The New! Improved! 308 Marlin

[Bret4207]

The Jan 07 issue of Guns and Ammo has an article on the new "308 Marlin" cartridge and rifle. From what I read it's a shortened 308 maintaining the same shoulder angle, neck length etc. Using Hornady ammo they claim 2700 fps at the muzzle with a 165 gr bullet. Thats factory ammo using "high energy,highly progressive powders that did not exist in the past".

Seems they've recreated the 300 Savage loaded hot. Ho hum.

[C A Plater]

I guess they don't remember the .307 Winchester. Basically a rimmed .308 and 165 grains @ 2700 is pretty much what my .308 does using that new "high energy, highly progressive" miracle powder IMR4064. ;) And just what do they mean by "progressive"? Is it like progressive politicians which used to call themselves liberal but really meant socialist? Does that mean it is a socialist powder and is it going to redistribute my bullets according to need? We live in an age of wonderments. :rolleyes:

[9.3X62AL]

You guys crack me up. So does Marlin, for that matter. Do they dream up this crap to keep the gunraghacks off of welfare, or what? Perhaps--if Marlin was TRULY progressive--they could re-make the Savage 99 in 308 WINCHESTER, or--dare we dream it--358 Win?

I'll shut up, now.

[mtngunr]

I haven't seen the gun or round or article....if it's a levergun, it might be just what folk are looking for, or it might run afoul of what killed the .307, which mainly was more recoil than most folk wanted in a light lever action...also, working against the round, were the bullet limitations leading to not much flatter shooting or range than previous classics....with the plastic tipped spitzers for leverguns, it could offer the performance some seek...and folk are willing to tolerate more recoil today...look at the little Ruger Compact sales, and all the magnums out there.....not saying it will set the world on fire, but there might be a market....me, I'd be happy if they dumped micro-groove in the newer .32-20.....

[NVcurmudgeon]

I saw the "new" Marlin cartridge in Shooting Times. (Yeah, I know, but I take one of what Uncle Elmer called "pulp paper gun magazines" to keep up with the latest whizbangs from the factories.) Looks like Marlin has reinvented the .307 Winchester. Or is it the .300 Savage? Or maybe it's the .30/40 Krag again. King Solomon wrote wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." I'll bet he was commenting on that time back around 1500 BC when Colt flattened the point of the bullet of the .38 Smith and Wesson and "invented" the .38 Colt New Police.

[Marlin Junky]

I can't be too hard on Marlin. At least they still make the best American made lever action rifles ever designed. There's nothing wrong with going after more market-share... perhaps they'll outlast even Remington.

MJ

[Four Fingers of Death]

They are just trying to sell rifles, This will attract people they were previously unable to attract. Most shoters will not have anything to do with a rimmed case, solved that one (we know it is a problem that does not exist, but to some people, it does). Because of it's similarity to the 7.62, they may be able to get a bit of the popularity that invariably applies to ex-mil calibres. It should be a nice cartridge, probably not quiet as powerful as the 307, but it can be sold loaded at full pressures, something the 30-30 can't do (on a big scale) because the ammo maker doesn't know if is going to be sold at Wal Mart or Benny Hasntgottaclue's gun shop and get loaded in a poorly maintained 1894 that was made in 1898 or thereabouts. It should feed as slick as frog snot as well. It will probably get people into leverguns that would not be attracted otherwise. MIck.

[35remington]

If this caliber succeeds where the .307 failed, it will have been due to one thing--a pointy tip on the end of the bullet!

It may be that "long range" in the public perception has everything to do with a streamlined looking projectile. And that those cartridges that don't have one have no chance.

We'll see.

It also brings into question whether the "52,000 CUP" the original .307 was loaded to was as high a pressure as everyone thought it was. Many claim the pressure was as high as the .270's, as it is also listed as 52,000 CUP.
Given that the .308 MX is loaded to 47,000 psi (factory claim) and equals 307 ballistics with a slightly smaller case the answer would have to be "NO."

