Howdy !
I'm having great success, using my Marlin M-336 XLR .35Rem purely as a target shooting accuracy rifle. The rifle is "stock", as-delivered from the CT factory.
* All I have done, is add a home-made "barrel clamping / bi-pod block.
( Please see attched pics... ). The rifle has been fitted w/ a Weaver 36X scope, with Gene Davis 2X optical booster attached.
My initial goal: shoot a 5/8" 5-shot group @ 100.
I was unable to realize that goal, until after I $$$ a good wind flag; and started using it.
My son shot the first 5/8"th group Jun 2011. I fired my first one 2mo later.
I therafter re-set my accuracy goal for the rifle/load to: 7/16" 5-shot group @ 100.
I pretty much forgot about 7/16", when I was able to produce 3-shot groups in the .2's range !
As regards the 5-shot group pictured twice:
- After the first 3 shots went into a small cluster, I held off @ 2 o:clock and a little Right... based on what the wind flag was showing me. I read the condition wrong, and the 4th shot went wide.... right where I had aimed ( outside of the group ). None-the-less, that 4-shot group was still not too shabby!
- For the 5th shot, I again completely misread the flag ( or flag was not located in best position for the range conditions that day ); and the 5th shot went even wider ! AAccckkk !!
Second pic shows the group over-layed w/ a dime, to give some idea of scale.
I am convinced that the "wide shots" are not load or rifle-induced.
Also, the barrel block set-up sure seems to have prevented/arrested any undesireable verticle grouping tendency.
A final note:
I have been trying to successfully post a short ( "youtube" )video of me releasing the XLR's trigger w/ the skinny flat-end of a flat tooth pic.
In the video, I show that I cannot release my varmint rifle's 2oz "Rilfe Basix"
trigger using the tooth pic, while I AM able to release the XLR's trigger in such fashion !!
The youtube video is titled " Marlin bench rest rifle trigger test ".
The website also listed "youtube.com/watch?v=LoA56" ....... but I DK if that helps
With regards,
357Mag