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Thread: Marlin model 60 accuracy

  1. #21
    Boolit Master


    kungfustyle's Avatar
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    I taught my daughter to shoot with a 60. Even took it out to 100 yards with an 6" steel gong She hit it 12 out of 15 rounds. Great little gun, we were using Federal Match.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by too many things View Post
    you have a major problem some place
    mine will do dime at 50yds anytime
    ammo could be problem they like federal and rem gold , wildcats and the HV cci it dont like , cci reg is good too. or the reg super X win
    Ditto. Both of mine shoot nickel-sized groups at 50-yards with Remington Golden Bullet or Thunderbolt. The Marlin 60 is really a very accurate rifle, so start digging deeper into yours. Perhaps the action screw is too tight?
    Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory ... lasts forever.
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  3. #23
    Boolit Master

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    The average Marlin 60 is typically quite accurate, but I can tell you that these two specimens are not. I've had them apart and back together checking everything I can think of a dozen times. Logically it seems there has to be something I'm missing, but I've come to the conclusion they are just junk with poor barrels. I've dug as deep as I can stand troubleshooting, wasted a huge amount of time and ammo messing with them. It's not fun anymore and I'm done with them.

    No offense towards the average model 60 which I'm sure shoots like a laser, but these two are junk.

    Sorry, I'm just a little irritated right now.

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy
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    I can relate to your frustration. I have two Norinco,yes Chinese rimfires ,the one shoots nice tiny groups at 50yds,the other would shoot a pattern like a shotgun.Did everything I knew to do.even had a smith run his bore scope down the barrel,nothing look bad to him.

    Finally in desperation, I decided that this gun was of no value to me the way it was, so I sawed 4" off the muzzle with a hacksaw,yea I was upset with this one, re-crowned the best I could ,test fired and no change. Back to the vise and saw again and took 2" more off,and when I ran a cleaning rod with a patch on in from the breech I immediately noticed a tight spot right at the muzzle where I just made the cut,immediately the light bulb came on,there had been a tight spot in the rifling about 6" from the muzzle that was sizing the bullets smaller, and as they went the last 6" down the barrel and exited the muzzle they were wobbling all over the place as they went down range. I may be just lucky ,but I just squared the last cut up with a file as best I could and chucked a 30cal bullet in a battery drill and some valve grinding compound and smoothed up the inside of the cut to resemble somewhat of a crown. Now this Norinco is just as accurate as the other, and is my favorite because of the short barrel. I often pick it over the two Ruger americans that sit beside it in the safe.

    I'm not recommending you take such drastic action,but clean the bore really good then run as tight a patch down the bore as you can get, and see if you can detect a tight spot somewhere between the breech and the muzzle.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    I can keep hitting a golf ball until it's almost too far to see. Finally when the front sight completely covers the small white ball, then the hits get erratic. If I had a scope on it, that range would increase.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    I recently received a email from marlin.
    Been having accuracy issues with the XT22. They replied to my question
    We use remington golden bullets for testing and the XT 22 accuracy is acceptable at 2" group at 50 yards.

    I would think the M60 standards are not any better. The big question is how many and how often do they bother to test.

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Two inches at 50 yards is simply not acceptable. A squirrel's head is smaller than that.
    Since squirrel hunting is the majority of my 22lr use besides shooting paper, that would limit my shots to 25 yards or less. I won't keep a 22lr that shoots that poorly.

  8. #28
    Boolit Bub
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    When you decide to pick it up again, before cleaning, use a bore scope to check the condition of the bore. There may be lead or carbon fouling build up or imperfections in the bore. If the bore is fouled, scrub it clean. It may take lots of time and elbow grease. While cleaning, pay attention to tight spots in the bore (already been suggested above). Once you get it absolutely clean, bore scope it again checking for rough spots, imperfections, etc.

    Bore scopes can be very expensive, but I picked up a 5mm usb camera for about $20 off amazon. It isn't high definition but you can see fouling, rust, nicks, pitting, etc in the bore.

    Headspace might also be an issue or, more likely, too much jump between the bullet and the rifling. If bullet has a chance to enter the bore cocked to once side or another, it can lead to accuracy issues as well.

  9. #29
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    I can't specifically address your issue(s) without seeing your rifles, but can offer the testimonial that many years ago (late '60s) I had a friend who purchased a Ruger 10/22. We went hunting and the fellow was shooting grey tree squirrels out of walnut trees with head shots. I just had to have one, but kept putting it off until the early 1980s, and when I did get one I was badly disappointed in it's accuracy. At the same time the Marlin was being offered at great prices in the chain sporting goods stores and around 1982 I bought one of the Glenfield versions with the acorns and checkering impressed into the stock. The Glenfield shot so well that I immediately sold the Ruger. Yes, I know that there are a myriad of after market accessories with which to make the Ruger a tack driver (less so at the time), but the Glenfield was one right out of the box and I've remained very happy with it over the years. I had several Marlin Mod. 60s come through my shop for repair, and usually they had been owned for many years and never cleaned "I mean really, a .22? Who bothers to clean them?" Usually all they required was disassembly and immersion of the trigger group/firing mechanism in a bucket of solvent and then a good scrubbing with a toothbrush and blowing out with compressed air to be put back into service. Marlin discouraged gunsmiths from working on the trigger group, and there were at least three different versions during the rifle's production span. It is an interesting mechanism, made like a sandwich with the functioning parts between two pieces of sheet metal and pinned together. I did take several apart and replace parts as needed, and in a couple of instances had to cannibalize the parts from models of the same vintage. They're like a Timex wristwatch.....you know the saying. I've got my Glenfield "until death do us part." But, something I was aware of throughout my gunsmithing career was that Marlin's Q.C. was sometimes spotty. I used to get in brand new 336 models with runs and drips in the finish, sometimes a small scratch on the side of the receiver, etc. So I can believe that it is possible that yours went out their door with substandard barrels. Possible. If that is the case, then you might as well get rid of them to someone else, because about the only way you will get a satisfactory barrel is to take one off another rifle, and whether or not the two you have are tack drivers they are merchantable as-is. So, sell them and find a couple that shoot better.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by tazman View Post
    Two inches at 50 yards is simply not acceptable. A squirrel's head is smaller than that.
    Since squirrel hunting is the majority of my 22lr use besides shooting paper, that would limit my shots to 25 yards or less. I won't keep a 22lr that shoots that poorly.
    I agree but its obvious by marlins standards that its perfectly ok . I cant see them doing anything more than batch testing a handful per thousand made. so if you get one that shoots nice your way ahead.

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