Just in time for the 2023 buck hunting season, we have already tested a promising rifle/optic combo for you. This combo is interesting for the hunter in many respects, because you can use said rifle all year round. This applies to classic deer and red deer stalking, but also to wild boar hunting – and even for the challenging movement hunts in the fall. Our test rifle team also cuts a fine figure during stalking. The BRX1 from Beretta has arrived on the market as an ultra-fast, affordable bolt-action. On the shooting range, the rifle/optic combo described in more detail below already convinced us. You can find the report here. We at all4hunters/all4shooters.com now had the opportunity to test the BRX1 with a riflescope, the Four Xe 2.5-10x50 from Burris, in conjunction with the Steiner Nighthunter C35 thermal clip-on while hunting deer and wild boar.
Beretta BRX1, a modern, fast straight-pull rifle for raised hide, stalking and movement hunting, tested with the compact Hausken SK156 MKII XTRM silencer
The huge advantage of the BRX1, in addition to the fast repeating action, is that you can use this rifle as a right-handed, but also left-handed shooter without restrictions. Meanwhile, the straight-pull rifle from Beretta is available in 3 barrel lengths: with 51 cm barrel length in .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield calibers, with 57 cm barrel in 6.5 mm Creedmoor, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and .300 Winchester Magnum; in .300 Win. Mag. it is also available with a 63 cm barrel. The smooth and reliable action functionality coupled with excellent accuracy and a very good price-performance ratio, make the Beretta BRX1 a very attractive option for anyone looking for a reliable and fast universal firearm. You can use the rugged straight-pull rifle very well in almost all hunting scenarios.
The test rifle: we used the BRX1 variant with a 57 cm barrel in .308 in the field. Due to the long barrel, onto the muzzle thread of the BRX1 we fitted a Hausken's SK156 MKII XTRM silencer, which is relatively short by design, for sitting in tight raised blinds. Although we still had to be a little careful with it for space reasons so that we didn't bump into anything, we were more than impressed by the handling and the shooting performance while hunting. Among other things, we were able to score a one-two when driven hunting roe deer, albeit with a longer silencer. This is, in addition to the fast repeating, certainly also credit the shooting skills of the shooter.
Hunting wild boar with the Burris Four Xe 2,5-10x50 and the Steiner Nighthunter C35 on the Beretta BRX1
The Burris Four Xe 2,5-10x50 is by its construction a typical riflescope for raised hide hunting (here you can find our detailed presentation of this and other riflescopes from the Burris Four Xe series). It is reasonably priced and offers an illuminated reticle in 11 brightness settings. The scope still performs well enough in twilight to be successful in hunting. We used the Burris Four Xe 2.5-10x50 in combination with the Steiner Nighthunter C35 clip-on for night hunting after our evening deer stalking. And this combination has also impressed us almost 100 percent. Why do we say "almost"? Especially when using thermal imaging clip-ons, parallax compensation is useful so that the reticle can be refocused in the optic. The primary optics then show their advantages to the maximum in combination with the thermal imaging clip-ons. The huge advantage of the Steiner Nighthunter C35 clip-on is the ability to film the hunting situation and ultimately the killing process. Especially when the hit is not where it should be, you have the opportunity to reproduce what happened afterwards and, if necessary, you can instruct the tracker optimally on the basis of the video.
A good combo – Beretta BRX1 and Sako Powerhead Blade lead-free hunting cartridge
At all4hunters.com we have already reported about the Sako Powerhead Blade rifle cartridge many times. Nevertheless, we would like to recommend this lead-free cartridge to you once again, because we have only had good experiences with the Powerhead Blade in almost all situations. Even when hunting roe deer and wild boar, Sako's ammunition in .308 Winchester fully convinced us, which is certainly also due to the innovative design of its bullet construction. The new Powerhaed Blade bullet is a solid copper bullet in which the expansion architecture, expansion serrations, expansion chamfer and stabilization grooves are made in a complex manufacturing process. Together with the plastic tip starting the expansion, the Blade thus has 5 stages of effectiveness. Even at low impact velocities, the bullet expands safely. At distances up to 200 meters, you will always achieve a good effect on medium-weight game. The prerequisite, of course, is a clean shot. The energy loss from 100 meters to 200 meters distance is moderate at -18.25%, so that 2,353 joules of bullet energy still arrive at 200 meters and achieve effect.
For more information on the Steiner Nighthunter C35 thermal imaging attachment and the Four Xe 2.5-10x50 riflescope, visit the product page from the Steiner webpage.
The ballistic data of the factory loads in all available calibers of the Sako Powerhead Blade can be viewed on the Sako website.
