Has anyone out there had the opportunity to shoot the new .308 Marlin Express? If so what did you think of it? I'm thinking of buying one but can't decide whether or not I should wait for the XLR with the 24" barrel, or take the Model 336 with 22" barrel. Feedback would be appreciated.
.308 Marlin Express
- Thread starter Big Game
- Start date
gonecountry
CGN Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I have no idea yet. But a friend of mine was gonna call SIR and order the blued 22inch model yesterday. I dont know how he made out but if they had any in stock I might be able to tell ya in a couple weeks
Might be a good choice if you are really into tube mags and lever guns. Otherwise, get a cheaper-and-easier-to-feed and ballistically superior 30-06 or 308 which you know will still be around with factory ammo in 10 years. If the 307 Winchester didn't make it, the 308 Marlin Express won't either.
BTW, the 307 is still commercially available, and quite common out here in the east.. not like a 308, but not scarce as hens teeth. its a rimmed 308... same dies etc...
What makes a 308, or 30-06 easier to feed in a lever rifle? afterall, this is what the discussion is about right? Can you please show me where i can find an XLR in 30-06?
How is the 308 ballistically superior to the marlin express round?
The 7mm weatherby never really took, so the 7mm rem mag shouldnt either...
love the logic...
Id still like to see some load data for the 308 Marlin. If in fact they used some sort of 'light mag' powder to acheive the ballistics, what will it do with handloads with regular powders like 4895 etc?? Will it be a 30-30 that just makes more noise?
It has slightly less than 10% less case capacity, and is .115 shorter than the 308 win... They apparently used newer progressive powders, but didnt say whether they were comercially available (30TC powders arent) an average of 40 FPS isnt a loss worth noting IMHO... Its a ballistic twin to the 307, but in a smaller case. I think it might be a bit tricky to load for, but I guess we'll have to wait to find out...
.308 Marlin Express Feedback
I think that what really has me intrigued with this calibre is the fact that it is being loaded in lever revolution ammo. I kinda like the idea of using a lever rifle, and having the availability of a better round for it. I'm just not sure I would be compromising the added performance of these bullets by going withe shorter 22" barrel.
I think that what really has me intrigued with this calibre is the fact that it is being loaded in lever revolution ammo. I kinda like the idea of using a lever rifle, and having the availability of a better round for it. I'm just not sure I would be compromising the added performance of these bullets by going withe shorter 22" barrel.
I was real close to buying one myself but went to the Kamloops HACS gun show in April and found a beaut Savage 99c in 308 and promptly forgot about it-especially since it was half the price. Less than $400 for a lever 308 with a clip( oh pardon me -magazine). I phoned around some shops in BC and nobody had ammo and were not sure they would get any. 308 however got picked up at the show for $18 a box of 165gr Remmies. Shoots real nice too.
The thread is about big game calibers, not just lever guns. If you want to shoot a lever gun, Browning makes a pretty darn good one in .308, 30-06, 7mm rem mag, etc., etc,... Never mind all the Savage 99s and Winchester 88s. Each and every one of these calibers is ballistically superior (ie. flatter shooting, harder hitting), than the 308 Marlin express. Plus in order to get the published velocities for the caliber, you've got to shoot the marlin in a 24" bbl configuration, which isn't very handy to lug around all day. The easier to feed part is due to the availability of 270, 308, 30-06 ammo anywhere. Good luck finding Leverevolution ammo at home hardware.
As I said in my post, if you love leverguns 'cause they're leverguns, get the marlin express, shoot it, and enjoy it. I love leverguns and have two marlins that are very nice to carry and shoot. But I accept their limitations as requiring flat nosed bullets and shoot within those limitations. However the 308 marlin express is being touted as flat shooting, high performance, when in fact it is inherently handicapped by only one bullet type (Leverevolution) and pressure limited by the the strength of the marlin action relative to a bolt action. Nothing wrong with the .307 either, but they are rare out here in the east ( I have only seen two), and are no longer manufactured. Clearly they didn't sell well. Not a good choice unless you are a fan of the caliber or a handloader.
I seriously doubt that a caliber which can only muster close to the performance of a 308 under optimal conditions in a 24" tube is going to set the world on fire, particularly when fed premium leverevolution ammo which is not universally available and impossible to duplicate due to no availability of components.
As I said in my post, if you love leverguns 'cause they're leverguns, get the marlin express, shoot it, and enjoy it. I love leverguns and have two marlins that are very nice to carry and shoot. But I accept their limitations as requiring flat nosed bullets and shoot within those limitations. However the 308 marlin express is being touted as flat shooting, high performance, when in fact it is inherently handicapped by only one bullet type (Leverevolution) and pressure limited by the the strength of the marlin action relative to a bolt action. Nothing wrong with the .307 either, but they are rare out here in the east
( I have only seen two), and are no longer manufactured. Clearly they didn't sell well. Not a good choice unless you are a fan of the caliber or a handloader.I seriously doubt that a caliber which can only muster close to the performance of a 308 under optimal conditions in a 24" tube is going to set the world on fire, particularly when fed premium leverevolution ammo which is not universally available and impossible to duplicate due to no availability of components.
I think the issue here is not that a similar round didnt work earlier, but that the 30 cal market is saturated. Lets just have a quick look at what is currently out there for 30 caliber rounds that are commercially available, as either ammunition, or rifles:
30-30 Win.
