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We put the Beretta BRX-1, Beretta’s first-ever bolt-action rifle, to the test. See how this straight-pull hunting rifle performs in the field.
When Beretta said they were building their first bolt-action rifle, we were curious. When they added a straight-pull action and the promise of quick, modular re-configurability, we were downright eager. The BRX-1 isn’t a reinvention of the wheel — it’s a modern hunting rifle built with a few clever solutions that solve real problems out in the field. We spent a season shooting it, carrying it on hunts, and handing it to buddies of different skill levels to see how it behaved under pressure. Here’s what we found.
Fit and feel of the BRX-1 are generally excellent. Beretta uses what they call a “high-performance polymer” for the stock — it’s not cheap plastic; it feels dense and well-engineered, and the negative comb keeps your eye low and helps tame muzzle rise.
The length of pull is adjustable with stacked ½” spacers. We removed a spacer to achieve a 13.5” LOP, and the system is simple enough to tweak as you’re setting the rifle up to fit. Grip pieces are modular, too — the rifle ships with a traditional, less-vertical hunting grip, but swapping it for the optional vertical/closed grip (a small $23 item) made a big difference for our purposes, with improved trigger reach.
One small but brilliant touch is the ambidextrous bolt knob. It swaps sides quickly, so a right-handed person can hand the rifle to a lefty and be back in business in seconds. For families or guides who share rifles, that flexibility is huge — and frankly, a neat engineering solution that we haven’t seen much of elsewhere.
Beretta markets the BRX-1 as the fastest manually repeating platform thanks to the straight-pull bolt. That’s an accurate marketing line in one sense: there’s no lift and then rearward stroke — you pull straight back and push forward. It cycles quickly and cleanly, and the ergonomics are satisfying. But in practice, with how smooth modern traditional bolts are, the speed difference isn’t dramatic for most hunters. What you do get is a predictable, low-profile motion that reduces the chance of the bolt handle striking an optic — and for some shooters, that’s worth the price of admission alone.
A note on cheek weld and the bolt’s travel: With a higher cheek weld, the bolt can come uncomfortably close to your face while cycling. I almost whacked myself a couple of times! An adjustable comb would help, but that likely complicates the straight-pull geometry. If you like a high cheek position, test your scope-eye relief setup before committing — a scope with a touch more eye relief can mitigate the issue.
Beretta makes a bold claim: the BRX-1 is designed and built to deliver sub-MOA performance. In our early testing, we didn’t quite hit that threshold.
Using Sako TRG target rounds during sight-in, we recorded approximately 1.1 MOA.
With Sako PowerHead Blade hunting loads, we achieved a 1.16 MOA five-shot group. Not bad — very good for a hunting rifle — but not the guaranteed sub-MOA we were rooting to see out of the box.
That said, practical results matter just as much as bench numbers. During deer season, I dropped a coyote at 200 yards off sticks with no difficulty, and a friend — a novice shooter — took his first ever deer at 185 yards with the BRX-1; the animal ran only about 50–60 yards before expiring. Those are the kind of field confirmations that turn a rifle from a tidy bench tool into a hunting workhorse.
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With a rifle this modular, it’s worth the time to find a load that will produce sub-MOA groups — but even without searching for the BEST shooting factory load, we found the BRX-1 to be precise enough for practical, ethical hunting out to the ranges most of us need.
After shooting through one of our famous factory load testing videos, we did find the Hornady Precision Hunter 143 grain load to provide the tightest groups. The groups we were able to get were very impressive! Once again, this proves the importance of finding the load that your rifle likes the most.
The single-stage trigger is adjustable via three factory weights (2.1, 2.6, and 3.3 lb). Ours measured a little over 1 lb 6 oz and felt smooth with a clean break — we didn’t notice any troublesome creep.
The flush 5-round detachable magazine is another small but meaningful win: easy to load, easy to seat, and high-vis so you can find it if you drop it in the brush.
What we didn’t love: the safety. It has three positions (safe, bolt-operable/no fire, fire). However, it felt stiff and clunky compared to the buttery controls of some rivals. In high-pressure or quick-reaction situations, you want safety to be second nature — and this one took practice to become easier to handle.
Additionally, a few users have reported occasional instances where the action didn’t immediately return to battery; we observed the action correct itself after a moment, but it’s something we’re continuing to monitor.
Lastly, getting the bolt to close quietly can be tricky — Robbie reported a metallic “click” when trying to close the bolt softly, which isn’t ideal for close, silent hunting scenarios.
One of the BRX-1’s most significant selling points is flexibility. The Picatinny rail is integrated directly into the barrel assembly, and Beretta’s overall concept is a rifle that can be reconfigured for different calibers and missions while keeping optics mounted and zeroed.
We haven’t performed a full caliber swap from 6.5 CM to .300 Win Mag ourselves yet, but the thought of one rifle doing double duty for pronghorn and elk is attractive if you don’t want to maintain multiple dedicated rifles.
MSRP lands around $1,600, with street prices hovering near $1,500. That’s not cheap — you can buy several very accurate, proven bolt rifles for under $900. What you’re paying for with the BRX-1 is modern engineering, modularity, and unique features (straight-pull, ambidextrous bolt).
If those are things you want, the price is reasonable.
If you’re only chasing the cheapest path to sub-MOA bench numbers, older designs from Sako or Tikka might be a better fit.
Q: What calibers does the BRX-1 come in?
A: .308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .300 Win Mag.
Q: Is the bolt truly ambidextrous?
A: Yes — the bolt knob swaps sides quickly so the rifle can be used right- or left-handed without buying a dedicated left action.
Q: Does the BRX-1 come threaded?
A: Yes — our 6.5 CM test barrel is threaded ⅝-24.
Q: How many rounds does the magazine hold?
A: The flush detachable mag holds five rounds.
Q: Is the trigger adjustable?
A: Yes — single-stage with three weight options (2.1, 2.6, 3.3 lb) and it’s straightforward to change.
Q: Is it sub-MOA out of the box?
A: In our initial testing we did not consistently get sub-MOA — best groups so far were ~1.1–1.16 MOA. We’ll do more load testing and report back.
We walked away impressed. The Beretta BRX-1 brings real innovation without feeling gimmicky. It’s a finely crafted, thoughtful hunting rifle that suits shooters who want a versatile, shareable platform and appreciate the convenience of a straight-pull action.
If you’re a lefty or you regularly share a rifle, the ambidextrous bolt alone makes this worth a look.
If you want absolute, guaranteed sub-MOA out of the box for a bargain price, there are other options — but the BRX-1 is not trying to be “just cheap.” It’s trying to be modern, adaptable, and reliable in the field — and in our experience, it succeeds.
The only reason we wouldn’t give the BRX-1 a full 5/5 rating is simply due to the price point. There are several rifles we’ve reviewed (in video and on this site) that demonstrate similar sub-MOA accuracy at a lower price.
Once again, the answer we found is..."It Depends!"
Robbie has enjoyed the outdoors since he can remember. His earliest memories include hours upon hours of squirrel hunting and learning how to enjoy all aspects of hunting season in God's wonderful outdoors. Now he is always working hard and testing gear in the field to give you the best review and most thorough information he possibly can.
As you read this article, please remember that this review is from your average, everyday shooter's perspective. We do not claim to be experts by any stretch.
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