Posted on 01/07/2007 12:23:12 PM PST by kiriath_jearim
With ballistics comparable to the 308 Win., this brand new cartridge is the highest performance round ever made for a traditional lever action rifle!
Last year, in partnership with Hornady, Marlin introduced the XLR Series of lever-action rifles, built to take full advantage of the improvements gained with Hornadys LEVEREVOLUTIONTM spire-pointed flex tip ammunition.
Teaming up once more with Hornady, Marlin announces the debut of two new rifles chambered for the new Hornady 308 Marlin Express, a hot .30 caliber rimmed cartridge designed for maximum velocity, flat trajectory and smashing downrange energy.
The two models chambered for this round are: the blued 308MX with a 22 barrel and walnut stock, and the stainless steel 308MXLR with a 24 barrel and laminated stock.
Both will be available in Spring of 2007!
NEW Model 308MXLR
Available Spring 2007, this new model will be chambered for Hornadys new ground-breaking 308 Marlin Express. It features a 24" stainless steel barrel, full pistol grip, and black-grey two-tone laminated stock characteristic of all XLR models. Also features the Marlin signature solid-top receiver with side-ejection, adjustable folding semi-buckhorn rear sight, ramp front sight. It is tapped for scope mount.
Caliber 308 Marlin Express
Capacity 5-shot tubular magazine
Action Lever action; side ejection; stainless steel receiver; barrel, lever, trigger guard plate, magazine tube and loading gate. Hammer block safety.
Stock Black/grey laminated hardwood pistol grip stock with fluted comb, cut checkering, deluxe recoil pad; nickel plated swivel studs.
Barrel 24" stainless steel barrel
Twist Rate 1:10" r.h
Sights Adjustable semi-buckhorn folding rear; ramp front sight with brass bead and Wide-Scan® hood. Solid top receiver tapped for scope mount; offset hammer spur (right or left hand) for scope use
Overall Length 42.5"
Weight 7 lbs.
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.
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
Roger that!
It's also a well know fact, that YELLOW corn meal veers to the LEFT.
Semper Fi
Sir, Yes Sir!
(Well, at least you got me thinking about it now.)
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".
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
Yeah yeah I know I know. If I wanted guilt trips, I'd talk to my mother!
Cheers.
Thanks for the tip. This thing is in great shape, however, it is 50 years old now.
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.
I never had any problem finding some.
I hope the ammo is blunt tipped.
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.
Would you figure something like a Nosler Partition in the 260 for elk, big bodied deer?
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.
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.
Most people buy a bolt rifle to shoot 308 ammo and a Marlin to shoot 45/70.
you got that right.
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.
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