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

Taurus 66 Combat
Taurus 66 Combat

Review: Taurus 66 Combat Revolver

Taurus’ new 66 Combat shows that even revolvers can get with the times.

New For 2026: Silent Steel USA Streamer Series PCC Suppressors

If there are two things that are popular in the firearms world right now, it is suppressors and pistol-caliber carbines (PCC). Silent Steel USA has both bases covered with its new Streamer Series PCC suppressors.

The Armed Citizen® March 30, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Colt Canada Awarded Contract to Modernize Canadian Service Rifles

Colt Canada has been awarded a $273 million contract to modernize Canada's fleet of military rifles through the Canadian Modular Assault Rifle Project.

First Look: KA-BAR Slabby

Few proprietary eponyms in the knife world are as well-recognized as KA-BAR, the combat/utility design originally requested by the U.S. Military during World War II and used with success by countless troops in conflicts since.

American Fowlers: The Colonial Longarm for Hunting & Home Defense

In colonial America, it was firearms from other countries that armed soldiers, but for most of the civilian populace, American-made fowlers fit the bill.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.