Gun Of The Week: Winchester XPR Stealth SR

by
posted on June 30, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Winchester Repeating Arms has quite a reputation for building innovative bolt-action rifles. Of course, Winchester was the maker of the “Rifleman’s Rifle,” the Model 70, and while the company still makes Model 70s and other legacy designs, today’s XPR, as you see in this video, is the next step in the Winchester bolt-action line.

First and foremost, Winchester offers its XPR Stealth SR in a short-action configuration, which offers 10 chambering options, from .223 Remington all the way up to the hot and heavy 6.8 mm Western cartridge. The sample you see here is chambered for the latter. Winchester’s 6.8 mm Western has been dubbed "The Ultimate All-Around Long-Range Hunting Cartridge." We’ve found it to be exceptionally capable.

Left side of the Winchester XPR Stealth SR rifle, showing a green stock and a Leupold riflescope mounted.

American Rifleman’s Kelly Young noted, “[The] 6.8 mm Western adds ballistic performance—both externally and terminally—that the .277 caliber has never possessed before.” And in Winchester’s XPR Stealth SR, a compact and fairly light configuration, the 6.8 mm cartridge pairing makes for a heavy hitting short-action rifle capable of harvesting big-game anywhere. But if you want a more traditional short-action cartridge, Winchester has you covered there, too.

At the heart of the XPR Stealth, you’ll find a machined steel receiver. It comes with a black Perma-cote finish and is topped with Talley’s Picatinny scope rail. Inside you’ll get a large-diameter chrome-moly bolt with a body featuring a nickel-teflon coating. This makes it slick, which is easier to clean and faster to operate. Additionally, that large bolt size works well in conjunction with its three-lug bolt-head to reduce the effort needed to cycle the action, which we’ve found to be much faster than traditional two-lug setups. You’ll also get a polished chamber with the XPR to improve reliability and function.

Right side of a black Winchester XPR Stealth SR rifle shown with a suppressor attached.

Attached to the receiver is Winchester’s 16.5" barrel. It, too, is finished in black Perma-Cote and comes threaded and capped. There is also a recessed target crown, and it is important to note that the barrel is button rifled and free floating for great accuracy.

At 36.5" long, the XPR Stealth Suppressor Ready rifle’s compactness makes it an ideal backcountry stalker. And creature comforts and patented upgrades add to the overall user experience of the system. With it, you’ll get sound ergonomics with a squishy Inflex recoil pad and molded-in texture panels.

On the range, we found the XPR Stealth SR is quick to shoulder and smooth to operate. The gun’s 6.8 mm chambering has significant muzzle blast from the relatively short barrel, which would make for a great foundation to add a suppressor. A mounted can will reduce expanding gasses exiting the muzzle, reduce shooter fatigue while on the range and soften the pounding on ear drums when in the field or target-shooting. Our testers particularly enjoyed the detachable box magazine and M.O.A. trigger, which is adjustable for overtravel and pull weight. All told, the XPR Stealth SR presents value added to an otherwise solid system that both enthusiasts and hunters alike will find is a lot of fun to shoot.

A man aiming the WInchester XPR Stealth SR downrange, with his finger near the trigger.

Winchester XPR Stealth SR Specifications
Importer: Winchester Repeating Arms
Action Type: bolt-action, centerfire, repeating rifle
Chambering: 6.8 Western
Receiver: steel
Barrel: 16.5", button-rifled, steel; Perma-Cote black finish
Stock: black composite
Sights: none; drilled-and-tapped
Trigger: adjustable
Magazine: three-round detachable box
Overall Length: 36.5"
Weight: 6 lbs., 8 ozs.
MSRP: $729.99

Latest

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.