That pressure is much more in line with what a traditional lever can take.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I hope to be one of the first to own one of the Marlin .308 express 22" blued
(woods rifles). It is the .307 rimmed cartridge with the sholder pushed back
1/10". Loaded with the hornady long ogive 160 (not 165) grain bullet, Hornady states that with a 2" high sight setting at 100yd. it is dead on at200yd, and some 24" low at 400yd. I consider this still a 150-200 yard rifle with iron (peep) sights.
should make a fine all around deer rifle for the area i hunt in Western WA.:-D

[versifier]

It's just another fad cartridge that Marlin can have their very own name on. Gee. We have a full spectrum of .30cal cartridges that will handle anything from mice to elephants. As much as I love the .30 cals, I figure I need this one about as much as I need a second....[smilie=1: ....you know what I mean. Pre-planned obsolescence. What will they think of next?

[35remington]

Well, it does fill a role, in being some 300+ fps faster than the next fastest .30 caliber offered in the 336.

Yes, it is a niche only in a traditional lever, but the gap in available performance is still there. Adds about 125-150 yards to the range of a .30-30, and extra performance is certainly a benefit.

What remains to be seen is if traditional levergun users really want improved ballistics. All the previous attempts have indicated that this is a nonissue in sales, but levers haven't had pointy bullets before. And the pointed LeverEvolution stuff is selling like hotcakes, so who can blame Hornady and Marlin for thinking, "What if?"

[Bret4207]

I hope to be one of the first to own one of the Marlin .308 express 22" blued
(woods rifles). It is the .307 rimmed cartridge with the sholder pushed back
1/10". Loaded with the hornady long ogive 160 (not 165) grain bullet, Hornady states that with a 2" high sight setting at 100yd. it is dead on at200yd, and some 24" low at 400yd. I consider this still a 150-200 yard rifle with iron (peep) sights.
should make a fine all around deer rifle for the area i hunt in Western WA.:-D

And I fervently hope it's everything you hope it will be. Just because I'm a pessimist, I'd recommend buying several hundred cases. Think 5MM Remington, 9mm Federal, 40AE, 8MM Remington, 22 Savage Hi Power, 30 American, 357 Max.... all good ideas and hard to get these days.

BTW- I quoted the "165 gr" bullet directly fom Hackers article. The Hornady ad on the back cover says a 3" 100 yard zero is on at 200 and 6.7" low at 300. If it's all true, (let's se the real life results before we get too excited), thats great. Just about equals my 99 Savage 308. Still ain't as pretty as the 99.

So they shorten the 307 by .115, use the same neck and shoulder angle/length and give it more taper and come up with 10% less capacity. Then they claim they can get 308 ballistics out of it. I'm thinking this may turn out to be one of those rounds where you need the proprietary powder to get the speed at acceptable pressures.

Gad!!! I AM a pessimist. The thing'll probably work great and be the savior of the industy, truth, justice and the American way.

[35remington]

No, it ain't as pretty as a 99. It's prettier. And the only way we'll get a 99 back is if we're willing to pony up 1000 dollars for a new one. Ergo, the 336 is the working man's replacement for the 300 Savage with efficient bullets that fit in a traditional tube magazine lever. Looks and decent performance. Not such a bad place to be, really.

We'll see if anybody wants one, but if this doesn't make it nobody has any reason to bitch about being limited to a .30-30 anymore, or whining about giving up range due to blunt bullets (that is more a mental handicap than anything). Sometimes I wonder if modern ideas are applicable to a tube magazine lever given buying preferences.

I hope I don't wind up seeing 336's in this chambering with 6.5-20X scopes with 56mm objectives.

Maybe I'm crossing my fingers on this in the hopes they stay profitable. Whatever. I'm just cheering them on.

They gotta try, don't they? The lever market is pretty stale, and Hornady zipped it up with the pointed gummy bullets. Winchester going belly up left the traditional market solely to Marlin.

Given that their line of bolt action rifles flopped a little more than a decade ago, all Marlin has invested in this one for tooling is a few chambering reamers and a different threading cut for the barrels. A really cheap way for them to give it another go.

