Still got the Marlin X7 then, Lad. I expected you would move it along in your endless quest for the perfect rifle.

My daughter and I still have ours and we feel it's just one of those rifles that should be resurrected and made available again...
ha ha! apologies mate i didnt see this post until just now-
I sure do still have the Marlin X7, it was up for Sale prior to moving to New Zealand however no one was keen on it---i think i even had it priced with the vx2 x50 leupold scope on it !!
So that was a Suprise for sure, however No one wanted the T3 9.3x62 either..... they are a big calibre back home and i think magnumitis and huge bore diameters are slowly fading out!! which is what i preech a little of so no worries there!
IF that X7 was a .270 winchester I would of bought it over to NZ without a Doubt- however the majority of animals i am hunting here are small Goats / small deer with the exception that i run into a Proper Red Stag.... unlikely..
I left that good ol Kimber montana (7-08) back home for this Trip and 3 months in I dont regret that just yet as the Mossberg is doing it job and there is potentially a Chance to bring the Montana back around April - so as to use it as its intended purpose, "goat/sheep rifle" .. cant say the Mossberg is tooo heavy though, certainly not Howa heavy etc... the Zeiss ontop is likely adding a few extra weight if anything..
The endless quest for the perfect rifle has well an truely come to a stand still with my money goin into this NZ expedition however i do hope to lose 1 or 2 in coming months (above mentioned 9.3 /3006) and if the Kimber comes across the ditch then i'll move off my MP 270 aswell!
however those exceptions start to creep back in...
from here on in i will be back to hunt specifically on various trips back to NZ in future an that will be easier to bring a home rifle- keeping in mind i didnt arm myself for a good 2 months from being here as storage was an issue for me.
Enjoy that gun mate! I absolutly feel you on that last comment- It just does what its intended to do, no fuss. its boring but i like it.
cheers
WL