Browning X-Bolt Medallion Rifles Make a Beautiful Deer Hunting Rifle

Tight-shooting Browning X-Bolt rifles are stunning with gorgeous walnut and maple stocks.

February 19, 2026 By Haynes Shelton

In a rifle market increasingly dominated by Cerakote finishes, carbon fiber and polymer parts, there’s something timeless about the warm glow of a finely finished wood stock. While modern materials and weatherproof finishes serve their purposes and offer their own great aesthetics, I’ll always be a sucker for a fine wood gun. A deer rifle with a well-finished hardwood stock speaks to tradition and craftsmanship.

Browning understands this better than most. They’re one of the few production rifle manufactures still offering elegant wood stocks on rifles that are reliable, and deadly accurate. Browning’s latest walnut and maple offerings in the X-Bolt and X-Bolt 2 lines prove that these “Modern Classics” (as I call them) are still out there — alive and thriving.

Grade, Finish and Feel

Walnut stocked X-Bolt Medallion — Shown are Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Medallion rifles in walnut. (Photos courtesy of Browning.)

Let’s start with the attention-grabber of these rifles — the wood. Shown in this article are two of my Browning rifles. One is the X-Bolt Hunter Maple and the other the X-Bolt 2 Medallion Walnut. Both are stunning and have well-figured wood with very nice finishes.

My X-Bolt Hunter Maple features a white maple stock in AA grade with high gloss finish (which pairs nicely with the matte black metal finish). The fore-end and grip cap are made from beautiful rosewood, which accents the maple handsomely. Browning’s wood grading system ranges from Grade I to Grade VII, with higher numbers indicating more intricate grain patterns and superior finish quality. The AAA and AAAA grades used in these rifles are among the finest available, selected for both visual appeal and structural integrity.

Browning X-Bolt 2 Medallion white maple — Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Medallion in white maple stock makes for a beautiful rifle. (Photos courtesy of Browning.)

While my X-Bolt Maple Hunter is no longer in production, Browning now offers an even finer option in maple: the X-Bolt 2 Medallion Maple. It features an AAAA-grade white maple stock and is also adorned with rosewood caps at the fore-end and grip. The gloss finish highlights the closed-grain structure of the maple, offering a blonde, to pale brown hue that’s both beautiful and durable.

This rifle is a showstopper. The gloss blued receiver features scroll engraving, and the spiral-fluted bolt adds both visual interest and weight savings. The sporter contour barrel is free-floated and bedded for consistent accuracy, and the radial muzzle brake helps manage
recoil without compromising aesthetics.

Equally as eye-catching is Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Medallion Walnut. It’s built with a Grade III walnut stock, hand-selected for its rich grain and finished in a high-gloss sheen that accentuates every swirl and curl of the wood. Like the Maple Medallion, the Walnut Medallion also features rosewood caps at the front and grip. Traditional point-style checkering is sharp, sleek and ergonomic.

Leupold scopes on rifles — A fine rifle deserves good glass and ammunition. The North American Whitetail TV team trusts Leupold optics and Hornady for those tasks. When topped with load- specific CDS dials, these VX-6HD optics allow the shooter to tap into the full capabilities of Hornady’s ballistics. (Photo by Haynes Shelton.)

Its sporter weight barrel is also free-floated and bedded at the recoil lug and action screws, ensuring consistent accuracy shot after shot.

One of the standout upgrades in the X-Bolt 2 series is the DLX Trigger — a three-lever system that delivers a crisp break with zero creep, zero take-up and zero overtravel. It comes factory-set at 3.5 pounds and adjustable down to 3.0 pounds.

The spiral-fluted bolt not only reduces weight but adds visual interest, and it’s paired with a redesigned receiver (upgraded from the original
X-Bolt) that includes additional bolt guidance surface area for smoother cycling. The bolt knob itself has been reworked into a more ergonomic, bell-
shaped design, making reloads faster and more intuitive.

Safety and reliability are also top priorities. The Bolt Unlock Button, used in conjunction with the top-tang safety, allows hunters to safely check and unload the chamber without disengaging the safety. The short 60-degree bolt lift is one of my favorite features of the action design. It is a dream to cycle and easily clears large optics. Never once have I been unable to work the bolt quickly, or reload for a follow-up shot, even when wearing heavy winter gloves. Browning’s X-Lock Scope Mounting System — which uses four screws per base — ensures your optic stays rock-solid, even under heavy recoil.

In Conclusion

Target showing group from rifle at 100-yards — Browning X-Bolts don’t just look great; they shoot great. This sub-1/2 MOA group was shot at 100 yards with an X-Bolt 2 model in .270 Winchester. (Photo by Haynes Shelton.)

The entire line of X-Bolt and X-Bolt 2 rifles is available in a wide range of short-action and long-action calibers, making it suitable for whatever quarry you wish to hunt. The North American Whitetail TV team has proudly fielded Browning X-Bolt and X-Bolt 2 rifles for years, and our staff has taken its share of free-range trophy whitetails with them. Incredible accuracy, durability and all-star customer service has been the norm for us.

I’m always wondering which of today’s deer rifles will be collectible for future generations. Much like how automobile design has changed and most production cars today look eerily similar, many modern rifles are harder to distinguish amongst their peers. That’s not the case with Browning rifles, though. And for that reason, I think these fine maple and walnut wood-stocked X-Bolts will only grow more desirable with time!