Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Accurate 243 Marlin XS7

My FIL bought this Marlin XS7 243 as a dual-purpose gun for deer and 'yotes. From our long relationship he knows that I load precise ammo that regularly outperforms factory loads. He's the only person I custom load for, and I do it out of love for him and his daughter (my wife of 30 years). I loaded 105 grain Speers for his deer hunting. Yesterday I worked-up a coyote load for him with the 55 grain Nosler ballistic tips. Here is the target:



When shooting these groups, I held the rifle in my hands with the forend resting on a sandbag on the hood of my suburban. I pulled the one shot that opened the second group up to 1/2 inch. With a better rest setup I have no doubt that all three would have gone in the same hole, giving me a group in the 2s. It took me 9 rounds to develop the load and sight-in the rifle with two groups. After years of reloading, this type of result is typical. All you have to do is choose components that are correct for the load, and not make stupid mistakes. It's not particularly hard. Experience helps too.

I concur.

ain't no kimber in this thread !

nice groups gentlemen.

i have two XL7C (270 & 30-06) that shoot like that with their favorite loads-whsk

I volunteer for our shooting club's deer rifle sight in day fall fund raiser and a lot of these Marlins showed up this year. Most of them exhibit good accuracy. I expect to see a lot more in the future.

I don't know....that one group almost came out of the circle....

Really, ya have to admit, those are good results. Those Marlins have established a good reputation.

Its the only tuperware stock in the safe, but I like it.XL7 in 30-06.It would shoot sub moa routinely with hand loads. Handled well. Decent shootin iron for the price. Then I got bored and made it into a 338-06. Still shoots sub moa.

Yessiree, them XL7s really shoot. I have bought five of them in 243 to 30-06. They all shot very close to an inch or better.

Here's the best group shot with one of the 270s.



Ted