[Marlin Junky]

I just got done doing some reading on various websites about the .308 Marlin and I think it will sell. Actually I'd like to see it opened up to .358 and wrapped in a XLR. It would probably deliver another 100 fps on top of what's possible with good .35 Remington handloads. I also noticed on Marlin's website that they'll be offering an XLR in .35 Remington in about 6 months. So perhaps a .358 Marlin is not too far down the road.

I like it... a .450, .350 and .308 all with the Marlin moniker. I want one of each, in the XLR config.

MJ

[Trailblazer]

Any cartridge that equals a 30-40 or 300 Savage has to be a good round. I hope Marlin does well with it. Since it has a smaller case than the 307 Win it is clearly not going to deliver factory ballistics when handloaded with standard powders. That kills any interest I might have in it.

I do not believe the 307 and 356 Win were ever loaded to 52,000 CUP. I read recently that Winchester reduced the loading pressure on their factory ammo at some point. Marlin's 47,000 PSI sounds much more realistic to me.

[Ranch Dog]

Over on MarlinOwners a fellow named TomRay has been writing a lot about the cartridge/rifle and what makes it different from the 336ER offering. Tom is a design engineer at Marlin.

I'm not interested in another 30 caliber but I only see this being a good thing for the American firearms industry. At least Marlin has some balls and is developing new rifles without leaving their roots behind. The XLR rifles don't appeal to me but I feel the same, good on them. May be it's just me... I can't be happy with a rifle that isn't at least 20-years old.

I've got a Savage 99 Takedown in 300 Sav. I would have to agree with the comments in favor of the Marlin. To me the Marlins have a lot better balance for field use but this is just as I see it. In my annual Leveraction Post Match the Savages are never in the running as far as accuracy is concerned.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Tpr Bret, I got my info from Marlinowners.com`s Tomray ( a Marlin employee) the magazine writeups are showing some info that was released several months ago according to Tomray the bullet weight and ojive has been changed and also the rifling twist has been changed from 1:10 to 1:12.
I am a dyed in the wool cast bullet tinkerer so the slower twist will be just right for me. Also the reduced case capacity is welcome as well.

[35remington]

Marlin will also release the .308MX in in a walnut stock, blued steel half magazine rifle with 22" barrel.

I would greatly prefer this to the laminated stock stainless steel XLR version, and hopefully the walnut stocked rifle will avoid some of the overpricing issues as well.

[Chuck 100 yd]

35 rem. Yes, I like the 22" blued/walnut rifle over the ss/lam. version . It is going to be about $100 less. Dont remember where I saw that though.

[Bret4207]

Boys- They ain't no lever gun ever never made whut is a purty as a 99 Savage!!! You guys probably think a gun should be some color other than blued too!!! Egads men, get a grip!

Some guys liked Jane Russell (Winchester) some went for Marylin Monroe (Marlin). Can I help it if I went for Ann Margaret (Savage)?

Ranch Doggy- What postal match? Give some details and maybe us Savage boys can wake the rest of you up, eh Deputy Al?

Make no mistake guys- if this thing flys I'm all for it. I've just seen too many flash in the pan guns/cartridges/etc. Like I said, I'm a pessimist. The glass is half full all right, of SULFURIC ACID!!!

[35remington]

Tpr. Bret, no offense taken. Lot of cartridges have flopped, and no guarantees with this one.

I wouldn't mind having a Savage 99A in 250-3000, but by the time I had known what a 99 was, they had already passed from the scene. A lot of our (misplaced? I dunno) enthusiasm for the new offering from Marlin is driven by our desire to see the company hang on in this day of plastic, dishwasher proof throwaway guns. This model still is made the old way, and there's a lot of pride of ownership here.

I'm a blued steel and walnut guy myself, and I think a lever like this looks best with a Williams or Lyman receiver sight. I think scopes look funny on a lever action like this, but everybody's got the right to shoot whatever they want.

Just make a traditional looking one for me.

