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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7
New Member
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OP
New Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7 |
I really like hunting and carrying lever action rifles. I have Marlins in 30-30, 35 Rem, and 444 Marlin. I have recently been thinking about an in between caliber. I am looking for something more than the 30-30 but not as big a boomer as the 444 or 45-70. There is no shame on the 35 Rem but something with a little bit more(???) I am thing about a 338 Marlin Express but ammo availability has been been too exciting. My other thought is to buy a used 336 and have it re-bored to 375 WCF. I still see ammo on shelves, it is used somewhat by the T/C crowd, and there are numerous donor rifles out there - here in PA you could probably build a blue steel & walnut picket fence arounf the state borders with Marlin lever actions and Remington 760/7600's. ---NOT SAYING THAT IS A BAD THING! Any thoughts?
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 824
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 824 |
375 WRA is really a rewarmed 38-55. The 338 ME is a far superior cartridge and ammo can be bought mail order from many places. The resale on the 375 will be poor and reboring is not cheap. Folks have taken Elk at over 200 yards with the 338 ME, something that the 375 WRA would be hard pressed to do given its ballistics and trajectory. If you must have a 375, you could buy a Winchester 94 for less money than a 336 + rebore and the 94s keep appreciating.
Newt-Condi 2012
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 98
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 98 |
Get the 338MX or MXLR. Long range ballistics blow away the 375 or 358 Win Read these Coyote at 370 yards 338 MX on a bull moose at 338 yards 338MX on a bison This is a 100 yard shot, but lets you know how hard this rifle hits. Mike Martin of Marlin took an antelope at 400 yards with a Marlin Express. Dr A on Marlin Owners took a deer at 405 yards with a Marlin Express. These would be much more difficult with a 375 or 358 Win because of the drop due to the weight of the bullet and ballistic coefficient. As for ammo, you can easily get it via mail order.
Last edited by quietman; 09/09/10.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,168
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,168 |
Have you considered picking up a used 35 rem and having it rebored to 358 win?
I see the 336s on the used rack for less than 300 and sometimes as low as $250. Rechambering is pretty reasonable.
The collection of taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this Republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. Coolidge
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 824
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 824 |
The 358 winchester is a rimless cartridge built on a 30-06 head size. To get it to work in a 336 would be a chore far beyond worth doing and might not be safe. A rebore would not be necessary as they are both .357 bullets but feeding, extraction work, the danger of some dofus loading factory ammo with pointed bullets ..... nope. If you want a lever 358, buy a Savage 99, it's a much nicer rifle.
Newt-Condi 2012
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 16,540
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 16,540 |
Or buy a Browning BLR in .358 and you'll have a lever operated bolt action which can handle the stoutest reloads. Not that the Savage 99 can't.
The Chosin Few November to December 1950, Korea. I'm not one of the Chosin Few but no more remarkable group of Americans ever existed.
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