New marlin 30-30 twist

[Junior1942]

The new Marlin XLR 30-30 has 1 - 12 twist and Ballard rifling. The 24" barrel would have to go if I bought one, but that's nothing a hacksaw couldn't cure.

[6pt-sika]

The new Marlin XLR 30-30 has 1 - 12 twist and Ballard rifling. The 24" barrel would have to go if I bought one, but that's nothing a hacksaw couldn't cure.


I'm telling ya that 24" barrel works pretty darn good in a treestand !

Don't matter which one you use 30-30 , 308 , 444 or whatever they all handle pretty decent in my treestands :drinks:

[Junior1942]

I wanted you guys to see the possibilities of the new cast friendly Marlin 30-30.

[softpoint]

I have the gun you are talking about. Cut the barrel to 20", recrowned, installed wild west trigger, weaver 2.5x scope. I haven't gotten the cast bullet results yet that I want, but I've only tried one bullet, 180 grain rcbs flat point. So far, best groups have been around 1.5" at 50 yards. I haven't given up on her yet, just haven't had the time to play that I'd like

[GabbyM]

What's the story I hear that the "deep cut Ballard rifling" is only .003" deep?
Was wondering if that was the norm or just their tolerances short changing the unlucky few?

[6pt-sika]

I bought one of the 336XLR's in 30-30 about 3 years ago . Now I have never shot cast in it , but it sure likes the Hornady rubber tipped stuff as well as both weights of Wincgester Silvertips .

When I bought the rifle I also purchased a brand new Leupold VX1 3-9 the same day and mounted it in Leupold bases and rings .

I took it to the range later with a box of each of the Silvertips and Hornady LE . The rubber tipped stuff shot in 3/4 inch at 100 yards and the other two stayed around the 1" mark .

Now true you can probably do better with some handloads . But for a factory untuned rifle with factory ammo I thought that was pretty decent to say the least ! And lord knows I do not do my best work on paper with a 9x scope .[smilie=1:

[6pt-sika]

I might add I have since bought and tried all the other XLR's . The 444 and 45-70 I have tried handloads in and gotten very nice results (not cast but jacketed).

And since then I have tried the Hornady rubber tipped in the 35 REM , 308 Express , 444 , 45-70 and 450 . And strangely they all sot quite well . As a matter of fact I have pretty much decided to only shoot the Hornady rubber tipped stuff in these finr rifles .


Now on a side note ! When I got the 308MXLR I also ordered a 308MX which is the same thing pretty much except in blued and walnut with 2" less barrel . Anyway out the box the 308MX outshot the 308MXLR by about half an inch at 100 yards .
My 308MXLR out the box was shooting about 1.25" at 100 yards until the barrel lapped itself in ! The 308MX shot the first 3 shots out the barrel at 100 yards with an 8x scope into a tiny bit under 3/4's of an inch .
Now another thing to take into consideration . When I first got the 308MXLR it was july of last year and hot ! When I first got the 308MX it was late october and a good bit cooler ! Not sure if that had a whole lot to do with it . But the carbon steel barrel seemed a good deal "more ready" then the stainless barrel right out the box !

The others were pretty much like the 30-30 and fell on in there right off the bat .

So whether these are normal or should be expected results I do not know . They just happen to be what I have seen "so far" :drinks: