Bill Pool and I had a similar experience with our varmint rifles. Pool, owner of Arkansas Gun Traders in Benton, is an accomplished gunsmith, an avid target shooter and an ardent prairie dog hunter.

This makes the X-Bolt Speed SPR appealing as a varmint rifle, a combination varmint/big game rifle, or a dedicated big-game rifle. The barrel length and weight vary from 18 to 22 inches and from 6 ...