Competitors will begin at the same starting point and be given GPS coordinates leading them to a mountainside where a hidden deer target has been placed. The goal is to locate the target and make a clean hit before anyone else.
However, while competitors are searching for the target, the “watcher on the mountain” (Jim and Garrett) will be positioned on the mountain (wearing hunter orange so you know where we are) using spotting scopes and binoculars to try and spot them. If a competitor is seen, they are immediately eliminated from the challenge.
The winner is the first shooter to successfully locate the “deer” and make a kill shot without being spotted.
For Browning Day (taking place on September 25th, 2026), we are looking for 10 participants who own a Browning rifle to come out to the Backfire range and show off their setup. Any caliber or configuration is welcome, as long as it is built on a Browning platform. This event is designed to bring together a range of real-world setups—from factory rifles to lightly customized builds—to see how they perform side by side.
The purpose of this challenge is to create a true community-driven evaluation of Browning rifles. Rather than relying on a single test rifle or controlled lab conditions, we want to gather data from a variety of shooters using their personal rifles, optics, and preferred ammunition. This approach provides a much more honest and representative look at what the average Browning rifle is capable of in real-world conditions.
Participants will put their rifles through a series of practical shooting challenges designed to test accuracy, consistency, and overall performance at distance. By combining results across multiple shooters and setups, we aim to build a clearer picture of how these rifles perform outside of ideal conditions—just like they would in the field.
Whether you’re running a completely stock rifle or a dialed-in hunting setup, this is an opportunity to put your X-Bolt 2 to the test and contribute to a broader understanding of its true capabilities.