[Marlin Junky]

Savage 99's are nice but I tried to find a good used one in .358 Win. with a rotary magazine about 6 or 7 years back and they were way too pricey. I'm not sure I like the way they are balanced and it appears their overall length with equal length barrels is greater than the 336's... is this correct? I also don't think you can get the 99's trigger pull down to a crisp 1 pound as easily as the 336. I also can't imagine a 99 out-shooting a non-banded (like an SC or an early A model) 336 in the accuracy department. Go ahead, set me straight.

MJ

[mtngunr]

I get a bit put out of joint by automatic naysaying that is so common on the internet, especially on new product intros....sure, they want to build a market, not sit in a static market with zero growth after they sell you a gun that will last a lifetime and then some....they could fix that real easy....rather than try to interest you in a new caliber gun, perhaps it would be better if they just did like everybody else and made them out of plastic, with IC chip ignition that failed after 5yrs, and you just had to buy a new one if you wanted to hunt......as far as stuff being a rehash, giant step backwards, why bother, etc commentary, I don't think things have improved measureably since the Winchester '92 and '94 actions came out, whether we are talking gun design or chambering...but it would be a boring world were those the only guns, and if we only had 30WCF, 32WCF 38WCF, and 44WCF in which to shoot them.....good thing the designers of the Savage 99 didn't listen to the naysayers.....

[JDL]

Savage 99's are nice but I tried to find a good used one in .358 Win. with a rotary magazine about 6 or 7 years back and they were way too pricey. I'm not sure I like the way they are balanced and it appears their overall length with equal length barrels is greater than the 336's... is this correct? I also don't think you can get the 99's trigger pull down to a crisp 1 pound as easily as the 336. I also can't imagine a 99 out-shooting a non-banded (like an SC or an early A model) 336 in the accuracy department. Go ahead, set me straight.

MJ
MJ, Your're absolutely correct that the length on 99s are longer than 336s with the same barrel length as my 99G is longer than my 336A, both with 24" tubes. Now, as for the balance, I don't notice much of a difference, both leap to my shoulder and are right on target. The trigger on pre 1 million 99's are very easy to smooth for a crisp let off but, in 1960 (1,000,000 serial) Savage came with a new, improved trigger and safety, which is anything but. :-( I have a R model that will shoot as good as most bolt actions and will outshoot both of my 336's and 94. However, all of them are plenty accurate with hunting in mind, even my old 1930 G takedown. :-)
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I think they are bootiful! -JDL

[JDL]

I am glad that Marlin is bringing out another caliber, even if it is just a gussied up .300 Savage! Handloaders will probably be dissapointed, if advertised ballistics are a goal.
I well remember reading an artical when the .307 was introduced that stated the .30-30 was indeed doomed because of it but, it never happened. IIRC, Marlin never produced a .307. -JDL

[Ranch Dog]

Trooper...

I understand your love of older things (as I love the older Marlin 336s and 1895s) but the firearms industry is a dying industry and I applaud Marlin's "to hell with dying" additude. Winchester is down the tube, Remington is ?, anad I just read in the USA Today that Rugar is in deep trouble. I don't know much about the current Savage but I know that Marlin is about the only rifle manufacture I would buy stock in.

Here is the link for the Postal Match... Postal Match V will start about the first of March.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=6575

[Old Ironsights]

It's too bad that both the Savage 99 and the BLR are so expensive as to be Unobtanium.

I still hold out hope for stumbling across a 99 or 99TD in 308 in a pawnshop somewhere tho...

[Four Fingers of Death]

I just thought this should be a nice round in a light handy bolt rifle as well. I would make a nice deer rifle in a model 7 or similar and would also make a nice youth rifle as well. I think it will be a sweet little cartridge, and could stand a chance with the leverevolting bullets that seem to have taken off like wildfire. Solving more problems that do not exist! That's free enterprise for you.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Looking at my post, I see 'nice' seems to be my word for the day. Mick.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I think the 99 is a love/hate thing, I just have never warmed up to them myself.
Knowing that the first couple thousand were made by marlin is a step in its favor though. I do like the slim forearms and slender barrels on them.

[Bret4207]

Marilyn vs Ann vs Jane.

[6pt-sika]

I think the 99 is a love/hate thing, I just have never warmed up to them myself.
Knowing that the first couple thousand were made by marlin is a step in its favor though. I do like the slim forearms and slender barrels on them.


