I peered through my Leupold scope at the buck, his black nose gleaming in the evening light. He faced me, antlers a bit wider than his ears, tines tall and curving. My crosshairs twitched rhythmically over my heartbeat, finally steadying on that black shiny nose. I squeezed.
“Hohh! Hey look at that, check it out through the spotting scope. I just shot a one-hole group!” I spoke to everyone and no one in particular as I stared at the bucks’ forehead through my riflescope, three shots forming one ragged hole through the paper. Oh, yeah, I neglected to mention that the buck was made of paper. Not having a proper target to perform accuracy testing on I was making do, using that shiny nose as a precise aiming point.
The Winchester XPC is well-suited to distance work.
ACCURACY
That was the best group I got, but almost every 100-yard group I shot with the Winchester XPC was under an inch. I had no caliper with which to precisely measure an average group size, nor did I have multiple ammo brands and types to test. But the load I did have – Winchester’s XP 125-grain Deer Season – grouped very well off of a sleeping bag rest and the pine needle-covered forest floor that served as my shooting station. The gun was fast and fun to shoot with its over-sized bolt knob, modular stock, and short barrel.
OBSERVATIONS
A bit of a departure from Winchester’s classic line of rifles, the XPC is a member of their XPR family of bolt-action long-guns. It’s currently offered in .308 Win, .243 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor (as tested). While not a firearm that I personally would choose for a big game rifle, it adeptly answers today’s call for modular precision firearms. Heavy it is, but steady also, aiding in rock-steady shooting from a variety of positions. The rifle is well suited for precision shooting, varmint and prairie dog hunting, and distance work.
SPECS:
- Cartridge: .308, 6.5 CM, .243 Win.
- Capacity:5+1; 10+1
- Barrel length: 20 in. (.308); 24 in. (6.5 & .243)
- Overall length: 44 in.
- Length of Pull: 13.75 in.
- Weight: 10 lbs.
- Stock: Composite
- Receiver Finish: Matte blued
- MSRP: $1,599
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The fit and finish on the XPC were solid and should hold up well to whatever you may through at it, be it a backcountry excursion or letting lead fly at the range.
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The modular stock has two Q.D. cups to aid quick sling use.
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***Check out the Cartridge Showdown — Does .30-’06 suck?***
The foundation of the Winchester PRC (the “C” stands for chassis, by-the-way) is the machined alloy chassis frame. A fully Cerakoted MagPul Gen 3 PRS stock supports length-of-pull as well as comb adjustment, making the rifle easy adjust to match to personal fit and style. The barrel is factory threaded for a suppressor or other muzzle device and features button rifling and a black Permacote finish. The receiver itself is steel, also finished with black Permacote, and drilled and tapped for scope mounts. Speaking of scope mounts, the rifle comes standard with a 20-moa rail factory mounted atop the action. A full-length Picatinny rail extends along the top of the forearm, making it easy to mount accessories.
The detachable magazine, large bolt handle, pistol grip, and modular platform of the XPC makes it ideally suited for many of today’s precision shooting disciplines.
The M.O.A. trigger system on the rifle is clean and crisp. My trigger gauge was 855 miles away during testing, so I can’t say exactly what the trigger broke at. My guess would be about 3.5 lbs. The action is smooth, and the large bolt handle makes for fast cycling. The bolt itself is large, features three heavy-duty lugs, a 60-degree bolt lift, and a smooth nickel Teflon finish. I did have a couple misfeeds, where the bolt failed to pick up a fresh cartridge. I don’t know the cause (perhaps a magazine issue?) but it’s likely an easy fix.
A quick flick of the finger will activate the mag release, located at the front of the trigger guard.
According to Winchester’s spec sheet (the rifle didn’t come home with me, so I can’t verify the specs), the XPC weighs in around 10 pounds, with an overall length of 44 inches. Barrel length on my rifle was 20 inches, and twist rate varies according to caliber. The magazine you use determines capacity; the rifle comes with a 5 and a 10 round magazine. MSRP comes in at just under $1,600.
Lasting Impressions
The Winchester XPC is an accurate, smooth functioning, modular rifle well-suited to today’s demographic of precision shooters. With all the new introductions at SHOT of detachable-magazine shotguns and chassis rifles, the Winchester XPC is well-suited and priced to be on a lot of hunters and long-range shooters wishlist.
