Marlin's new levergun: .308 Marlin Express

Marlin Firearms ^ | 1/07 | n/a

[headstamp]

You really won't regret getting it provided you know it's limitations (like any round has) and the 336 Marlin is a handy, well made, lever gun.

It's one of the first rifle rounds I ever reloaded for.

In my Contender carbine and pistol and the 336, I've dropped a number of eastern woods whitetails from 30 to about 130 yards and never felt lacking in the power/accuracy department. Are there "better" rounds? Sure. It's basically the whole "package" in the case of the 336 lever gun that sells it to me. The Contender has strength limitations, efficiency considerations to be dealt with and the 35 Rem is a very good cartridge in them within those parameters.

Have Fun and good luck with your choice.

[headstamp]

The .264 (6.5mm) caliber really "stacks" it's momentum. It's a long bullet in a particular weight. Sectional Density in spades. Truly a crossover varmint to deer round with proper bullets.

This is why the 6.5 JDJ is one of the most popular/desirable Contender pistol wildcat rounds out there.

The 260 finally brings an Americanized 6.5mm (necked down 308 Win, necked up 243 Win) in the medium power range to the table.

[river rat]

Yep....no doubt the Ruger Old Army can handle the full charge ...

I'm simply cheap and don't want to use more powder than necessary to hold zero and punch a hole through the paper at the range.

I "filled er up" when we went after hogs with black powder...
I no longer hunt....but still love to shoot, and do so!

GET BACK OUT TO THE RANGE..... THIS SPRING- PROMISE YOURSELF.

Semper Fi

[river rat]

"I understand if you use self-rising cornmeal that the gun shoots high."

Roger that!

It's also a well know fact, that YELLOW corn meal veers to the LEFT.

Semper Fi

[FlyVet]

GET BACK OUT TO THE RANGE..... THIS SPRING- PROMISE YOURSELF.

Sir, Yes Sir!

(Well, at least you got me thinking about it now.)

[FlyVet]

The 260 finally brings an Americanized 6.5mm (necked down 308 Win, necked up 243 Win) in the medium power range to the table.

I think so. When I lived in Maine I hunted deer with my .243. Although I never got a shot, I visited a deer camp where there was a deer hanging from the rafters that dressed out at 240, so about 300 on the hoof. I looked at my little .243 100-grain round and thought, "Nope, not enough for that horse." But, that long 6.5 bullet would be just fine.

I remember the old Finn Aagaard tales of people taking elephants with the 6.5 x 55. Of course they were expert shots and put it right in the ear hole. But, the 6.5 has a reputation for unworldly penetration. In the .260 Remington, 1500 ft/lbs. out to 250 yds, so adequate for elk out to that distance and anything but grizzly to ranges beyond, with low report and recoil. An amazing cartridge. "Sweet spot".

[river rat]

Hell, I just noticed you're in Arizona.......unless you're at elevation, you don't NEED to wait until Spring...

You could shoot on the next clear day.

Semper Fi

[FlyVet]

You could shoot on the next clear day.

Yeah yeah I know I know. If I wanted guilt trips, I'd talk to my mother!

Cheers.

[Beagle8U]

"Depends on how much difference "about the same " means to you."

Yes, that is true and ballistics is something that can always be debated.

I read the link you posted and it is good solid information.

However, both the 30-30win. and 35 rem. produce nearly twice the FPE required for deer sized game at 100 yds with factory loads and it is unclear how much difference 200-300 FPE will make in that situation.

I will say that a handloader can bump the 35 rem up to 220 grain bullets and gain 50 grains over the 30-30. That would be an advantage for black bear.

The 35 rem. cartridges will likely always be available in the future but if you get to your hunting camp and realize you forgot to pack your ammo, the general store in Podunk may well not have them.

The 30-30 cartridges are available most anywhere ammo is sold.

Pluses and minuses to everything. Thats what makes talking guns interesting.

[absolootezer0]

Ah. Because if it shoots std .308, some fool will load it with FMJ .308 and blow the mag, the forestock, their arm, their ears, etc.

nope. marlin actually made a (semi) solution for that a long time ago. there's a pop off cap at the end of the tube. a chain fire will blow off the cap, you can pick it up, put it back together and go back to shooting.
also, when hornady came up with the leverevolution they actually tested how hard it is to chainfire. with modern, hard rifle primers, you have to really try to set them off.

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks for the tip. This thing is in great shape, however, it is 50 years old now.

[xarmydog]

Post of the day!I had to laugh especially about rapid fire with junk guns.Last time on the range,I may have ran into this guy!He inherited his father's gun collection,which there were some nice ones,but he felt a need to shoot them all,and if he could have,would have fired them all at the same time!He made me nervous right off the bat when he carried them from his car stacked like firewood.No cases of course.He took a spot right next to me,so I moved.I was trying to sight in my 30-30,and 22 rifle,as I had the lens replaced in my right eye and needed to know where I was at.The other people at the range I think wanted to use him as the target!He was very careless and I reported him to the range monitor.I am not the type to rat someone out,but he laid his guns down facing me WAY to many times without clearing them.

[beltfed308]

having a .340 Weatherby Magnum taught me that.

I never had any problem finding some.

[Poser]

I hope the ammo is blunt tipped.

[Abathar]

I never seem to have any luck. I usually buy it on line, but when you run out finding it locally around here in Indiana is a joke.

[headstamp]

Would you figure something like a Nosler Partition in the 260 for elk, big bodied deer?

[OKSooner]

Marlin's a company that has an identity and knows it. While everyone else is making the popular cnc-machined bolt guns, semiautos, and handguns, which are all honorable things, Marlin continues to make its living on mostly rimfires and lever-action centerfires.

Unlike another historical name that just went TU, Marlin understands that in order to make a 19th century product succeed in the 21st century, there must be innovation along with it.

I'm happy to see it. It's almost enough to make me want to run out and buy my first lever gun.

[FlyVet]

You would definitely want a premium bullet like the Nosler, since the .260 would be bare minimum for elk, I would think. There are a lot of good premium bullets nowadays. Some don't like the Nosler because sometimes the front end breaks off at the partition, leaving less mass to penetrate. I've heard the Barnes x-bullet doesn't have that problem because it is solid copper, and Swift premiums also have a good reputation for holding together. I'm not an expert on the subject.

[ezo4]

Most people buy a bolt rifle to shoot 308 ammo and a Marlin to shoot 45/70.

you got that right.

[jeddavis]

One thing they usually don't tell you at gun stores is that something like 90% of all actual killing of game animals in North America is inside of 100 yards. ASSUMING you're not trying to kill something 300 yards away, the 45/70 is vastly more lethal than any 30 caliber rifle including the ones with higher ballistics. The mildest 45/70 smokeless ammo available for a 45/70 will simply drop anything in North America and if you start loading the stuff up with 420 grain hardcast bullets, you can kill elephants and rhinos with it.