7.62 x 39
300 Savage
303 British
307 Win
308 Win
30-06 Sprg.
300 WSM
300 Win. Mag.
300 Weatherby Mag
300 RSAUM
30-378 Weatherby
300 RUM
Now i know i missed at least a couple, but this was off the top of my head. You then throw in the 30 TC, and the 308 ME, calibers which fit tightly in the velocity node of the 308/30-06 area, and you are competeing with the old established boys on the block. I cant see these calibers doing all that well.
I pointed out the only three worth mentioning for your arguement...
The three highlighted in blue have been around for over 100 years (with the exception of the 300 H&H which is 82ish).
These three pretty much reflect the full spectrum of 308 capabilities...
yet, the list above have by an large made it even though these three in blue pretty much cover the spectrum that they all cover. Also, they've have done so for longer than any of us have been alive...
So how did any of the other 308's make it? (or .312's for that matter)
Because they were either cheap, and commercially available in military surplus, or, they fit a niche that someone wanted.
So, lets write it off before it even has a chance to shine, or fit in... If its not your niche, fine, but dont tell me it wont survive because it doesnt do anything different. If marlin markets it propery, it might be no different than the resurgaence of the 45-70... 15 years ago, the Gubment was a niche, now nearly everyone owns one...
Hmmmmmmm....
Lets look at the nices filled then shall we?
7.62 x 39 - Feeds the AK and its variants, very useful for non-NATO nations
300 Savage - Slower than an -06, faster than 30-30, for Savage 99, buried by 308
303 British- Ex-military round of commowealth, common surplus
307 Win- Rimmed 308, for lever guns, next to dead but still in ammo production by winchester.
308 Win-Short action 30 cal, adopted by NATO, common surplus
300 WSM- Standard action magnum perfomance out of a short action rifle
300 Win. Mag.- Cause we need something faster than an '06 and the old H&H just dosent have popularity this side of the pond
300 Weatherby Mag- Fancy guns with radiused shoulders, and a fast 30 cal bullet, what money laden rifleman could resist
300 RSAUM- See 300 WSM, seems to be losing the pissing contest to winchester
30-378 Weatherby- Bigger and faster than the 300 Weatherby, new trend
300 RUM- biggest kid on the block.
Now tell me, where are these new 30's going to find space in the club to fill? Sure, the marlin express may, and i stress the may, take over for the 307 in the way the win mag did for the h&h, but the 30 TC is utterly stoopid IMO.
7.62 x 39 - Feeds the AK and its variants, very useful for non-NATO nations
300 Savage - Slower than an -06, faster than 30-30, for Savage 99, buried by 308
303 British- Ex-military round of commowealth, common surplus
307 Win- Rimmed 308, for lever guns, next to dead but still in ammo production by winchester.
308 Win-Short action 30 cal, adopted by NATO, common surplus
300 WSM- Standard action magnum perfomance out of a short action rifle
300 Win. Mag.- Cause we need something faster than an '06 and the old H&H just dosent have popularity this side of the pond
300 Weatherby Mag- Fancy guns with radiused shoulders, and a fast 30 cal bullet, what money laden rifleman could resist
300 RSAUM- See 300 WSM, seems to be losing the pissing contest to winchester
30-378 Weatherby- Bigger and faster than the 300 Weatherby, new trend
300 RUM- biggest kid on the block.
Now tell me, where are these new 30's going to find space in the club to fill? Sure, the marlin express may, and i stress the may, take over for the 307 in the way the win mag did for the h&h, but the 30 TC is utterly stoopid IMO.
nope, 30-378 is the king
the newly introduced 300 Ruger should be interesting, Gatehouse has one on order
220 swifty, your missing the point... you just literally regurged what you said above.
look back 80 years, everything we NEEDED was allready made than, but the list of calibers you provided AGAIN have all proved that "Need" is far too often overlooked for "want". If enough people "WANT" a TC, or a Marlin express, they will succeed...
Thanks for helping me prove my point...
BTW, I have to harshly disagree with you on the 30TC...
The 30TC is a prime example of what we will see in the next 10 years in this industry. The change in Powders and primers etc is showing that people are catching up on the efficiency bug. (even though its nothing new)
The potential to use the same technology to generate that kind of velocity out of such a smallcase, what does the future hold for the 308, 30-06, even the old 30-30? This is why Im so interested in the 30TC/marlin express. I really could care less if it succeeds, but the technology it represents is what is interesting to me anyway.
look back 80 years, everything we NEEDED was allready made than, but the list of calibers you provided AGAIN have all proved that "Need" is far too often overlooked for "want". If enough people "WANT" a TC, or a Marlin express, they will succeed...
Thanks for helping me prove my point...
BTW, I have to harshly disagree with you on the 30TC...
The 30TC is a prime example of what we will see in the next 10 years in this industry. The change in Powders and primers etc is showing that people are catching up on the efficiency bug. (even though its nothing new)
The potential to use the same technology to generate that kind of velocity out of such a smallcase, what does the future hold for the 308, 30-06, even the old 30-30? This is why Im so interested in the 30TC/marlin express. I really could care less if it succeeds, but the technology it represents is what is interesting to me anyway.