I agree 100% . I had three 99's recently . Two from the 20's and one from the 60's and the key word in that staement is HAD .

They do not grow on me like an old Marlin or new one for that matter .

Even though I collect Marlin's I have a soft spot for some of the Winchesters as well .

On the other hand the 99TD that I had that was made about 1926 and was chambered for 300 Savage , really did like cast bullets [smilie=1:

[Boomer Mikey]

The minute I saw the 308 marlin in Shooting Times I knew it was high on my want list. I may only load it to 30-30 ballistics and only with cast boolits but I gotta have one! The 444 Marlin was denounced as well, but I got one of those too. If they offered a 336 in 445 Supermag or 357Maximum, I'd jump on those in a New York Minute. All 5 of my 336's are great shooters that handle like a dream. I don't care about who made what or when they did it but I do know these are made in the USA, that's good enough for me. I don't know if the 308 Marlin will become #6 or #27 in my gunsafe before I kick the bucket, but I plan to have one of them before I do.

Boomer :Fire:

[26Charlie]

I would bet that it wll be opened up to .338, .358, and .375, and necked to .284 and .277 - maybe also to .257. Would duplicate a lot of calibers in a nice accurate lever gun.

[Ranch Dog]

I thought I would post these "projections" here that I ran, comparing my Lee special order TLC311-165-RF out of three rifles: my Glenfield 30 (30-30 Win w/20" barrel), my 336A (30-30 AI w/24" barrel), and a Marlin 308MX (308ME w/22" barrel).

The boolit would be cast with 1 to 1 Linotype/WW and water quenched. I've been getting 30 to 31 BHN (Lee Tester) consistantly. I would load to 40.0K CUP in all three rifles. They might stand a little more pressure but that is where I would target for my load.

The Glenfield 30-30 Win (T1) would be loaded with 30.8-grains H322 for 2125 FPS. The 336A (T2) would be loaded with 32.4-grains of H322 for 2225, and the 308 MX (T3) would get 35.0-grains of Benchmark for 2295 FPS. The loads are all generated by my Load From A Disk (http://www.loadammo.com/) software.

http://gunloads.com/fam/ranchdogmolds/Share/Compare_Three_TLC311_FPS.jpg
Velocity

http://gunloads.com/fam/ranchdogmolds/Share/Compare_Three_TLC311_Zero.jpg
100-Yard Zero

http://gunloads.com/fam/ranchdogmolds/Share/Compare_Three_TLC311_FPE.jpg
Foot Pounds Energy

http://gunloads.com/fam/ranchdogmolds/Share/Compare_Three_TLC311_TI.jpg
Taylor Index

I jumped through hoops to get the advantage of the 30-30 AI over the 30-30 Win so why not give Marlin the business on the 308ME.

http://gunloads.com/fam/ranchdogmolds/Reloading/Images/308MarlinExpressDrawing.jpg
308 Marlin Express Case... LFD users can open the 307 Win case file, edit the cartridge with these dimensions, click the "Calculate..." button, and then save the file as the "308 Marlin Express".

[Marlin Junky]

It appears there are also going to be a couple improvements made to the 336 which may bump up the level of accuracy a notch or two. I'm going to snag a 22" blued version. It'll refrain me from AI'ing one of my old guns.

MJ

P.S. Actually, if these new Marlins are MicroGrooved with a 10" twist, they might not be as cast boolit friendly as I would like and they may just be MicroGrooved in an effort to keep breech pressure down. Marlin's website does not specify the rifling type for the 308MXLR but does for the 336XLR. I'm a little confused though because it looks like the 336XRL in .35 Remington will have a 12" twist!!

[Ranch Dog]

Actually, I prefer the Micro-Groove barrels over the Ballard. I've had my best CB luck with the MG. My 444T is one of the best shooting rifles I've ever shot. I would like to rebarrel the rifle to the 1:20 but not for the sake of giving up the MGs.

