worth consideration.