NRA Gun of the Week: Browning X-Bolt Pro McMillan Long Range

by
posted on September 3, 2021
** 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. **

The Browning X-Bolt Pro McMillan Long Range, chambered for .280 AI, is a rifle outfitted with features and accessories that are conducive for the repeatable accuracy that long-range hunting and target shooting requires. Treated with Cerakote’s Carbon Gray finish, and adorned with a premium McMillan stock, this latest X-Bolt rifle is one of Browning’s top-tier offerings.

right side camouflage rifle bolt-action text on image noting "Browning X-Bolt Pro McMillan Long Range"

At its heart is an X-Bolt series receiver that internally offers a three-lug bolt with spiral fluting on its body and handle. A Cerakote finish covers the bolt and action, as well as the company’s air-gauged and skip-fluted 26” steel barrel. The gun’s overall length comes to just under 47” and comes in at a combined weight of about 7.5 lbs., which is a lot of gun in a fairly lightweight arrangement.

right side bolt-action receiver and stock camouflage paint gun

Browning supplies a 20-m.o.a. canted rail with an integrated bubble level atop the X-Bolt Pro receiver, which is a handy indicator for maintaining proper rifle position while sighting those distant, hard-to-reach targets. Included with the package from Browning is the company’s Recoil Hawg muzzle brake. Our experience on the range found the device to be an effective design, thanks to its gas-dampening baffles and ports.

rifle bolt-action underside action receiver gunstock camouflage magazine gun parts

Included with the X-Bolt Pro McMillan Long Range is Browning’s well-regarded Feather Trigger system, an adjustable design that comes factory-set to break at 3.5 lbs. A lightweight polymer magazine comes standard, too. Though, unlike traditional leaf-sprung magazines, the X-Bolt magazine is designed to feed cartridges directly in-line with the bolt rather than an offset configuration, thanks to the internal, rotary design.

rear view of man wearnig glasses and earmuffs shooting bolt-action rifle target shooting gun text on image noting "remote camera"

Watch American Rifleman staff in this latest NRA Gun of the Week video to see the Browning X-Bolt Pro McMillan Long Range rifle in use.

Browning X-Bolt Pro McMillan Long Range Specifications
Importer: Browning
Action Type: bolt-action, centerfire rifle
Chambering: 
.280 AI (Ackley Improved)
Receiver: 
steel
Barrel: 
26" steel
Magazine: 
four-round detachable box
Sights: 
none; 20 m.o.a. Picatinny rail
Finish:
 Cerakote Carbon Gray
Stock: McMillan Game Scout, Sonoran Carbon Ambush finish
Overall Length: 46 3/4"
Weight:
 7 lbs., 7 ozs.
MSRP: $2,630

Latest

IHTOG French MAS49 1
IHTOG French MAS49 1

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49

Despite being early adopters of several semi-automatic rifles for military use, the French army took several decades to work out a standardized semi-automatic rifle for general service use. The rifle that finally came to being was the MAS-49.

Polite Society Industries Launches with Complete Suppressor Line

"An armed society is a polite society," goes the famous quote, which is also the inspiration behind Polite Society Industries, a new suppressor manufacturer that now has a complete line available to consumers.

NRA-ILA Names Smith & Wesson Official Partner of the 2026 NRA Gun Bus Battleground Tour

Iconic American firearms maker Smith & Wesson will join NRA-ILA on the road as nation's leading firearm group turns out voters ahead of the 2026 midterm.

A New Armed Citizen Survey That is Endlessly Fascinating—and Politically Incorrect

The 2026 National Firearms Survey conducted by William English of Georgetown University estimates that armed citizens in America use their guns 2.2 million to defend themselves or others.

Review: Heckler & Koch VP9CC

HK’s new VP9CC offers VP9 features in a micro-size pistol.

Former Barnes Bullets CEO Randy Brooks Passes Away

Randy Brooks, former president and CEO of Barnes Bullets, passed away on Aug. 27 peacefully in his Mona, Utah, home.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.