[Hipshot]

No reason in the world for ANOTHER .30 cal. cartidge-----have too many of them as it is----not an apple nor is it an orange!
Marlin should go with a new .35 cal. or at least a .33 cal. new cartridge!

Just my museings!
Hipshot

[9.3X62AL]

Not trying to be a reflexive nay-sayer, and YES it is nice to see a riflemaker trying new things. Well, sort of new, anyway. And--for the record--Marlin levers match Winchester levers in number inside the gun safe. I like 'em, a lot. Savage 99's are right nice, also. None of them come to the line at Camp Perry, but they still are VERY venison-capable in most environments.

30-40 ballistics in a blue-steel and walnut lever rifle would be very marketable. If reloaders can duplicate those results with standard components, all the better.

[Marlin Junky]

Actually, I prefer the Micro-Groove barrels over the Ballard. I've had my best CB luck with the MG. My 444T is one of the best shooting rifles I've ever shot. I would like to rebarrel the rifle to the 1:20 but not for the sake of giving up the MGs.

Ranch Dog,

I don't have anything against MicroGroove rifling but if you combine a 10" twist .30 cal barrel with MicroGroove rifling you might run into a problem if you want to drive BHN 14 boolits over 2200 fps... don't you think so?

BTW, where did you get those .308ME case dimensions? Your spec's would yield a .386" neck. I think I saw somewhere that the .308ME's neck is one caliber long.

MJ

[tom barthel]

Now we have a rifle capable of extreamly long shots. Around here that's 75 to 100 yards. Most deer around here are shot at bow range. I would rather see a lever rifle like the 99 Savage with the regular Savage magazine or a detachable magazine. I have 4 .308s now. Don't need another one. Still, I hope it sells well.

[wills]

BTW, where did you get those .308ME case dimensions? Your spec's would yield a .386" neck. I think I saw somewhere that the .308ME's neck is one caliber long.

MJ

No telling whether this is right or where it came from but
http://www.dnmsport.com/MIKE_M/INDEX.htm
"The cartridge dimensions are as follows: .506" rim diameter, .4703" base diameter, .455" shoulder diameter, and .3435" neck diameter. The case length is 1.920" with a 20 degree shoulder angle and a neck .3082" (one caliber) long. The maximum overall cartridge length is 2.60". The Maximum Average Pressure of the new cartridge has yet to be standardized by SAAMI, but it is likely to be in the vicinity of 46,000 cup

[Old Ironsights]

Now we have a rifle capable of extreamly long shots. Around here that's 75 to 100 yards. Most deer around here are shot at bow range. I would rather see a lever rifle like the 99 Savage with the regular Savage magazine or a detachable magazine. I have 4 .308s now. Don't need another one. Still, I hope it sells well.


If anyone ever comes up with a 20rd box magazine that will fit a BLR I'm going to have the coolest Lever Action Main Battle Rifle in the known universe. :twisted:

[Hipshot]

Micro Groove and CB's-----my 336 shoots them just fine---35 Rem. Lyman modl # 318315 GC at 200 gr. with 35 gr. IMR 3031.
A friend had an 1894 in 44 Mag. that shot like S--T! He sold it right away because he was so disgusted!

I read an article years ago in one of the GUN RAGS that stated the above results ref. Micro Groove bbl.---------'SOME SHOOT GOOD--SOME DON'T"! Unfortunately, you just don't know until you buy the gun and try it!

Took 2 deer with my 35 Rem. and 1 with a .357 mag. pistol------No complaint on my part---they worked beautifully!

Most of my CB shooting is for cheap offhand practice though!

Hipshot

[Bret4207]

The Maximum Average Pressure of the new cartridge has yet to be standardized by SAAMI, but it is likely to be in the vicinity of 46,000 cup[/QUOTE]

Now how in heck are they gonna get these super 308 ballistics from a case with 10% less capacity than a 308 while running 46,000 cup? I'm thinking a special powder we won't have access to for 5 years.

I hope this flys guys. Time will tell...