For more information about Winchester rifles, click here.
my grandson is an avid hunter and he told me that he has killed two elk and 5 deer with his 6.5 creedmoor. when i asked how far they went after he shot and he said they went down on the spot. i recently read an article about some hunters from the u.s. who had gone to scandinavia on a moose hunt carrying 30-378 magnum rifles. the locals all had 6.5 x 55 rifles and could not understand why anyone would want to carry cannons just kill a moose they got quite a laugh at the americans and their cannons. you think i have already said this . i won’t bother trying to comment on anything that you write about!!!
Hahah – Excellent point-!
*Exactly is the case[pun intended].
6.5 bullet has a perfect sectional density and ballistic coeffiency- not requiring a huge case + powder charge.
My personal choice is the 6.5×55 Swede and feel its superior even to the Creedmore for various reasons.
Mainly tho its the angled case [w/larger base then the Mauser platformed U.S. cartridges]requiring the same for the shape of the chamber= yielding easier extraction esp if somehow stuck.
Also the powder ignition being wider at the base narrowing as it moves forward- more evenly in its burn rate out as it expands- forcing the bullet into the Swedes barrel [w/super fast rifling]- on an even keel not requiring higher speeds to have incredibly flat trajectory + penetration as a result.
Scandinavians also use the 6.5×55 Swedes to kill both Polar + Brown bears – since 1894 = hard to beat a perfect design in caliber, cartridge and barrel; and the rifle itself is a handcrafted work of art and smooth as silk.
my grandson is an avid hunter and he told me that he has killed two elk and 5 deer with his 6.5 creedmoor. when i asked how far they went after he shot and he said they went down on the spot. i recently read an article about some hunters from the u.s. who had gone to scandinavia on a moose hunt carrying 30-378 magnum rifles. the locals all had 6.5 x 55 rifles and could not understand why anyone would want to carry cannons just kill a moose they got quite a laugh at the americans and their cannons.
So, this rifle is worth at least 3 times what a “normal” Savage 110 would cost, which would deliver comparable accuracy? Not to me………
Bill, you may be right about that !
Cost Count, and Savage rifles are not slackers. So maybe this is better suited to those who have $$ to spare…. and in that case I might like some variety too but where is the 300 win mag version? On days when the wind blows even a little, heavy 30 cal bullets just fly better
…OR UNLESS Marksmanship skills and ethics is not in the equation. Everybody needs to be more concerned with their ‘skills’ at ethically taking ANY game versus playing the one-shot kill game. A certain number of hunters generally rely on a larger caliber to “do the work” for them, instead of putting the time in on the range dialing the rifle AND themselves in as a unit.
What’s Funny is that you don’t find any 6.5 CM Hunting Videos on YouTube… Why is that I wonder? Is it the Fact the 6.5CM is destiny is just a Range Gun since it doesn’t have the KNOCK DOWN Power that is needed to take down Large Game? And that it Destroys too much Meat on Small Game? Make you wonder…
I have taken quite a few deer with my 6.5 and that is an old swede loaded to light pressures and all were one shot kills, with more velocity I would say the Creedmore is going to a better job than that, but it is hard to do better than one-shot kills. Tell the northern europeans that there 6.5’s aren’t good on large game and they will be surprised because they are pretty sure they shot a lot of moose with there 6.5 x 55’s some loaded to modern pressures.
A member at my gun club shot a nice 8 point this year walking directly towards him. The shot was made with a .243 loaded with a 95 grain Barnes, and his trail camera captured a photo of the buck as he went up on his hind legs, and ended up on his back. It sure wasn’t because of kinetic energy, but the photo was proof that White Tailed Deer don’t need to be shot with a 7mm Rem Mag. or larger caliber. Just a “Well Placed Shot”.
You must not have done any YouTube searches then… Because there’s lots.
It’s painful how there is simply no creativity and every manufacturer copies every other manufacturer’s gun designs.
All three of those calibers will EASILY one shot kill any game on this continent. I shoot a 6-284, that is a 284 Winchester necked down to 6mm with a 85 grain bullet, and easily kill any large game with one shot, and they drop in their tracks. None of these animals have made a single step after the single shot. You don’t need a large caliber unless you are shooting in heavy wind.