[felix]

Powder producing a flatter curve is everybody's desire in the high performance arena. Ideally, the powder companies should produce statistics showing this figure (integrated "average") as well as the peak, and the time of duration of each per cartridge at the RMS (root means square) level. ... felix

[carpetman]

I did google search of the 308 marlin. They stated most powerful ever in traditional lever gun. Maybe the Savage 99 is not traditional but it comes in a lever. The Win 88 was not traditional I guess in that the bolt actually locked into place during the last little bit of travel--making it akin to a bolt action. It appears the new Marlin has tubular magazine thus no pointy bullets? Both the Savage 99 and Win 88 could use pointed bullets. Only thing I can figure is an appearance thing--the rifle itself--certainly nothing gained in performance--but a loss. But I guess that's the way we are. I've seen kids riding a bicycle that looks like a motorcycle. Has big fat back tire. The seat is low. Just watching them ride it,looks like the whole deal is clumsy. But in their eyes it is way cool.

[Hipshot]

I guess if Hornady designed the bullets (soft tip polymer pointed) like they did for their line of ammo and some of the newer powders like they use in the Light magnum line of ammo they could do it-----most powerful traditional lever action!

Hipshot

[lar45]

My loads for the 30-06 have a 165 core lokt at 2730 fps. They shoot sub 1" in everything and work great on Deer and Elk.
If the 308 Marlin is made in a light comfortable rifle, I think it will sell. I don't think they will fly off the shelfs like the WSM everything, but I think they will find a good following. Maybe they could chamber for the 338 Federal also?

[Four Fingers of Death]

I think they will be ok and will attract a lot of shooters who wouldn't but anything with an 'old fashioned' rim. It might attract military types. Its like when the army and ex army and other military guys turn up at the pistol club. They want 9mm and they want browning.

[ARKANSAS PACKRAT]

I wish marlin all the best with this offering, they have always made solid guns, if the writers get behind it, it'll sell. I like the case design, I like rimmed cases in singleshot rifles, have been looking at the .307 case to make a .35 cast shooter, this case should do what I want, like a rimmed .35 REM.!

[Hipshot]

Why go with the 307 case, just go with the 356 Win case!

Hipshot

[Old Ironsights]

I think they will be ok and will attract a lot of shooters who wouldn't but anything with an 'old fashioned' rim. It might attract military types. Its like when the army and ex army and other military guys turn up at the pistol club. They want 9mm and they want browning.

I think for the (ex)military types (like me) who want mil-spec compatability, the 7.62 nato/.308 is still the best bet.

Would someone please fab me some 20rd box magazines for the BLR?

Please? :twisted:

I mean, being tacti-cool with a .223 or .308 gas gun is fine, but a Levered MBR would be the bomb.

[Doughty]

Old Ironsights,

Over 20 years ago I took a look at this concept. The problem wasn't with making the magazine. The problem was that the lever swings down too far; that it would interfere with a longer magazine. So then I tried to come up with some type of short throw modification and struck out. I finally decided that if I wanted firepower for serious purposes, I'd go with an auto loader. If I wanted to have fun, I'd get a lever; Ruger single shots or Marlin tube fed. I seldom shoot the auto loaders these days.

[Old Ironsights]

Vic - aren't the new BLR 308s supposed to be a "short action"? ('swhat the website claims anyway..)

[Doughty]

Old Ironsights,

I think there's some confusion between "short action" and "short throw." The short action referred to at the Browning website has to do with the length of cartridges the action is designed for. Example .308 Win = short action, .30-06 = long action. What I was referring to is that, when the lever is worked, on either length action, the range of movement is so long that part of the lever swings under the bottom of the magazine. If the magazine was longer, the lever could not swing forward far enough to fully cycle the action. If the action could be modified so that the lever range of movement was shorter and would still fully cycle the action, then a longer mag might work. At least thats the way it was on the .308 and .243 rifles I was dealing with in the early eighties.

[Old Ironsights]

Ah. Bummer.

[Bass Ackward]

Well I'm excited. When is the 35 version do out?

[ARKANSAS PACKRAT]

Bass, don't know about the official .35 version, but as soon as I can get some new empty brass I bet I chamber a .35 barrel for one of my martinis. Looks like a .35 cast shooter for sure!!!
Nick